A lack of attention from the Bekasi, West Java municipality on conserving the city’s Betawi culture has urged people to initiate efforts on their own.

Unlike Jakarta, where both the administration and municipalities show their concern for Betawi culture by funding cultural events, there are almost no reported Betawi events in Bekasi funded by the local municipality.

The Bekasi People’s Community (KOASI) aimed to bring attention to the absence of such measures through the Lebaran Betawi event, which was held on Saturday.

KOASI secretary Sholahudin Malik said the event was aimed at showing the municipality that Bekasi locals were eager to organize events to preserve the culture they inherited from their ancestors.

“We want to show the authorities how rich Betawi culture is, as the modern culture in Bekasi has seemingly overshadowed it,” he told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the event.

The Betawi people are generally known as natives of Jakarta. Amid increased development, many have moved to satellite cities near the capital, such as Bekasi in West Java and Tangerang in Banten, taking with them their traditions, including Lebaran Betawi, which is usually celebrated after Idul Fitri.

The Lebaran Betawi event was held from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday in a large outdoor area at the Al-Jauhar Yasfi mosque on Jl. Raya Kampung Sawah in Pondok Melati district.

The event’s attendees mostly came from the district and other neighboring areas such as Jatisampurna, Pondok Gede and Jati Asih.

The event was held for the first time this year and was fully funded by KOASI. It was one of the organization’s first programs after its establishment last year.

Among things visitors could enjoy were an exhibition of Betawi goods, which showcased daily items used in the past, such as pisau raut (Betawi knives), kebaya encim (traditional Betawi blouses) and wayang (puppets).

People could also see how to make dodol, a sweet fudge made from glutinous rice, palm sugar and coconut milk.

During the event, two people demonstrated how to stir a large pan of golden dodol paste — apparently enough to satisfy 100 people. “This one tastes so good, can I take some of it home?” a woman asked after trying a spoonful of the mixture.

“Yes, we will pack it for you, but only if you pay,” a worker answered, jokingly.

Other traditional Betawi foods and beverages available at the event included kerak telor (egg crust with shredded coconut and dried shrimp), apem (rice flour cakes), putu (pandan rice cakes with brown sugar) and bir pletok (ginger and cinnamon drink).

The enthusiasm continued when two local Betawi youth wearing pangsi (traditional attire) took to the event’s main stage for a two-hour discussion entitled Kongkow Betawi. They discussed a range of topics in the Betawi language’s distinctive accent and pitch.

Sholahudin said Kongkow Betawi was the key item at the event as it offered an informal discourse about Bekasi people’s insights on their culture in the modern era.

“Through this agenda item we can also communicate our desire for the event to be funded by the Bekasi municipality next year,” he said, adding that KOASI wanted to make Lebaran Betawi an annual event. (adt)

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