Jakarta Govt Eyeing to Outlaw Ondel-ondel Street Buskers
Translator
Ricky Mohammad Nugraha
Editor
Petir Garda Bhwana
Senin, 10 Februari 2020 09:42 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta administration together with the city’s legislative council (DPRD) have agreed to ban the use of ondel-ondel (giant Betawi effigies) as a tool for street busking.
DPRD Commission E speaker Iman Satria said that he takes pity upon seeing one of Betawi’s traditional icons being used to beg for money, which he deems far from what the icon was created for.
Echoing Iman, Jakarta administration’s cultural agency head, Iwan Henry Wardhana. He strongly argues that the ondel-ondel used as a begging tool is blatant exploitation practice.
Moreover, Iwan said his meeting with the Commission E DPRD has agreed to revise Jakarta’s Regulation No. 4/2015 on Betawi cultural preservation and banning it from being used as a begging tool.
“We will compose the regulation,” said Iwan on Friday, February 7.
This comes as the regulation’s Article 4 states that the Jakarta Administration is responsible for preserving Betawi culture. Iwan said that the misuse of ondel-ondel as a begging tool is mainly due to people’s lack of knowledge for the Betawi culture. “We will disseminate the [regulation] later on,” said Iwan.
INGE KLARA SAFITRI | M. RYAN H
