City residents say goodbye to `Bang' Ali

Thu, 05/22/2008 11:01 AM  |  City

Jakarta's most legendary former governor, Ali Sadikin, passed away at 80 on Tuesday in Singapore after five weeks in hospital there. Popularly known as Bang Ali to Jakarta residents, he was a controversial yet much loved leader. Bang Ali served the city from 1966 to 1977, but his popularity remained long after; now more than 30 years have passed and people on the streets and prominent figures alike still speak of him fondly. To gain an understanding of this man of stature, The Jakarta Post interviewed several Jakarta residents, including some who had experienced his leadership firsthand and others who knew him simply as Bang Ali.

Benny G. Setiono, chairman of the Chinese-Indonesian Association (INTI)

I miss having a stern governor, like Bang Ali for Jakarta.

I think he was an excellent governor who did not discriminate against his residents and he dared to decide what was best for the development of this city.

In some respects, he was controversial; it was Ali Sadikin who allowed local casinos in Jakarta.

Those casinos provided regional income to fund the city's development. That's better than the illegal lotteries nowadays.

It was Ali who localized the red-light district in Kramat Tunggak, North Jakarta. It was better than letting the sex workers operate on the streets.

His strictness meant there was strong law enforcement in this city.

We could really feel progress during his 10-year governorship. I remember his projects dealing with kampung improvements, schools, roads and bus terminals. He even installed traffic signs.

Thanks to him, jobs were easy to find.

The administration also generated more in regional income from various kinds of taxes, like vehicle tax and name tax.

Tulus Abadi, executive director of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI)

In his tenure, Bang Ali was able to develop the capital city with clear direction, especially in terms of environmental and spatial planning.

He was controversial, yet he made some constructive breakthroughs.

Bang Ali had the vision to set green-zone standards in the city, saying they should comprise at least 30 percent of Jakarta.

Unfortunately, it was reduced to only 13 percent after his governorship and currently only 9 percent of the city is green.

He was the one who signed the inauguration letter for YLKI's establishment 35 years ago. It is hard to come by another governor who has accomplished as much as he did.

Diena Haryana, chairwoman of anti-bullying NGO, Semai Jiwa Amini

Bang Ali was a firm leader and was partial in serving the interests of the people.

I used to wish he would become the president of this country; I was sure he could bring many positive changes to Indonesia.

Bang Ali was stern and did not fear controversy. He was courageous enough to step up against Soeharto during his presidency and his plan to develop the Ancol Dreamland amusement park in North Jakarta.

He also proposed flood mitigation programs for the city. Too bad the central government rejected his funding proposal for the flood-free project for Jakarta. As I recall, he requested a budget of Rp 15 billion.

If that project had been delivered during his time, we would not have to deal with as many floods as we do now.

Siti HardiyantiRukmana, daughter of former president Soeharto

The relationship between our family and Ali Sadikin remained strong, even though he had a different political stance with Father.

Pak Ali visited Father when he was ill. Father also visited Pak Ali when he was ill. There is no grudge; he was a good person.

Suryono, a parking attendant at the Bulungan Youth Center

Late former governor Ali Sadikin was the most successful governor Jakarta has ever had. What I remember most about him was his firmness in developing the city. He succeeded in developing youth centers in all of Jakarta's five municipalities.

During his term, people rarely complained about their livelihoodunlike today.

The last time I met with Ali Sadikin was around one or two years ago when some journalists invited him to come to the youth center.

I talked to him at the time. He told me the journalists invited him for a discussion concerning a rumor saying the Bulungan Youth Center would be turned into a shopping mall.

Sofjan Wanandi, chairman of Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo)

When he was appointed governor, students rejected the idea because, basically, we students were always opposing anything Bung Karno did.

But when Ali Sadikin was governor, we saw how he improved Jakarta, despite the various challenges and limitations.

He was a successful leader who had the guts to make controversial decisions.

We need to acknowledge he had a clear vision on what was going on and he understood what the students were fighting for back then.

We have lost a national leader who constantly stood up against Soeharto till the end of his life and we will miss him greatly.

Adnan Buyung Nasution, advocate

Bang Ali was a rare example of a strong, firm, brave leader who dared to take risks, despite being a democrat. Many people think democrats are weak, but Bang Ali was not like that. He would make decisions based on the people's needs. He was a real leader.

I haven't found any leader like him since. He built this city not only for the haves but also for the have-nots. He built roads and improved kampungs. He built art center Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) and Legal Aid Institute to defend people evicted from their homes. We can learn a lot from him, especially from his program to develop the grass roots.

Alung, musician

Ali Sadikin was a great person; a controversial activist full of eccentric ideas that shaped Jakarta to be what it is today.

During his time, our infrastructure development was more conceptual, our progress more real, measurable and long lasting.

His innovations even affect today's generation.

Considering he was a unique and consistent figure, which made him stand out among other governors of Jakarta, I am certain if he were still the governor in the 1970s, monorails would be in operation by now.

Chris Siner Keytimu, a member of working group Petisi 50

Even though Ali's health was ailing, he insisted we held weekly meetings to discuss the condition of this nation. He's a real fighter and a nationalist. His philosophy was that as leader of Jakarta, he had to pay attention to everyone living in this city, from the unborn to the dead.

He held health center programs for expecting mothers to ensure their babies got enough nutrition. He worried about the limited space of public cemeteries and suggested we buried several people in one grave to save space. He wished to be buried in the same grave with his first wife, proving his consistency.

Jose Rizal Manua, artist, bookshop owner at Taman Ismail Marzuki

Ali Sadikin was a special figure and a remarkable statesman. He did so much for Jakarta and he cared about everything that involved the people, especially arts and culture.

He really loved Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM), where he always did his Friday prayers. After praying, he would take a stroll around the park and joke around with the artists.

This was something that never happened before his time.

He was a really special person and he did a lot for the people. He built TIM, Taman Ria Senayan and Ancol.

He really learned from developed countries and implemented their ideas in Indonesia. It is such a shame he never got to be president.

One day when he was caught in a traffic jam, he got out of his vehicle and tried to control the traffic before he went on his way. - The Jakarta Post

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