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Renowned Betawi comedienne Omas passes away at 54
Omas was renowned for her brand of comedy that communicated across cultures, genres and generations.
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Omaswati "Omas" was known for her repartee and her dedication to her Betawi heritage, the indigenous culture and people of Jakarta. (tempo.co/File)
Celebrated Betawi comedienne Omaswati, widely known as "Omas", passed away on Thursday evening at the age of 54.
Omas’ second son, Dio Hambiah, said that his mother "seemed fine" in the hours prior to her passing. “She watched television at around 7:30 p.m. as usual, and I left her to feed my cats. But when I returned, I saw her [lying] still as though she wasn't breathing,” Dio told tribunnews.com.
Dio said, however, that his mother’s diabetes and asthma had been severe over the past four days, to the point that she was unable to get out of bed.
Born on May 3, 1966, Omas was the sister of popular Indonesian comedians Mandra and Mastur.
Mandra recalled her younger sister as very independent. “She never whined about her problems to her family. She would do everything [herself]. She never asked for help,” Mandra said as quoted by tribunnews.com.
Omas started out in her career as a performer of lenong (traditional Betawi theater). She later appeared in a variety of comedy programs, films and sinetron (TV soaps), including Benyamin Biang Kerok (2018) and Upik Abu dan Laura (2008).
She also founded the Betawi Cultural Arts Preservation Studio (PANGSI) in Depok, reported kompas.com.
Omas' funeral will be held today at a public cemetery in Depok, West Java. (wir/wng)
