Ali Sadikin To Jakarta To Organize The City, Not Arrange Words

DKI Jakarta Governor Ali Sadikin (Source: Perpusnas.go.id)

JAKARTA - As the Governor of DKI Jakarta (1966-1977), Ali Sadikin not only built Jakarta, but also helped improve the fate of its citizens. This stubborn figure was able to organize Jakarta from the big village into a metropolitan. Ali Sadikin built many public facilities, especially schools. Jakarta should be admired by the world, he said. His hard work paid off. Everyone understands: Jakarta has leaders, not officials.

It is common knowledge that the first President of the Republic of Indonesia, Soekarno, in every arrival of state guests prefers to leave Jakarta quickly. Soekarno did not make this effort once or twice. But, many times. Investigate a calibaration, Bung Karno in fact did not like Jakarta's urban planning. According to him, Jakarta is too slum and has no competitive spirit with neighboring capital cities.

In fact, Bung Karno hoped that Jakarta would have a good physical face -- a valuable appearance -- for a nation of 105 million people. He has a reason. Many of Jakarta's streets have potholes and slums. Not to mention the Jakarta case, which lacks clean water, electricity, public transportation, schools, housing, entertainment facilities, and of course money.

During that time Bung Karno insisted on finding the right 'architect' to build Jakarta. His subordinates then offered the names of three generals. Everything was rejected. Bung Karno reiterated that what he was looking for for Jakarta was someone who was firm, brave, stubborn. Then, the name Ali Sadikin appeared.

"It was also the koppig (stubborn) nature that caused President Soekarno to make Ali Sadikin the Governor of DKI Jakarta. Several candidates were put forward. All rejected. Until Waperdam Dr. Leimena said: there is Ali Sadikin, but he is a stubborn person. Bung Karno said, precisely to take care of Jakarta needed een beetje koppigheid, a little stubborn." "So, Ali Sadikin on April 28, 1966 was sworn in as Governor of DKI Jakarta in an all-white Navy Major General Command Corps (KKO) uniform, because he was still in active service to the Indonesian Armed Forces," said Rosihan Anwar in the book "Petite Histoire" Indonesia, Volume 3 (2009).

For Bung Karno, Ali Sadikin was not a new person. He had known Ali Sadikin long ago. In Rosihan Anwar's terms, Ali Sadikin is a person who does: a doer. Not a person who likes to spit words: a talker.

Ali Sadikin (Source: Perpusnas.go.id)

Especially when Ali Sadkin was appointed by Bung Karno to be the Coordinating Minister for Shipping. Achievement after achievement was obtained by Ali Sadikin while holding the position of minister, including when the man nicknamed Kennedy from the East was hailed as the father of national shipping by many people. This series of achievements added to Soekarno's confidence that if one day Jakarta could change, it was rushed into the hands of Ali Sadikin.

Even though the change in position from minister to governor was relegation, Ali Sadikin didn't care. During this time, Bung Karno's dream was made by Ali Sadikin as a guide in doing more for Jakarta. Soekarno wanted Jakarta to be the pride of Indonesia, even the world.

As usual, Bung Karno did not forget to quote a proverb Een natie left niet van brood alleen (one nation does not only live on bread). That is, a great nation can not only support its people. In this regard, today's people can be full, then tomorrow they can be hungry again. However, efforts to change the face of Jakarta can be timeless. Remembered all the time.

"My dream about the city of Jakarta I will supplant you, like I slice it, I put it in your heart, Ali Sadikin. It is not an easy job to fulfill ideals, big ideals. But God willing, you will only do your best (try your best), so that in holding the governorship of Greater Jakarta, people will still remember for many years, Dit heft Ali Sadikin Gedaan, this is what Ali Sadikin did. This is what Ali Sadikin did. Bismillah, start having a job," Soekarno recalled Ali Sadikin as written by Ramadhan KH in the book Bang Ali: For the sake of Jakarta 1966-1977 (1992).

Organizing Jakarta

Since serving as Governor of DKI Jakarta since early April 1966, Ali Sadikin immediately stepped on the gas to understand every detail of the issue of the capital city. He wants Jakarta to be built under one command of the Jakarta Development Master Plan. Therefore, in the first six months Ali Sadikin's weight dropped to 6 kilograms. He then explored the capital city day and night, exposed to rain and heat, in order to see firsthand the problems of Jakarta.

Unlike politicians in general, Ali Sadikin's explorations were incognito or disguised. Ali Sadikin also saw firsthand how dirty the villages in Jakarta were and their problems. He also feels sadness when school children are without shoes, children drop out of school, lack of school buildings, complicated transportation to see residents fighting for clean water.

As a result, Ali Sadikin listened directly to the residents' disappointment with the DKI Jakarta government. As a result, many programs were born from Ali Sadikin's observations. The most memorable is the project to improve the village of Muhammad Husni Thamrin (MTH).

“When I was just appointed as governor, for two days I traveled around Jakarta by city bus. It was raining and I was jostling with the bus passengers. Only then did I know how complicated this transportation problem was. In the past, there was no system. From this view, shelters, bus terminals were born. The problem is that in the past, when people were waiting in line for the bus, people were hot and it was raining,” said Ali Sadikin, quoted by Ramadhan KH in another book, Press Asking, Bang Ali Answering (1995).

Therefore, the job of being the Governor of DKI Jakarta is the most grateful for Ali Sadikin's career. All of that because Ali Sadikin's plans and aspirations to serve the country could be realized immediately. If he becomes a minister, Ali Sadikin's plan cannot be realized directly. Constraints such as funds from the center have not been reduced to be the culprit. When he became the Governor of DKI Jakarta, he did not encounter this problem.

Megaria Cinema, ancient Jakarta (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

Every time you have a plan, you can find the funds yourself, even if you have to controversially legalize gambling and prostitution. The impact can be felt immediately. Ali Sadikin during 38 months in office has been able to build 200 school buildings. That number is more than the schools established during the previous 20 years. Ali Sadikin also cares about DKI Jakarta government employees.

Their salaries were also increased and their pensions were doubled. Simultaneously, supporting facilities to make Jakarta the pride of the Indonesian people were also built. He built housing, offices and other facilities. Everything was built according to the Jakarta Development Master Plan. The goal is to make Jakarta more organized and intercity traffic not to cause congestion.

“I tried to compile a list (Ali Sadikin's achievements) from outside my head: Jalan HR Rasuna Said, Jalan Casablanca, Taman Ismail Marzuki, a number of youth centers, an amusement park at Ancol Beach, a film center, the Textile Museum, the Wayang Museum, the Fine Arts Museum. , city bus stations, bus stops, traffic lights, taxis, small parks, villages connected by neat roads. Those who were born or arrived late in this city will not experience this amazing process from 'non-existent' to 'existent',” concluded Goenawan Mohamad in his writing in Tempo Magazine entitled Aladin (2008).

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