Promoting and preserving historical texts through T-shirts

Kuncarsono, Publised by The Jakarta Post on Monday, October 30, 2006

Historical documents can be preserved in many ways, such as by keeping them in display cabinets, reinscribing them or framing them.

However, Kuncarsono Prasetyo has his own distinct way of preserving them -- printing the old texts on T-shirts.

"I want people to know that there's a uniqueness in the old texts, and one of the ways to preserve them is to print them on T-shirts," Kuncarsono, fondly called Kuncar, told The Jakarta Post.

His attraction for the old texts started when he worked as a reporter with a local publication. The former student activist was then writing about historical documents in East Java. He noticed that each document had its own character.

"I'm surprised that not many people are aware of these historical works -- such as old advertisements, stamps and coins, which have their own distinct character -- they are only stored in cabinets at the library," he said.

He said that the old advertisements and stamps, for example were well designed, through which they have now transformed into various styles.

He said that many people were unfamiliar with the faces of the country's historical figures.

"Few people in East Java recognize the faces of Javanese rulers, or even regents who played a vital role in the country's history," he said.

Not to mention local figures, who are known to people only by their names, such as Cak Durasim, Sarip Tambak Yoso, Besoet and Sakerah.

"People know overseas figures like Che Guavara and Malcolm X better, despite the fact that East Java figures like Cak Durasim, Sarip Tambak Yoso, Besoet and Sakerah, without doubt were also revolutionary figures," said Kuncar.

Cak Durasim, for example was known for his fiery poems which aroused the fighting spirit of freedom fighters against the Japanese occupying forces. He was later arrested and banished by the Japanese forces, but had successfully ignited the spirit of the Arek Surabaya freedom fighters at that time.

With Rp 10 million (US$1,100) as capital, Kuncar, together with a local artist, Junaedi, started printing the historical texts on T-shirts. Although the business was a gamble, the move was deemed timely due to the current retro and vintage fashion trend.

"People say the trend now is anything that is old, so there's no harm trying to familiarize the public with history and at the same time sell T-shirts," he quipped.

Kuncar chose old advertisements as his initial project. The ads have their own distinctive character, especially in the use of the Indonesian language, such as an ad about a rabies drug published in the Tjahaja Siang daily in 1869, that is cited as the oldest ad in the book Indonesian Advertising History published by the Association of Indonesian Advertising Agencies (PPPI). The other ad is on the Bintang Timoer Band printed in the Keng Po newspaper in 1932 and the Surabaya municipality ad printed in the Alijoem daily in 1936.

"The newspapers which had published the ads don't exist anymore, but that's what makes it more interesting," said Kuncar.

He plans to print T-shirts of old stamps and historical portraits later. "I will produce other themes when I've collected from the sales of the ad T-shirts," said Kuncar.

Kuncar allows anyone to copy his T-shirts.

"Please, do duplicate my T-shirts. I won't sue anyone because every Indonesian citizen has the right to obtain historical information," he said.

Koran revelation lights up ancient mosque

Crowds of peoples on Ampel Mosque.

Friday night saw traffic jams across several cities, compounded in part by crowds of people doing their best in the eyes of Allah, and at least trying to attend the evening tarawih prayers.

Saturday marked the first of the last 10 days of Ramadhan (though Muslims of the Muhammadiyah organization end Ramadhan on Oct. 22).

This period includes the night of Lailatul Qadar, when one's prayers and good deeds is considered more valuable than 1,000 months of good deeds.

Lailatul Qadar is also the night that Muslims believe the Koran was revealed to humankind.

Anyone who does his best is believed to be able to "sense" the arrival of Lailatul Qadar, a gift promised to those who try to live up to Islamic values and conduct, "even if you can't read the Koran", said one ustadz, or teacher.

For those in Surabaya and surrounding areas, the obligatory activity on this night is to flock in the thousands to the ancient mosque of Sunan Ampel, located in the heart of the capital (right) -- no matter if one loses their flip-flops outside the gate to the mosque compound, where the remains of Sunan Ampel lies.

Sunan Ampel is one of Java's famed nine Wali Songo -- the "saints of Islam" who first brought Islam to Java in the late 15th and early 16th centuries -- and it is believed that praying at his grave brings blessings.

The mosque was first built in 1421.

The thousands of pilgrims who converge on the mosque also provide an opportunity for commerce, as seen in the tight rows of stalls vending sarong, prayer beads and other religious accessories in the compound.

