RM Padang Raid Polemic In Cirebon, Efforts To Maintain Authentication Amid Weak Purchasing Power

A food menu that can be enjoyed at the Padang Payakumbuah Restaurant, Kemang, South Jakarta. (ANTARA/HO-Padang Payakumbuah)

JAKARTA Political observer Adi Prayitno suddenly shared his experience of eating food at a Padang restaurant. Earlier eating Padang dishes. Very delicious. You never asked where he was," Adi wrote on his personal X account, @Adiprayitno_20.

Adi added, the most important thing is the cooking that fits the tongue. Especially when eating, said Adi, the Padang food seller did not ask his ID card.

"Actually, the food doesn't know identity. It's quite politics that always works together and makes fun of it," he added.

Adi Prayitno's writing about his experience of eating Padang food emerged in the midst of a raid by the Minang mass organization in Cirebon, West Java.

Not long ago a group of people who were said to be members of the Cirebon Padang Cooking House Association (PRMPC) conducted a raid on a Padang restaurant in Cirebon Regency.

The narrative circulating is that restaurants are raided because the owner is not the original Minang person. Meanwhile, another narrative states that PRMPC raids RM Padang abal-abal or Padang house where the food is not according to Padang standards in general, even though the restaurant is labeled Masakan Padang.

The video circulating in the community has drawn criticism. Warganet assessed that this raid actually injured the Minang Tribe.

"Although this does not mean that the representation of the people of the Minang tribe, but this group still injures their own race. Many are blasphemed, and this could be a 'weakening' in the culinary sector of Padang food. I don't pray, only when you look at the comments, it's a bit scary. Hopefully, there will be a middle way that can be taken, which can please all parties. Amen," wrote one netizen.

Meanwhile, different users replied, "Isn't it according to each other's taste? Even though it feels different but the same is good."

Padang cuisine is one of the popular dishes in Indonesia, in addition to Tegal or Warteg stalls. Padang restaurants are known as a place that sells Padang rice, a typical food for the Minangkabau area, West Sumatra, which is the favorite menu for many people because they have a distinctive taste.

Minangkabau historical expert Gusti Asnan told why the naming of Padang restaurants was more popular than Minangkabau restaurants. According to him, this all started when the uprising of the Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia or PRRI in West Sumatra which was successfully crushed in 1961.

As a result of the PRRI eradication incident, there was a massive exodus of residents leaving West Sumatra, and one of their destinations was to Java Island. Gusti Asnan, who is also a history professor at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Andalas University, Padang, said that due to this massive exodus, some residents in overseas tried to change their mention of their identity, including ethnic origin from Minangkabau to Padang.

It also includes naming the shop as a Padang restaurant and it is maintained to this day. In fact, it is much more popular than the old term "lapunation", "los stomach". Lapiu is Minangkabau language for stalls and cassava is a local term for calling food stalls, "as quoted in Indonesia.go.id.

Back to the raid problem allegedly carried out by one of the Minang mass organizations by removing the Padang Cooking label at a restaurant in Cirebon. Minister of Culture Fadli Zon emphasized the importance of preserving and preserving the culinary culture of the archipelago, but he regretted the raid.

"Culinary is an important part of the archipelago culture that we should preserve together," said Fadli, as quoted by Antara.

Fadli also emphasized the importance of maintaining the quality and authentic taste of Indonesian traditional cuisine. But at the same time, he condemned the act of removing the label, and considered the action a wrong step. He stated that every citizen has the right to cook and sell typical Nusantara culinary delights without intervention from any party.

Not only Padang food, but also typical regional dishes such as Aceh, Java, and Rawon dishes. Everything needs to be preserved by maintaining quality and taste," explained Fadli.

"This sweeping action is clearly not right, because culinary is part of a public culture that needs to be maintained and supported by all of us," he added.

Meanwhile, after a video of a raid circulated on social media, PRMPC chairman Erianto provided clarification. He emphasized that his party had never prohibited non-Minang people from selling Padang rice.

It's just that PRMPC objected because many RM Padang sold at a very cheap price. RM Padang, which sells chicken rice packages for Rp. 9,000 per serving, is considered unreasonable by PRMPC and sacrifices the standard taste of Padang cuisine itself. This price reshuffle scheme is also considered to disrupt the competition of the Padang cuisine culinary business in the area.

The phenomenon of selling prices does not only occur in RM Padang in Cirebon, but in a number of other areas, with prices varying from Rp. 10,000 to Rp. 12,000 per share.

According to Yudi Mahadiyanto, a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Swadaya, Gunung Jati Cirebon, assessed that the chaos of RM Padang in Cirebon shows high business competition amid declining purchasing power.

The decline in people's purchasing power can be seen from national deflation in the last five months. The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded a five-month deflation in a row from May, which was 0.03 percent until September 2024 of 0.12 percent.

Many workers have been laid off (termination of employment). This has an effect on declining purchasing power while the cost of living increases. People will look for cheaper food and have no problem with the taste," said Yudi.

Therefore, Yudi said, the chaos of Padang rice requires a comprehensive finish.

"Traders must maintain their quality and establish good relations with consumers. However, that is not enough. The government needs to be present by ensuring that our economy is fine," he said.