Typical 'arek Suroboyo' and Mallaby's death

From Batavia (now Jakarta) on Sept. 22, 1945, Rear Admiral Sir W. Patterson, who was commanding the Fifth Cruiser Squadron for the Supreme Allied Commander, wrote a letter which began with:

"This is to certify that I have ordered Captain P.J.G. Huyer to proceed to Soerabaja in order to prepare for the reoccupation of Soerabaja."

Based on the order of his Britain counterpart, Huyer, a captain of the Royal Netherlands Navy, managed to peacefully take control of the city, now known as Surabaya, from Japanese Vice Admiral Yaichiro Shibata.

But blood still continued wetting the ground of the city as many of the arek Suroboyo (local expression for the people of Surabaya) insisted on rejecting any form of colonization. Heated clashes with the British forces started. And on the evening of Oct. 30, 1945, Brigadier A.W.S. Mallaby from the British Forces, was killed in a armed clash near the Gedung Internatio building, close to the Kali Mas river.

Despite the controversy surrounding Mallaby's real killer, the incident sparked anger on the part of the British troops and other allied forces, which then issued an ultimatum "To All Indonesians of Surabaya" ordering Indonesian leaders and locals to surrender and hand over their arms.

Receiving no response, the British on Nov. 10, 1945, heavily bombarded Surabaya from land, sea and air, killing thousands of Surabayans.

The Nov. 10 inferno and all the heroic stories of the Surabaya warriors are still remembered by Surabayans today. The Black Saturday is remembered today as National Heroes Day, and the city has been dubbed the City of Heroes.

Since those dark days, the hard-working Surabayans have set about promoting their city as the second most important in the country after the capital Jakarta.

Home to over three million inhabitants, 85 percent of its 290 square kilometers is devoted to commercial and residential purposes.

Lavish housing complexes, apartments, skyscrapers, hotels that are members of international chains, shopping arcades and specially-designed industrial zones have mushroomed in certain parts of the town.

Hundreds of domestic and foreign vessels load and unload their cargoes at Tanjung Perak seaport everyday. Container trucks roar back and forth between the Rungkut industrial zone and the nearby Gresik industrial zone.

The day-to-day hustle and bustle of Surabaya's streets and the high level of passenger numbers at Juanda airport reflects the economic progress achieved by the city.

Until today, the industrial sector plays a major role in the city, but many estimate that trade will soon surpass it in importance as geographically speaking Surabaya is an entrepot for the major markets of Bali, Sulawesi, Kalimantan and Papua.

As of last year, the industrial sector contributed 35 percent to the city's revenues, while trading was three percent lower.

Once home to the world's largest brothel complex in Doli, Surabaya -- like many other big cities -- suffers from a lack of natural tourist attractions. But a number of aging colonial buildings erected during the Dutch and Japanese occupations remain popular attractions for foreign tourists.

Still regarded as Indonesia's second most polluted metropolis after Jakarta, the city is endeavoring to develop more green areas within its boundaries.

Compared to its rival Jakarta, Surabaya is a relatively safer city.

"It's much better here," said Haryadi, the general manager of the Hotel Santika Surabaya.

But just like other densely-populated cities, Surabaya also faces the usual problems like traffic jams, garbage disposal and flooding.

"The traffic jams, for instance, are still tolerable. But work needs to be done now in anticipation of the situation worsening.

Don't make the same mistakes that Jakarta has made," Haryadi said.

Herman Rivai from the Surabaya Council sees the presence of street traders as another problem.

"Instead of harshly forcing the street traders off the streets, the (local) authorities should find some other solution, such as providing designated areas where they can run their businesses," he said.

Rahmat, a Nasi Pecel (traditional rice and vegetable dish) trader, who was asked about the rapid development in the city, simply replied: "Surabaya's getting difficult!"

He could be referring to many things, including the lack of jobs. But, his response was typical for a Surabayan: open and direct.