Moke, also called sopi or tua menu in certain areas of East Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), is not just any drink. It has become part of the region’s deeply rooted culture since bygone times. After being previously banned from distribution, it was Governor Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat who decided in September last year to buy moke from local distillers and reprocess it to give it a more appropriate alcohol content and sell it as a new product labeled “Sophia”. The Jakarta Post’s correspondent in Maumere, Hengky Ola Sura, presents his findings in this Special Report.

Mans Belang felt proud when he learned that Viktor Laiskodat decided to legalize moke. This 30-year-old man has just finished his master’s degree studies. His parents are only moke-producing farmers. Born on Solor Island, East Flores regency, Mans has every reason to take pride as he and four siblings have been able to pursue their education thanks to moke. His father, Daniel Keda Belang, is a skilled palm sap tapper and moke maker in Lamawalang village, West Solor district.

Robertus Nolianus has a different story. The man is a diligent moke-making farmer. Visited on his plantation, Robertus was zealously climbing a lontar (palmyra palm) tree, tapping nira (palm sap) and putting a jerry can in place to collect the fluid.

“As a youth, I was already learning how to tap palm sap and boil it,” he said. On the same plantation, near the rows of palm trees, a hut for boiling palm sap has been built from bamboo with several zinc sheets around it.

Coming down from the tree, Robertus went to the hut for his distillation work, with firewood always prepared for boiling. He kept monitoring the process, which demands patience and energy-draining discipline. The palm sap boiling and distillation produced moke. Unsurprisingly, he has to work on the plantation from early morning until nightfall. “It’s my main job that I’ve got to do,” he said.

His wife Lusia Kelen was waiting at home for Robertus, who would bring moke ready for sale. Lusia is actually handling the sale of the drink. She mentioned that the Geliting Market in Maumere was crowded with buyers from everywhere. “He works on the plantation and I sell the product. We’ve divided our tasks,” said Lusia.

The Robertus-Lusia moke is priced at Rp 20,000 (about US$1.50) per bottle. They claimed to produce 42 bottles of moke, about 20 liters, in a week, but this volume seems to depend on seasonal change. April, May and June are harvest time because of favorable winds and low rainfall, which affect the quantity and quality of moke.

When he was informed of the governor’s plan to legalize moke, farmer Fransikus France was all smiles. “I’ve built a house and bought a motorcycle with the income from my palm sap from my plantation. I boil the fluid to produce moke. If the provincial government buys it again and reprocesses it for better quality with a higher alcohol content it will surely be more expensive,” he said with delight.

In the context of moke legalization, Mans Belang has proposed that the governor fix definitive moke prices. The reason is that some sellers are frequently changing their prices at will. This can cause complication as moke prices depend on their quality grades. Moke with good taste is costly, while moke that is turning sour is cheap.

When appearing as a gubernatorial candidate, Viktor voiced his determination to regulate the legal distribution of moke. After his election and inauguration, the governor is keeping the promise.

Giving a lecture at the Ledalero Catholic College of Philosophy in Maumere in November 2018, he asked regents and mayors in NTT to revoke bylaws prohibiting the production, sale and consumption of moke. He also requested the police stop arresting moke sellers.

Under the previous governor, Frans Lebu Raya, there were in fact no regional and gubernatorial regulations banning moke. The reference concerning the prohibition came from Trade Ministerial Regulation No. 20/M-Dag/PER/4/2014 on the control and supervision of the procurement, distribution and sale of alcoholic drinks.

One of the regencies in NTT that, according to research by The Jakarta Post, had already issued a bylaw on moke was East Flores regency, through its Regional Regulation No. 8/2011 on the supervision and control of alcoholic drinks.

Viktor later asked higher learning institutions in NTT to carry out research on moke. “In my opinion, moke is good. We should maintain its good standards of alcohol,” the governor said.

On April 1, a moke product by the name of Sophia (an acronym for sopi asli or genuine sopi) was officially launched. The event was preceded by the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the rector of Nusa Cendana University in Kupang, Fredrik Lukas Benu, and the distributor of Sophia.

According to Viktor, NTT’s typical moke made from aren (areca palm) and enau (sugar palm) sap that has so far been sold by people would be purchased for processing into Sophia. As planned, Sophia would be produced in the industrial division of the Public Service Agency of Nusa Cendana University and distributed by Toko Nam NTT.

