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Council urged to reject draft bylaw on restructuring of Gowa traditions, cultures
Against culture and tradition: Gowa Regent Adnan Purichta Ichsan Yasin Limpo proposed that a Gowa regent could be automatically installed as a Gowa king
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Against culture and tradition: Gowa Regent Adnan Purichta Ichsan Yasin Limpo proposed that a Gowa regent could be automatically installed as a Gowa king. (Tempo) (Tempo)
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span class="inline inline-center">Against culture and tradition: Gowa Regent Adnan Purichta Ichsan Yasin Limpo proposed that a Gowa regent could be automatically installed as a Gowa king. (Tempo)
Customary communities and descendants of Gowa rulers have called on the Gowa Legislative Council (DPRD) not to continue the discussion over a draft bylaw on the restructuring of traditions and cultures in Gowa regency, South Sulawesi.
In a rally in front of the DPRD Gowa building on Wednesday, they urged lawmakers to drop the draft bylaw proposed by the Gowa administration, in which Gowa Regent Adnan Purichta Ichsan Yasin Limpo suggested that a Gowa regent would be automatically installed as a Gowa king.
One of articles heavily criticized by the Gowa customary communities and descendants of Gowa rulers is Article 3 in Chapter III of the draft bylaw concerning the composition of the Gowa customary institution.
In the bylaw, the institution will be headed by the Gowa regent, which will have a status as "King of Gowa'. Meanwhile, a descendant of the Gowa king will only become a deputy chairman in the customary institution.
'This draft bylaw contradicts cultures and traditions, which have passed for generations in Gowa. It also hurts Gowa customary communities, especially the descendants of the King of Gowa,' said Andi Baso Mahmud, one of members in the Gowa Kingdom customary council.
He further said it was true that the Gowa Kingdom had handed over its power and authority to the Indonesian government after it declared independence in 1945; however, the post of king of Gowa must be held by descendants of a Gowa king based on the kingdom's family tree.
'It is possible for a king to become a regent but a regent cannot become a king because it has been regulated in our culture and tradition, which has been implemented across generations. All this time, we have always paid respect to our regent or regional head,' said Mahmud.
Concerning this fact, Mahmud said, the DPRD Gowa must reject and cancel the draft bylaw. If it insisted on discussing it, he said, the Gowa customary council must be involved.
Asriady Arasy, the head of the DPRD Gowa's Commission IV, which handles the draft bylaw, promised that he would convey the aspirations of the Gowa customary communities, which rejected it. 'Their aspirations will become input in the discussion of the draft bylaw,' he said.
Commenting on the polemics, Adnan said the draft bylaw was aimed at preserving culture and tradition in the regency. If he suggested that a regent should also become a Gowa king, this was because a regent and a king had a similar status and position, namely they were leaders of a region.
'It is called a king because Gowa used to be a kingdom. After our independence, this kingdom has become a regency so the head of this region is a regent. So a king and a regent have a same status, namely a regional head,' said Adnan, who has served as a Gowa regent for only one month.
Adnan claimed that in the history of Gowa, the first 36 Gowa kings were elected by the people and inaugurated by Bate Salapang or a customary council. Not all of the elected kings were descendants of a Gowa king according to the family tree.
'The last Gowa king, namely Andi Idjo Daeng Mattawang, was directly installed as the first Gowa regent after Indonesia's independence. So, it's also a normal thing if a regent can be installed a king,' said Adnan.
Adnan is the second son of Ichsan Yasin Limpo, formerly Gowa regent for two periods. He is also the nephew of South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo. Syahrul is also a former Gowa regent.
Alwy Rahman, a South Sulawesi cultural observer, who is also a lecturer at University Hasanuddin's School of Literature, said the draft bylaw was quite strange.
'The kingdom era is over now. It is now a democracy era. So it's strange if there is a leader who personifies himself or herself as a king,' said Alwy.
He said there were still many descendants of Gowa rulers and they must be respected or institutionalized. It was not normal for a regional head to become a king, he added. (ebf)
