Malay Identity at LAMS Workshop

By Tunggul Tauladan

BKPBM team paid a visit to Pontianak to fulfill the invitation of Lembaga Adat Melayu Serantau (LAMS) which sponsored series of Malay events. The team involved the Head of BKPBM Mahyudin Al Mudra SH. MM., Yuhastina Sinaro MA. (BKPBM PR), Aam Ito A.Md., (BKPBM photographer), and Tunggul Tauladan (editor of MelayuOnline.Com).

Sunday, March 14, 2010, First Day in Pontianak

We took the morning flight from Adisucipto Airport Yogyakarta. According to the schedule, the plane would depart at 09.10 a.m. West Indonesian Standard Time and would land at Supadio Airport Pontianak in 1 hour and 20 minutes. Alhamdulillah, everything ran smooth and we landed at 11.30 a.m. West Indonesian Standard Time.

Pontianak is an area in West Kalimantan which becomes one of the important melting pots for many ethnicities in Indonesia. In this city there meet many ethnicities like Malay, Dayak, Chinese, Madura, Batak, Javanese and more. This plurality makes Pontianak rich of cultural diversity which is always preserved and promoted with tolerance and understanding. The awareness of this cultural richness encourages the government of Pontianak to announce the so-called Visit City Year 2010.

Bang Natsir and Bang Angga, two good friends from LAMS, fetched us at Supadio Airport. M Natsir S.Sos., Msi. is a cultural and historical researcher at the Culture and Tourism Department of the Center of Preservation for Historical and Traditional Values as well as a lecturer at the School of Social Sciences and Politics, Tanjungpura University, West Kalimantan. Bang Angga is one of the activists of LAMS of West Kalimantan whose determination and militancy toward Malayness are without doubt.

Thirty minutes after we left the airport, we arrived at Grand Kartika Hotel, the place we were staying while in Pontianak. This four story hotel is very unique because it is located along the bank of Kapuas River. Its strategic location presents a scenic view to the longest river in Kalimantan. From this hotel, we can also see Pontianak Harbor which local people often refer as the “City Harbor”.

Unfortunately, we did not have lunch at that restaurant. The host invited us to have lunch at Handayani Restaurant at Ahmad Yani Street (Musem Negeri Complex). The menus were just as appealing as the view of Kapuas River we saw at a glance from Grand Kartika Hotel. We were served with delicious Pontianak specialities namely Sayur Paku or Sayur Pakis (fern tips in garlic dressing) and Ikan Patin Asam Pedas (spicy sour patin fish).

Sayur Paku and Ikan Patin Asam Pedas

After lunch, we made a devotional visit to the grave of the late Abang Imien Taha bin Aban Thaha at the moslem graveyard complex at Merdeka Street, Merak Alley I, Pontianak. In this complex, there is also the grave of H. Mawardi bin H. Rivai, another Malay figure who passed away earlier on December 23, 2002.

Abang Imien Taha was an unyielding Malay figure who struggled for the cultural consciousness and pluralism not only in West Kalimantan but also in Indonesia in general. He had a Malayness vision which concurred with the vision of MelayuOnline.Com and BKPBM, in which all Malay stakeholders must be open to the spirit of the changing era so that Malayness is no longer understood and comprehended chauvinistically, instead, Malayness must be interpreted inclusively and is based on the consciousness to establish intercultural understanding.

Devotional visit to the grave of Abang Imien Taha bin Aban Thaha
and H. Mawardi bin H. Rivai

When we returned to Grand Kartika Hotel, we met Princess Aizian Utto Camsa. She arrived at the hotel at around 04.00 p.m. In fact, she was supposed to arrive at Pontianak at 02.00 p.m., but there was a flight delay.

As a matter of fact, that afternoon, BKPBM team and Princess Aizian were scheduled to visit Kadriah Palace of Pontianak. However, the plan was canceled and shifted to a cordial meeting with Assembly Head of North Kayong Regency Ibrahim Dahlan. In the middle of the meeting, we had the honor of the coming of Gusti Kamboja, the Sultan of Matan Sultanate of Ketapang, West Kalimantan.

The participants of the cordial meeting agreed to continue the meeting in a dinner at Antasari Mie Tiaw Restaurant at Antasari Street No. 72. When we were about to leave, we ran into Gusti Suriansyah, the Sultan of Landak Sultanate, West Kalimantan, who then joined us.

