Ali Sadikin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ali Sadikin
In office
1966 – 1977
Preceded by Sumarno
Succeeded by Tjokropranolo
Born July 7, 1927 (1927-07-07)
Sumedang, West Java
Died May 20, 2008 (aged 80)
Singapore
Religion Islam

Ali Sadikin (7 July 1927 – 20 May 2008) was an Indonesian politician. He was often called Bang Ali. He served as the governor of Jakarta, the country's capital, from 1966 to 1977. Appointed by a weak Sukarno, he likely had the full approval of Suharto. A former marine, he saw the city as a battlefield.[1] He sought to improve public services, clear out slum dwellers, ban rickshaws, and outlaw street peddlers.[2] Sadikin's role in bulldozing poor areas of Jakarta was part of a long history of struggle over land use in the region [3] Through legislation, Sadikin successfully wrested control over large amounts of poor housing. These areas he gave at minimal cost to developers such as the Jaya Group. [4] For Abidin Kusno,[5] Sadikin was part of a modernist program to attack irrationality, criminalize poverty, and create obedient national citizens. At the same time, he sought to kampung-ize city dwellers--to reinvest them with village sociality and mutual aid (gotong royong).[6]

Sadikin also tried to halt migration into Jakarta by declaring the city closed to newcomers. He issued residency cards in hope of enforcing the policy, but failed to curtail population growth.[7] One of the earliest and most outspoken advocates of family planning, Sadikin showed that Muslim groups would support these policies.[8] Under Sadikin, Jakartan pilgrimage to Mecca and other holy places surged.[9] Hungry for revenue for his projects, Sadikin legalized gambling and steambaths (de facto brothels), much to the outrage of many Muslim groups.[10] Although Sadikin's restructuring of land in Jakarta displaced countless urban poor, he also advocated for the LBH, the Legal Aid Society; an organization which was used by both the private sector and the urban poor. After having allegedly "allowed" Golkar to lose an election in Jakarta, Sadikin was removed from office.[11] Despite Sadikin's heavy-handed urban reforms, he is often cited as a popular leader[12]. In 1978, mass student protests embroiled the capital, and students nominated Sadikin as an alternative president. [13]

In 1980, Sadikin helped found and lead the Petition of Fifty, a group of powerful and highly influential critics of the New Order. He regularly hosted their meetings at his home. Though he remained a resolute statist in favor of militarism, he opposed Suharto's consolidation of power in the government and military (ABRI).[14] It is likely that Sadikin's stature and popularity both bolstered the Petition of Fifty and helped to shield it from more severe repression.

Sadikin died in Singapore on 20 May 2008.[15].

[edit] References

  1. ^ Sadikin 1992
  2. ^ Witton, Patrick (2003). Indonesia. Melbourne: Lonely Planet, pages 138-139. ISBN 1-74059-154-2. 
  3. ^ Aspinall, Edward. “Indonesia: Civil society and Democratic Breakthrough” in Muthiah Alagappa (ed.) Civil Society and Political Change in Asia. Expanding and Contracting Democratic Space. Stanford University Press, Stanford, 2004, pp. 61-96.
  4. ^ Douglas, M. (1989) 'The Environmental Sustainability of Development. Coordination, Incentives and Political Will in Land Use Planning for the Jakarta Metropolis', Third World Planning Review 11(2): 211–38; Douglas, M. (1992) 'The Political Economy of Urban Poverty and Environmental Management in Asia: Access, Empowerment and Community-based Alternatives', Environment and Urbanization 4(2): 9–32; Steele, Janet. 2005. Wars Within The Story of Tempo an Independent Magazine in Soeharto's Indonesia. Jakarta: Equinox.
  5. ^ Associate Professor, Centre for Southeast Asian Studies, University of British Columbia.
  6. ^ Kusno, Abidin. 2000. Behind the Postcolonial: Architecture, Urban Space and Political Cultures. NY: Routledge.
  7. ^ Forbes, Dean. "Jakarta: Globalization, economic crisis, and social change," pp. 268-298, in Josef Gugler (ed.), World Cities beyond the West: Globalization, Development and Inequality, p. 273
  8. ^ Blackburn, Susan. Women and the State in Modern Indonesia Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 152; see also a Ford Foundation report:[1]
  9. ^ Bianchi, Robert R. 2004. Guests of God: Pilgrimage and Politics in the Islamic World. Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 185.
  10. ^ Dick, Howard and Peter J. Rimmer, 2003. Cities, Transport and Communications: The Integration of Southeast Asia Since 1850., NY: Palgrave Macmillan. p 283; Effendy, Bahtiar. 2004. Islam and the State in Indonesia: Islam and the State in Indonesia. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press. p. 49.
  11. ^ Aspinall, Edward. 2005. "Regime Friction and Elite Dissidence," pp. 49-85 in Opposing Suharto: Compromise, Resistance, and Regime Change in Indonesia. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press. p. 63
  12. ^ Dick and Rimmer 2003.
  13. ^ Kingsbury, Damien. 2002. The Politics of Indonesia, 2nd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 87
  14. ^ Aspinall, Edward. 2005. "Regime Friction and Elite Dissidence," pp. 49-85 in Opposing Suharto: Compromise, Resistance, and Regime Change in Indonesia. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press. p. 61, 65
  15. ^ Ali Sadikin passes away; ANTARA, 20 May 2008

[edit] External links

[edit] Books written by Sadikin

  • Bang Ali Edemi Jakarta (1966-1977): Memoar (Indonesian) by Ali Sadikin, Ramadhan K. H., Jakarta Raya (Indonesia) Pustaka Sinar Harapan. 1992.
  • Tantangan Demokrasi (Indonesian) by Ali Sadikin. Pustaka Sinar Harapan. 1995.
  • Pers Bertanya, Bang Ali Menjawab (Indonesian) by Ali Sadikin, Ramadhan K. H. Pustaka Jaya. 1995.
Preceded by
Sumarno		 Governor of Jakarta
1966-1977		 Succeeded by
Tjokropranolo
Languages