Understanding the character of the Madurese

Understanding the character of the Madurese

By Sirikit Syah

SURABAYA (JP): The conflict that broke out between Madurese
and Dayak in West Kalimantan at the end of December and early
January has drawn the concern of government officials,
politicians and religious leaders.

The island of Madura is known to be dry and unproductive, but
is it true that the hard life in their homeland makes the
Madurese a rough and tough people? The Jakarta Post spoke to H.
A. Latief Wiyata, M.A -- a doctoral candidate at Gajah Mada
University, a lecturer at the University of Jember, East Java,
and an anthropologist specializing in Madurese study -- about the
character of the Madurese people. Wiyata is currently writing his
dissertation on Madurese culture.

Question: What is the basic characteristic of the Madurese?

Answer: The Madurese are very open and expressive. When they
are treated unfairly, they will not keep silent. They will react
directly. Another important characteristic of the Madurese is
their seriousness in work. They have a saying 'kar-karkar colpe'
(which is analogous to a hen scraping the soil to find something
to eat; no matter how small the food, the hen will search for it
patiently and seriously). There are facts and proof that many
Madurese people are successful in working in any field, either
big or small business, even when they are far from home.

Q: Are the Madurese very obedient to their religious leaders?

A: People often assume that the Madurese only obey their kyai
(religious leaders). This is quite true. But it's not only the
kyai they obey. In their social and cultural lives, there is a
saying bappa' babu' guru' rato (father, mother, teacher, and the
king/government). Those are the people they obey. The kyai have a
central position, but they obey other informal leaders too. It
would be better if both religious and social leaders were
involved.

Q: Do the Madurese have a tendency to overreact?

A: No. They are very strict with their principle of andap asor
(being humble and/or low-profile). They believe that being
polite, friendly and kind is essential in social life. They are
kindhearted. Whoever experiences the kindness of Madurese people
will not forget it for the rest of his/her life. The Madurese
don't forget other people's kindness either, and they will pay it
back in any way. But once they are hurt, they will react and
never forget. They believe that oreng daddi taretan, taretan
daddi oreng (family/relatives become strangers, strangers become
family/relatives), which depends on their social behavior towards
each other.

Q: How do the Madurese socialize with other ethnic groups?

A: In principal they socialize easily with other ethnic
groups, which might be due to their concept of andap asor. The
socialization process is made easier if they have something in
common, like religion.

Q: Can they adapt easily to new environments and communities?

A: Yes, they can. If they live by the sea, they will live like
fishermen. If they live in a village, they will live like
farmers. They have no problem adapting to life in industrial or
metropolitan cities. But when they settle in a new place, they
tend to group with their own people. There are many Madurese
settlements throughout Indonesia. It might appear as ethnic
solidarity, but it could also be interpreted as exclusivity.

Q: Do Madurese often marry with people from other ethnic
groups?

A: Their concept tends to encourage marriage with distant
relatives. Their philosophy is ma' ta' elang obur (maintain
family ties). But they follow the rules of Islam, which prohibit
marriages with close family members.

Q: The Madurese have the habit of carrying a weapon wherever
they go. Why?

A: Yes, they usually carry celurit (a sickle specific to
Madura), but it is not a sign of violence. On the contrary, it
symbolizes that the person admits his weakness. Those who dare to
appear in public without carrying a weapon are the ones to be
suspicious of. They are suspected of having a certain kind of
strength.

The Madurese have a belief about carrying weapons. They will
not carry weapons in their right hands, which could be
interpreted as a challenge or a threat. They usually carry them
in their left hands with the sharp end pointing at their palm and
fingers, and the other end parallel to their arm. Sometimes they
just slip the weapon under their clothes in line with the concept
of andap asor.

Q: What could provoke their rage?

A: The main factor is their dignity, and whether or not it is
violated. The concept of dignity is not only personal and
individual but refers to family, relatives and ethnic groups
based on racial solidarity. They refuse to be embarrassed or
humiliated. They would rather die, as they say tamna todus, mate
(death is the only cure to embarrassment/humiliation). And
ango'an poteya tolang etembang poteya mata (to die is better than
to be humiliated/embarrassed).

Q: There are rumors that the Madurese want to take revenge on
the Dayak living in Madura and Java. What is your opinion? Is
revenge one of their traits?

A: Not only the Madurese. Any ethnic group will take revenge
or get angry if it is treated unfairly. Still, it depends on the
severity of the problem or conflict. In the case of West
Kalimantan, I don't think the Madurese will seek revenge. First,
because the conflict is still within their tolerance limit.
Second, their (social and religious) leaders are involved in the
efforts to overcome the problem. This is a good strategy. The
conflict must be seen and evaluated, both in a legal context and
a sociocultural context, honestly and fairly. Otherwise, all
efforts will be useless.