Antasari Restaurant has a special menu called Mie Tiaw Sapi (Cow Kway Teow). The delicacy of the menus here attracts celebrities, public figures and officials to come to this restaurant. This can be seen from the collection of their signatures and photographs displayed on the wall. Tribun Pontianak, a local newspaper in West Kalimantan, in its November 18, 2009 edition, published an article on this restaurant profile entitled “Koleksi 100 Foto” (a collection of 100 photographs). After the dinner, Lukman Sucipto, the restaurant owner, asked the honor of Mahyudin Al Mudra, Princess Aizian Utto Camsa, Gusti Kamboja and Gusti Suriansyah to put their signatures for remembrance.

Princess Aizian Utto Camsa, Gusti Suriansyah and Mahyudin Al Mudra
attached their signatures for remembrance

After the dinner, on the way to the hotel, we spent some time buying lansium. Lansium is a fruit which resembles lanson, only it tastes sweeter. Lansium is a special fruit from Pontianak. Pontianak people say that lason comes from Palembang while lansium comes from Pontianak. In Pontianak, lansium are sold only at Oerip Soemoharjdo Street. Lansium is brought about from Munggur, Kuburaya Regency, approximately 20 kilometers from Pontianak.

At last, we got the chance to enjoy the scenic view of Kapuas River from Grand Kartika Hotel. Everyone decided to continue the cordial meeting. The Head of BKPBM gave a remembrance of BKPBM leaflets and booklets which contain information about MelayuOnline.Com, WisataMelayu.Com, CeritaRakyatNusantara.Com and RajaAliHaji.Com to Princess Aizian. Princess Aizian, in return, handed two books entitled Buayan Dynasty and Documentary on the Enthronement Rites His Royal Highness Sultan Datu Amir Baraguir: 25^th Sultan of Manguindanao which were hoped to give data contribution for BKPBM.

Monday, March 15, 2010, Second Day in Pontianak

This was the day of the Workshop and Inauguration of LAMS Management and Youth for the period of 2010 – 2015. The events took place at Rumah Adat Melayu (Malay Traditional House) at Sultan Syarif Abdulrahman Street, Pontianak. We arrived there at around 09.00 a.m.

LAMS is a Malay cultural organization founded on Friday, May 29, 2009 at Malay Traditional House of Ketapang. The idea of founding LAMS was initiated in “Dialog Borneo” (Borneo Dialogue) in Miri, Serawak, Malaysia in 1986. The dialogue resulted in the idea to establish a Malay Traditional Organization (LAM). Later on, this idea came to the fore at the Symposium of Malay World in Syah Alam, Malaysia on September, 23 – 26, 1996. It crystallized at Masyarakat Melayu Serantau meeting in Batam on December 10, 2000. Finally, the meeting in Batam resulted in an agreement which was then followed up by the declaration of LAMS in Ketapang.

The first agenda was the Inauguration of LAMS Management and Youth of West Kalimantan. The agenda began at around 09.00 a.m. and was attended by, some of them, General Secretary of LAMS Dato Sri Petinggi Kyai Mangku Negeri H. Morkes Effendi S.Pd. MH., Manager of MABM of West Kalimantan, Head of Provincial Police of West Kalimantan, Military Area Commander, Marine Base Commander, Air Base Commander, Head of BKPBM Datuk Cendekia Hikmatullah Mahyudin Al Mudra SH. MM., Princess Aizian Utto Camsa, Gusti Kamboja, Board of Supervisors and Advisory of LAMS of West Kalimantan and Manager of LAMS of West Kalimantan.

The Inauguration of LAMS Management and Youth of West Kalimantan
for the period of 2010 – 1025

Officially, H. Morkes Effendi S. inaugurated LAMS Management and Youth of West Kalimantan for the period of 2010 – 1025. The management head is Drs. H. Syamsulrizal, a Singkawang figure who currently stays in Pontianak.

Following the inauguration, H. Morkes Effendi S. handed a golden pin and handicraft by Sanggau Youth to Princess Aizian Utto Camsa. For Princess Aizian, the remenbrance meant a mandate to become LAMS ambassador in Philippines. A remembrance was also given to Head of BKPBM Mahyudin Al Mudra, SH. MM.

Cultural Dialogue on the “Revitalization of Malay Culture”

Toward the ending of the agenda, Princess Aizian appointed Dato Petinggi Abdi Nurkamil Mawardi representative of Buayan Darussalam Sultanate of Mindanao, Philippines entitled Datuk Maharaja Sa Buayan. Princess Aizian Was Executive Secretary of LAMS.

