Fahri Hamzah Asks North Kalimantan Local Government To Treat Bulungan Sultanate's Traditional House

Deputy Chairman of the National Leadership Council of the Indonesian Gelora Party Fahri Hamzah (brown batik) posing for a photo with relatives of the Bulungan Sultanate at the Bulungan Sultanate Ruma Raya in Tanjung Palas, Bulungan Regency/Photo: Antara

TANJUNG SELOR - Deputy Chairman of the National Leadership Council of the Indonesian Gelora Party, Fahri Hamzah, asked the North Kalimantan Provincial Government to take care of the traditional house of the Bulungan Sultanate in Tanjung Palas, Bulungan Regency.

"This house is historical heritage. The district and provincial governments should pay special attention to this building," said Fahri during a visit to the Bulungan Sultanate Traditional House, Bulungan Regency, Sunday, May 22.

At Ruma Raya, Fahri Hamzah, who is also the former Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives, was received by a relative of the Bulungan Sultanate, led by Datu Buyung Perkasa, as Chairman of the Bulungan Sultanate Traditional Institute.

Quoted by Antara, the two of them talked a lot about the current condition of the archipelago kingdom, including the Bulungan Sultanate.

According to Fahri, history cannot be simply forgotten. Because the development of an area cannot be separated from the values ​​of the sultanate or royal society in the past.

To note, Ruma Raya is a heritage site of the Bulungan Sultanate that can still be found today.

Ruma Raya in Bulungan language means Big House. Ruma Raya still stands on Jalan Kasimuddin, Tanjung Palas District, Bulungan Regency, right next to the Bulungan Sultanate Palace.

Ruma Raya is a stilt house standing on an area of ​​approximately 640 square meters and a building area of ​​350 square meters.

The Ruma Raya terrace is quite spacious. Up to Ruma Raya, there are stairs as high as approximately 1.5 meters. The height of the support poles to the floor of the house is also approximately 1.5 meters.

Before going deeper into the Ruma Raya room, you must pass through the main door. The door leaf made of wood is dominated by green.

The door ventilation is clearly carved with yellow-colored wood, ornates from the Bulungan Sultanate. All Ruma Raya vents are also equipped with the same carvings.

Cultural heritage site

The Ruma Raya cultural heritage site faces east and the Kayan River. Across the river, you can clearly see the hustle and bustle of people's activities in Tanjung Selor City, the capital of North Kalimantan Province.

Ruma Raya no longer holds many important functions and roles in the 20th century and is in danger of being damaged by age and weather factors.

If historical records are drawn back, Ruma Raya is approximately one century old. It is estimated that it was built in 1925 and functioned as the residence of the Stakeholder of the Sultan, Datu Mansyur (1925-2930).

Based on the records on his tombstone, Datu Mansyur was the oldest minister in the Bulungan Kingdom. He also twice became the representative of the Sultan in the system of government of the Sultanate of Bulungan.

It was also in Ruma Raya that Datu Mansyur's son was born named Datu Perdana who later became the Prime Minister of the Bulungan Sultanate in his time.

At that time, Ruma Raya was also a means of gathering sultanate thinkers to gather various considerations before being made a policy by the sultan.

"He (Fahri Hamzah) encouraged the local government to pay attention to Ruma Raya as a historical site. His message was not to allow it to be destroyed and extinct, as well as the culture in it," said Datu Buyung Perkasa as Chairman of the Bulungan Sultanate Traditional Institute.