West Sumatra reinvents its original roots

West Sumatra reinvents its original roots

Ardimas Sasdi, Staff Writer, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta,
ardimas@thejakartapost.com

Each province responds in a different way to the reform
movement that evolved four years ago and led to the
implementation of regional autonomy on Jan. 5, 2001.

For resource-rich provinces like Irian Jaya and Aceh, it has
meant greater autonomy to manage their own internal affairs, a
larger share of natural resources from oil, gas and mining, and
new names. Irian Jaya is now named Papua, while Aceh is called
Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD).

In Aceh the reforms have also meant the implementation of
syariah (Islamic) law, including an obligation to wear Muslim
attire for both men and women.

The resource-poor but culturally rich province of West
Sumatra, however, translated the reform into rolling back history
by returning to a unique administrative system, nagari, a
long lost cultural heritage.

Mochtar Naim, a sociologist from Andalas University in the
West Sumatra capital of Padang, said the movement of returning to
nagari was an attempt by Minang (native West Sumatra) people to
reinvent their own identity.

This identity is enshrined in the basic philosophy of the
Minang, known as Adat basandi syarak, syarak basandi Kitabullah
(custom law is based on religion (Islam), religion is based on
the Koran). The 4.2-million population of the province, formerly
known as Minangkabau, is predominantly Muslim.

"Reform in West Sumatra has nothing to do with secession or
rebellion, as evolved in Aceh, Riau, Irian Jaya or East Timor.
Minang people want to return to their old philosophy of life, but
remain as Indonesians," said Mochtar.

West Sumatrans, the noted sociologist said, never thought of
engaging in conflict with the central government as they were
still traumatized by a short-lived armed rebellion in the late
1950s.

The trauma left by the half-hearted rebellion, which has roots
in an unfair distribution of wealth and development by the
centralistic Sukarno administration, can be observed from
cautious steps taken by West Sumatrans with regard to a movement
to return to nagari. The plan to return to nagari had been warmly
discussed by the Minang soon after the fall of Soeharto in 1998,
but it went into top gear only in 2002 after political conditions
were seen to be more encouraging for it.

The opportunity to reinvent their culture in the reform era is
a long dream come true for the Minang. But they could not do it
under the Soeharto government, which did not tolerate any attempt
by provinces to promote local cultures, under the pretext of
preserving the unity of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia.

The best a province could do in the past was what one former
West Sumatra governor, Harun Zain, did in the 1970s by
instructing government agencies to build their offices using
traditional Minangkabau architecture, which took the form of
buffalo horns.

Overwhelming support given by the Minang on the shared goal to
a movement to return to nagari four years ago, when the plan was
launched by reformists, should be viewed from this aspect.

A culturally proud and loyal people, the Minang have emotional
ties with their hometowns. They are concerned about moral
decadence among their youth, uprooted from their own culture
under the rapid intrusion of perceived negative Western culture,
high crime rates, rising unemployment and development of their
villages.

More importantly, West Sumatrans are wary about a decline in
the number of prominent figures from the province in politics,
education, culture and government agencies compared with the
situation hitherto, even though statistics indicate that West
Sumatra still enjoys the highest literacy rate in Indonesia, due
to strong family support for child education.

Prominent figures from West Sumatra have come from all walks
of life, including Marah Rusli, Abdul Muis and Nur Sutan Iskandar
(literature), former vice president Mohamad Hatta, prime minister
Sutan Syahrir and Natsir (politics), Haji Abdul Malik Karim
Amrullah, known as Buya Hamka, (religion and culture) and Dasaad
and Hasyim Ning (business), to name but a few.

H. Asbir D. Radjo Mangkuto, a former chief executive officer
of a large construction firm in Padang, which has become a Wali
Nagari of Simarasok, in Baso, Agam regency, admitted recently
that much had still to be done to successfully create a movement
to return to nagari.

The concept for the administrative system has long been
abandoned, in line with Jakarta's policy on uniformity of the
administrative system throughout the country.

The social structure in the province has also changed, along
with rapid development in education, culture, politics and the
economy.

Minang leaders are now studying a proper model of nagari to be
adopted in all areas in the province.

"One option is a type of nagari administrative system adopted
after the arrival of Islam in the 14th century and before the
(second) arrival of the Dutch in the 19th century, which is
identical to the 1946-1958 administrative system, with some
improvements here and there," H. Asbir said.

Experts differ on the arrival of Islam in Minangkabau. Dien
Rice, in 1998, wrote that Islam, in the form of sufi cults,
arrived on the coast in the mid-16th century but was not yet
firmly entrenched nor present in the interior when the Dutch
arrived early in the 17th century, while Minangkabau civilization
reached the height of prosperity around the middle of the 15th
century. The period also served as a golden age for the
formulation of Minangkabau matrilineal culture.

The shared goal to return to nagari received full support from
the West Sumatra administration by promulgating new laws and
decrees in order to accelerate the process of returning
subdistricts and desa (villages) to nagari. As of last December,
450 nagari had been formed, said assistant to the West Sumatra
governor Yulrizal Baharin.

Government agencies have launched a campaign to promote
traditional arts, such as randai (traditional Minangkabau drama),
saluang (flute-playing), pepatah petitih (wise sayings), kaba
(narrative poems) and Malay-like pantun (rhymed couplets).

Minangkabau youths used to live in surau (communal buildings),
not with their parents. There they learned silat (traditional
martial arts) and memorized the Koran under a guidance of a
teacher.

The Minang are also famous for their oral culture, a tradition
of discussing at length current issues such as culture, the
economy, politics, education and social affairs in coffee shops
and at formal places in the community. This tradition helps them
sharpen their intellectual skills and curiosity as this habit
requires them to critically observe and analyze events before
making a decision.

Indra Catri, an intellectual from Baso, said the movement to
return to nagari should not end with a superficial change in the
administrative system, but should cover wider and more
substantive areas, such as an aggressive drive to promote
education, positive aspects of Minangkabau culture and religious
teachings.

The aim of the Minang to reinvent their cultural heritage is
laudable, but whether they will be able to achieve the noble goal
will be determined by many factors, including how they reconcile
their plan to return to nagari with the concept of autonomy
offered by Jakarta.