After the inauguration, the following agenda was the cultural dialogue on the “Revitalization of Malay Culture”. There were 3 speakers in this dialogue: H. Morkes Effendi, Princess Aizian Utto Camsa, and Mahyudin Al Mudra. The dialogue was hosted by Iswan M Isa, the Director Al Barakah Center.

In this dialogue, H. Morkes Effendi delivered the importance of unity among Malay ethnic groups in West Kalimantan, in Indonesia or even all over the world. Princess Aizian stated the importance of education for the development of Malay ethnic groups. Meanwhile, Mahyudin Al Mudra emphasized the need for the redefinition of Malay.

H. Morkes Effendi handed remembrance to Princess Aizian and Mahyudin Al Mudra

In the discussion session, there were questions about Malay identity and ways to advance Malay ethnic groups and their culture. Morkes Effendi, in response to the questions, stated that from now on Malay must be themselves. The key to this should begin from ourselves (the discussion participants) by applying Malay culture in daily life. According to him, “We have our own identity and we must not disgrace our identity. We must not be ashamed of our identity, instead, we must make it symbol or attribute. That is Malay our identity. Then make that identity our social product in daily life.”

Responding the question on how to advance Malay civilization, Mahyudin Al Mudra encouraged Malay ethnic groups not to be trapped and create a dichotomy on Malay and non-Malay. One of the ways to prevent this is by making a collaboration between practitioners and academicians who share important positions in the preservation and development of Malay culture.

After the discussion session, BKPBM team and the rest of the guests were taken for a tour to the Kadriah Palace of Pontianak.

Kadriah Palace of Pontianak

Kadriah Palace of Pontianak is located at Kampung Beting, Dalam Bugis Subdistrict, East Kalimantan District, Pontianak. This palace was initiated in 1771 and was finished in 1778. This palace was built by Sayyid Syarif Abdurrahman Alkadri who was also the first sultan of Kadriah Sultanate.

Kadriah Palace sets upon a 60 x 25 m² ground. Almost the entire buiding is constructed of iron wood. About 200 meters west of Kadriah Palace there is Jamae Mosque of Sultan Abdurrahman which was built in the time of Sultan Sayyid Syarif Abdurrahman Alkadri.

A Dutch cannon painted yellow is located near the front stairs of Kadriah Palace. On the main entrance of the palace, there is a crown decoration furnished with lunar and star ornaments. The main room of the palace is decorated with photographs of the sultans who ruled in Kadriah Sultanate, the sultanate symbols, decoration lamps and the king’s and the queen’s thrones. On the right and left of the main room, there are six rooms each is as wide as 4 x 3.5 m. One of the rooms is sultan’s royal bed.

A visit to Kadriah Palace

We had the chance to take pictures in front of sultan’s and the queen’s throne, at the front part of the main entrance, and behind the cannon. After the visit to Kadriah Palace, we were invited by Bang Iswan M. Isa to come to his house, which is located only 15 minutes by car from Kadriah Palace. We were also taken to see his activities at Al Barakah Center, a center for Islamic research. We spent about an hour there before we returned to our hotel.

In the evening, at around 08.00 p.m. we were invited on a dinner with prominent figures of West Kalimantan such as Drs. Kamarudin Sjam MM., members of Legislative Assembly and People’s Consultative Assembly (Committee XI), H. Morkes Effendi, Ketapang Regent, Ir. Gusti Kamboja, Ketapang Head Assembly; Eka Kurniawan SE. MM., Pontianak Vice Assembly; Dato Petinggi Abdi Nurkamil Mawardi, LAMS Executive Secretary; and the entire LAMS management and youth.

Cordial meeting at Grand Kartika Hotel Restaurant

The dinner lasted in friendly ambience and was accompanied with karaoke. H. Morkes Effendi and Drs. Kamarudin Sjam MM. also sang. At around 11.00 p.m. the dinner ended. On the next day we had to leave for Singkawang, the City of Thousands Shrines.

Princess Aizian Utto Camsa is also known as Princess sa Buayan Bai-a-labi for External Affairs of Royal House of Buayan Sultanate of Buayan Darussalam Mindanao, Philippines.

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Tunggul Tauladan, editor of MelayuOnline.Com and researcher at BKPBM

Photo Source: Collection of BKPBM (Photographer: Aam Ito Tistomo)

Translation by Apri Widiastuti (trns/46/05-10)

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