'Surabaya Post' fires chief editor

Surabaya's leading newspaper Surabaya Post has dismissed its chief editor Sirikit Syah over an internal conflict only six months after she took up the position.

The leading journalist in Surabaya was officially dismissed this month, as according to the management she was unable to meet the newspaper's vision and mission.

Sirikit confirmed the dismissal with The Jakarta Post, saying that "the termination of the one year contract was agreed to by both sides, as I was considered unable to implement the company's vision and mission".

Surabaya-born Sirikit, who received fellowships from Japan's Nihon Shimbun Kyokai (NSK) in 1988 and also from the Hubert H. Humphrey Foundation in 1994, has always been associated with the communications industry.

Starting her career as a reporter with the Surabaya Post in 1984, where she worked for six years, she later worked as a reporter for two TV stations, RCTI and SCTV. She also worked for the Post while at the same time developing Media Watch, a non-governmental organization that monitors the performance of the press.

Sirikit said the paper needed to make various breakthroughs to survive. "Unfortunately, I disagreed with the breakthrough offered by board of directors, which required journalists to look for ads as well," she said.

She said her disagreement with the proposal was the start of her differences with the paper's directors, which then led to her dismissal.

Surabaya Post was first published by the late A. Azis and his wife, the late Misoetin Agoesdina (Atoety Azis) on April 1, 1953. For many years, the first afternoon newspaper in East Java held a dominant market position within the province. Mismanagement, however, led to its closure on July 22, 2002 but the paper was resurrected in 2003 by the Forum of Employees of Surabaya Post (FKSP).

Sirikit has been replaced by president director Abdurahman J. Bawazier, who denied rumors that Surabaya Post's directors have asked the paper's journalists to seek ads.

"There is no editorial policy that requires Surabaya Post's journalists to also look for ads," he told the Post.

Since the start of her appointment, Sirikit and he had agreed to separate the business side of the paper, he asserted. Sirikit was to take charge of editorial matters, while the directors would work on business development.

"And I saw that Sirikit has given a positive contribution in that area," Abdurahman said.

When asked about her dismissal, he seemed reticent.

"There's an internal conflict that I can't expose since it would be unethical," Abdurahman said, adding that it was only a matter of a difference of opinion and the media organization maintains a good relationship with Sirikit.

He said such dismissals were common and would not affect the paper as it already had a standard system in place.

However, one of the paper's journalists, who was reluctant to be identified, said that the call for journalists to look for ads had been made even before Sirikit joined the paper. The call, he said, was not an obligation. "Most of the journalists refuse to also look for ads, especially since it's not mandatory," he said.

'Back to the Future' in Surabaya Heritage Memory

As in the Michael J. Fox film Back to the Future, a number of young people on the Surabaya Heritage Memory tour recently took an unforgettable journey through space and time.

The 50 young people were given an opportunity to explore the history of Surabaya municipality.

"It is here that one of the leaders of the Dutch troops, Gen. Mallaby, was killed in the battle that raged in November 1945. These old buildings are the silent witnesses to the event," said Amanda, when she and her entourage arrived at one monument.

Surabaya Heritage Memory is held annually by the Tourism Department of Petra Christian University in Surabaya.

While tours of historic sites are not as popular with the general public as they could be, they offer participants the chance to see the old buildings of the Heroes City.

Tour organizer Agoestinus Lis Indrianto said it was rare for outings like the memory tour to be so well attended.

Offering an example, he said, most tours of heritage sites in Jakarta were bus tours not walking tours and attracted only a handful of people.

Historically, Surabaya, the second-largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta, used to be a mass of land separated from Java island. The silting process that took place in the 11th century constantly broadened this land mass by 15 meters a year so that eventually it merged with Java island.

Owing to its strategic location, this area became a trading center under the name of Ujung Galuh. When Raden Wijaya was the ruler of Majapahit Kingdom, Ujung Galuh got a new name: Churabaya, meaning the courage to resist danger. The Trowulan stone plaque made in the 13th century tells us that it was in Churabaya that Raden Wijaya was involved in a fierce battle against the Tartar troops.

Churabaya continued to develop and later became Surabaya. Again, its strategic location in the coastal area of the Java Sea attracted spice traders from various countries to come to this city.

During the Dutch colonial era, Surabaya was one of the most important cities that they had to control and therefore it was developed to cater for trading interests.

Tanjung Perak harbor, which meets Kali Mas -- a river that also flows to several other towns in East Java -- facilitated spice trading.

"The historical traces of hundreds of years of Dutch colonial rule in Indonesia are what we are most interested in," said Agoestinus, adding that Jembatan Petekan (Petekan Bridge) is one of the historic sites that tourists first visit.

