B

y expressing lafaz Basmalah, the head of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) assessment agency, Bambang Sadono, launched the publicizing of MPR'€™s four pillars by stage-managing a wayang orang (human puppet) performance. The performance was conducted in Taman Budaya Raden Saleh Semarang on Dec. 17.

The performance featured the Ngesti Pandoeo group, which played on the theme of Kresna Duta. Members of the MPR, such as Bowo Sidiq Pangarso from the Golkar faction, Ali Maher from the Nasional Demokrat (Nasdem) faction, and Abdul Wachid from the Gerindra faction, also attended the performance.

In his welcoming speech, Bambang Sadono said that the using wayang orang to publicize the four pillars was a very good choice. It showed that the MPR cared about and took part in maintaining and preserving traditional culture, especially when wayang orang seemed to be on the point of disappearing.

That was indicated by the fact that there were only three surviving groups of wayang orang: Ngesti Pandowo Semarang, Sriwedari Surakarta and Barata Jakarta.

'€œWayang orang has been left too long to fight for itself while facing the crush of time, although the opponent and challenge have become bigger. Therefore, the government has to participate and preserve this culture so it will not vanish from society,'€ said Bambang.

He added that one of the ways to keep wayang orang was by providing funding from regional budgets (APBD). However, he said it should be stipulated under local regulations that the funding would continue no matter who becomes the local head.

'€œIt shall be carried out immediately. Do not let other countries first claim wayang orang as theirs and we just realize our loss and afterwards try to preserve it,'€ Bambang said.

Meanwhile, the head of the public relations bureau of the MPR Secretariat General, Ma'ruf Cahyono, said that the performance of traditional wayang orang was one of the methods to publicize the MPR'€™s four pillars. The duty carried out by MPR was law and order and therefore the wayang orang performance was in line with the law.

Publicizing the four pillars by using wayang orang was a unique method. Even though it was a first time a wayang orang performance was used this way, wayang orang was still alive and liked by the people.

'€œMPR will keep using more attractive ways in implementing the mandate of the law to carry out the publication. One of the ways is by using wayang orang because it is highly desirable and close to the people,'€ said Ma'€™aruf.(+)