The governor’s political decision is also supported by Sikka Regent Fransiskus Roberto Diogo. In his view, the move to legalize moke should be backed up and a breakthrough be sought to realize it. Its management by a regional enterprise can be an alternative for this undertaking while paying attention to the welfare of farmers engaged in the moke business.

Lembata Deputy Regent Thomas Ola Langoday said he also sees the moke legalization effort as highly contributive to many improvements, such as in health, individual income, regional revenue and producers’ comfort. However, two important things should be taken into account when validating the drink.

First, lab tests are needed to determine the alcohol content in every container. Second, moke packaging should clearly inform customers of the exact alcohol content per container with its price based on this alcohol content and its tax to be paid. So far consumers have been used to enjoying drinks of varying alcohol grades and prices.

The idea to legalize moke doesn’t mean allowing it to be freely produced and consumed. Provincial Council Deputy Speaker Alexander Take Ofong described the governor’s plan as a means of regulation, which deserves support as the concept is to protect and promote the income of moke producers and sellers, as well as the region’s locally generated revenue.

The moke produced is of good quality, with its sellers, buyers and consumers properly specified. The moke sold is to be labeled based on a gubernatorial regulation and regional bylaw. Alex said the NTT government’s decision had not yet been endorsed by the provincial council, but in principle it had received the council’s agreement and support.

The governor’s initiative was also welcomed by the chairman of STFK-Ledalero, Otto Gusti Madung. He said that moke had long been a traditional drink of NTT people and had a high cultural value. He maintained that the moke legalization move should strengthen the position of people as producers instead of allowing capitalists to make big profits by exploiting these producers.

Lasarus Jehamat, a sociology lecturer at Nusa Cendana University’s School of Social and Political Sciences, said the moral basis of moke legalization should first be questioned. “If this is meant to protect local producers, it should go along with the strengthening of local moke makers’ capacity. Otherwise the move will be futile and there may be many interests behind it,” he told the Post.

Dominggus Elcid Li, director of the Institute of Resource Governance and Social Change in Kupang noted the importance of moke legalization, but pointed out that no regulation had yet been issued, except in East Flores regency. “When the government intended to produce sopi, we welcomed it, but moke/sopi-producing farmers should reserve their right because they aim to develop people’s industry,” said Dominggus.

“The government must not take over the entire production process. Production independence should remain the right of the people. The government should only regulate distribution, packaging and alcohol content without interfering with people’s production freedom,” he added. He noticed that the NTT people’s commodity industry had long been frequently hijacked by those at a higher level, as what had happened to the trading of cattle and sandalwood from NTT.

“This must not happen to moke. The government only regulates its sale, age limits for moke consumption and its alcohol content and packaging,” said Dominggus, warning that sopi or moke production with a single label would also cause the loss of so many sopi recipes made by local people.

“The government should be a promoter and motivator of people to produce this drink. Our people’s prized commodity is just moke or sopi that has gained its market share so that the position of the regional administration to protect local farmers should be clearly defined,” he concluded.

Asep Purnama, a medical doctor from TC Hillers Regional General Hospital in Maumere, spoke of the need to properly prevent the possibility of moke’s negative impact. “Like the other legal liquors, the side effects of excessive moke consumption by the public should be prevented. Basically, moke legalization should bear clear alcohol content details on containers,” said Asep.

“The same is true of the process of moke production, which should be controlled by authorized personnel so as to guarantee the drink’s hygienic condition. Its public sale, too, requires proper control,” he added.

NTT provincial administration spokesman Marius Jelamu said the administration, in cooperation with the state-run Cendana University, is developing moke into a more economic-valued product of high quality.

“We’ll produce two types of moke, one for export with alcohol content of 45 percent and another for the domestic market with less alcohol content,” Marius told the Post on Friday.

He said the administration had also been thinking of regulating the eligible consumers of moke, who would be regulated in a gubernatorial decree.

“The gubernatorial regulation would regulate the minimum age of consumers, as well as the lawful occasions for consuming moke,” he explained.

Speaking about how the administration would benefit from the production and sale of moke, Marius said the administration would charge tax on each bottle. “It is now drafting the tax rate regulation for moke,” he said.

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