This bridge, located in Tanjung Perak (formerly Kalimas) harbor area, automatically opens and closes when a vessel passes. "Petekan" is derived from the Javanese dipetek (pressed), a word referring to an action made before the bridge opens and closes by itself.

Old buildings with European architectural designs are the focus of the tour. During Dutch colonial times, the agrarian law allowed the private sector to have estate land on a lease basis and put up buildings as their administrative center for a period of 75 years. The PT Perkebunan XI building is one example of such an arrangement. It is still in good condition today.

The gray empire-style pillars of the building give it an air of elegance. The domination of the golden yellow and light brown colors in the interior of the two-story building, which was designed by architects Hulswit, Cuypers and Fermot, make it look particularly imposing.

It has "dormer" windows. "Reportedly all the materials for the interior of the building were imported directly from Belgium," said Agoestinus.

The teakwood furniture was crafted using a combination of Javanese and European designs and sets off nicely a glass mosaic depicting the arrival of the Dutch in Banten. There are also indoor murals titled Labor and The Fruits of Labor, both illustrating Javanese plantation workers.

Of no less interest is another old building now used as the office of Telkom Divre V Surabaya. Built in 1915, it may be regarded as Surabaya's first modern building.

In addition, there are dozens of other heritage sites such as the Nuts-Spaarbank building, which was once the office of Nederlands Spaarbank (now Bank of Indonesia) in 1914; The House of Sampoerna, an old building now reconstructed into a cigarette factory and a tobacco warehouse owned by Sampoerna cigarette-manufacturer; the Majapahit Hotel and the Grahadi State Building.

Chinese tourist Yan Ying said she was really impressed by the tour.

"This is my first trip to Surabaya and I've found much here of interest."

Christy Widyawati, 18, gave a similar response, "I can only say one word 'great!'."

"In fact, all Surabaya residents should be familiar with the history of their city," said Amanda. "But how much longer can this city maintain its old buildings?"

As the years go by, these old buildings may crumble and their histories be forgotten while shopping centers are built all around them.

"At least, this tour stirs awareness among youngsters about the significance of preserving heritage sites," Agoestinus said.

Police, navy tangle over East Java airport

A dispute over the security details at Juanda airport in Surabaya, East Java, boiled over Thursday when some 40 Marines forced on-duty police officers from their post at the facility.

The situation at the airport remained tense Friday, as dozens of fully armed Marines continued to control the police post, barring anyone from entering the area.

It is unclear what prompted the Marines to act on Thursday, when they arrived at the airport in three trucks and a patrol car and demanded the police officers clear out from their post.

"They ordered the police officers to leave by 5 p.m. without saying why," a source told The Jakarta Post. The outnumbered police officers offered no resistance.

There has been an ongoing debate over who has the authority to provide security at the airport.

The police insist the airport is under their authority, although it is considered a vital facility. The Navy claims the airport falls under its authority, as outlined in a 2004 presidential decree on securing vital facilities.

Juanda was originally a Navy airport built in 1951, but it became a commercial airport in 1971. PT Angkasa Pura was appointed to manage Juanda, but the Navy was allowed to continue using the facility for military flights.

When contacted Friday, East Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Herman Soerjadi Soemawireja said the actions of the Marines were unnecessary because the matter could be resolved through dialog.

He said the police had received permission from the Transportation Ministry and Angkasa Pura to secure the airport.

"We were even given a plot of land to set up the police office," Herman said.

He acknowledged the Navy was in charge of securing vital facilities in the country, such as military headquarters and bases, but Juanda was an exception because in was a commercial airport as well as a hub for military flights.

Citing examples, the officer said Halim Perdana Kusuma airport in Jakarta is a military airport and under the Navy's authority, while Soekarno-Hatta airport is secured by the police.

"Juanda airport is a mix (of both Halim and Soekarno-Hatta airports). We'll check who is in charge of its security," Herman said.

At commercial airports, he said, police handle criminal cases such as smuggling. "But if there's a hijacking case, then the Navy should take the lead (in responding) while the police will be in charge of the investigation," he said.

In response to the dispute, a spokesman for the Navy's Eastern Fleet, Lt. Col. Tony Syaiful, said the police had "offended" the Navy by building an office on the airport's grounds.

"Juanda airport belongs to the Navy according to the 2004 presidential decree," he told the Post.

He said the Transportation Ministry and Angkasa Pura did not understand the matter, which is why they granted the police land to build an office.