Prohibition Of Ondel-ondel Street Singers Which Makes You Anxious Again

Ondel-Ondel (Special)

JAKARTA - One day the ondel-ondel singers in Jakarta became a prolonged anxiety. In fact, since Joko Widodo and Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) became Governor and Deputy Governor of DKI, the existence of ondel-ondel singers has been banned.

The reason is that the use of a Betawi cultural icon doll for busking is considered to be an embarrassment to the face of Jakarta. Mostly, a group of people with ondel-ondel attributes, song accompaniments, and money containers offered to the public do not pay attention to the characteristics of Betawi music and clothing.

So, at that time the DKI Provincial Government made Regional Regulation (Perda) Number 8 of 2007 concerning Public Order as an excuse to curb those who use ondel-ondel as a means of "begging".

However, this restlessness arose again in the leadership of DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan. There are still street singers under the guise of ondel-ondel.

At the end of 2018, the Jakarta City Government Tourism and Culture Office planned to put ondel-ondel in order to make it more focused. For example, providing artistic skills on track so that they no longer sing on the street.

However, the discourse evaporated because the Perda on Public Order did not clearly regulate the prohibition of ondel-ondel buskers.

Therefore, the Chairperson of Commission E DPRD DKI Iman Satria will propose a revision of Regional Regulation Number 4 of 2015 concerning Betawi Culture Preservation to the DKI Provincial Government. Later, in the revision, ondel-ondel cannot be used as busking.

"We already have the Perdanya. Later, one of the clauses is included that states that ondel-ondel cannot be used for singing events," said Iman to reporters, Tuesday, January 4.

Iman admitted that he was sad to see the Betawi cultural puppets roaming the main streets of the Capital City to busk. It is not that the intention is to obstruct the preservation of Betawi cultural arts, but the ondel-ondel should not be used to scavenge rupiah on the street.

"We are sad. Now, if you look at the side of the road, the ondel, which has become a magnificent icon, which is usually placed in the plenary meeting room, is suddenly taken to the streets to beg," said Iman.

Therefore, if Perda No. 4/2015 has been revised, those who use ondel-ondel to sing will be subject to strict sanctions in the form of imprisonment. But, said Iman, before imposing sanctions, the government must first disseminate information to the public.

"First, notification (prohibition of busking) first. Then, the place that rents out is no longer allowed, it can be sanctioned in prison or something like that. But, just a discourse, we just did the socialization yesterday. God willing, this year it might (be implemented)," he said. .

To note, the ondel-ondel is a large doll with a woven bamboo frame measuring about 2.5 m, a height and a diameter of less than 80 cm. The space inside is made wide so that the bearer can move freely.

Her hair is made of fibers with a face in the form of a mask or mask, plus round, bulging eyes. This giant doll has a gender, the male has a red face while the female has a white or yellow face.

In some places, ondel-ondel is often used in the "village clean" ceremony, which is usually held after the main harvest, between July-August. Before the work begins, offerings are usually prepared containing red and white porridge, seven forms of rujak-rujakan, seven kinds of flowers and so on.

Children always waited for ondel-ondel, but not anymore. Ondel-ondel has become a source of income in the form of busking. This ondel-ondel ngamen is now even mushrooming to the outskirts of Jakarta, such as Depok.