MH Thamrin's Fight for Betawi People

SEAToday.com, Jakarta - The development of Jakarta has often been met with admiration. Jakarta has become the most advanced city compared to other cities in Indonesia. Its villages are well-maintained, and its streets are smooth and equipped with various facilities.

In the past, it was impossible for villages in Jakarta---then called Batavia---to be well-maintained during the Dutch colonial era. Batavia was even dubbed the "Dirtiest City in the Archipelago." However, the Betawi hero, Mohammad Husni (MH) Thamrin, took action and succeeded in changing everything. Here is his story.

Batavia: A City of Contrasts

The city of Batavia was once praised for its beauty. People called it the "Queen of the East." However, disaster struck. The residents of Batavia, who were mostly Dutch, did not care about maintaining the environment.

Diseases spread, forcing the center of government to move from Oud Batavia (now Kota Tua) to Nieuw Batavia, Weltevreden (now around Central Jakarta). The Dutch no longer wanted to promote haphazard development.

They were tired of building settlements like in Amsterdam, which actually led to outbreaks of tropical diseases. The Dutch wanted to build new residential areas by adopting a tropical house style. They also did not want to live side by side with the natives.

This situation widened the social gap. The rich complexes were magnificent and clean, while the dirty and neglected villages of the natives were left to their fate. This condition was criticized by many. The problem was that there were more dirty villages than Dutch residences.

The harshest criticism came from the retired Dutch East Indies military officer, V.J. Van Marle in 1921. He revealed Batavia as the "Dirtiest City in the Archipelago." A nickname that made the colonial government lose face.

"According to Marle, if the mayor only spends his free time traveling outside the island, he will see that not a single village from Sabang to Merauke is as bad and dirty as in Batavia," said Restu Gunawan in the book "Gagalnya Sistem Kanal: Pengendalian Banjir Jaakrta dari Masa ke Masa" ("Jakarta's Canal System: A History of Flood Control Failures") (2010).

Thamrin Defends the Betawi People

The poor condition of the villages in Batavia had been observed long ago by Thamrin. The Betawi man born in Sawah Besar, February 16, 1894, had witnessed firsthand the stark contrast between the villages and the Dutch mansions.

Thamrin witnessed firsthand the hardships of life as a colonized nation. These hardships were also evident in the daily lives of the Betawi people. They were treated like stepchildren by the colonial government. They became third-class citizens. Their villages were left dirty and neglected.

These observations made Thamrin determined to fight for the Betawi people. Thamrin, who was initially comfortable working as an employee of the Dutch East Indies shipping company, KPM, was called to the political arena, the Gemeente (City Council) of Batavia in 1919.

A government agency tasked with developing Batavia. Thamrin entered and promised his late mother to defend the Betawi people.

"But I also ask for permission from this assembly to tell what my late mother, who was a simple woman, hoped for. She hoped that I would become a smart person, so that I could think about the life around me," Thamrin said before the special session of the Gemeente Batavia on October 27, 1919, quoted by historian Anhar Gonggong in the book "Muhammad Husni Thamrin" (1985).

Thamrin's career in the Batavia City Council took off. Thamrin's rhetorical skills and debating style were admired by many. He also took firm steps in accordance with his promise, fighting for the Betawi people.

The struggle to defend the Betawi people was carried out. Moreover, Thamrin's struggle began to expand from defending the Betawi people to becoming a fighter for Indonesian independence. He then became known as a corporate independence fighter. A freedom fighter who moved from the heart of Dutch power.

Forcing the Dutch to Improve the Villages

The podium of the Batavia City Council became Thamrin's podium to speak out. Issues related to the fate of the Betawi people continued to be voiced. Thamrin's noise made all sorts of needs of the Betawi people met - from clean water to affordable taxes for the Betawi people.

Thamrin invited the Dutch to think that if the fate of the Betawi people was not improved, disaster could occur. The disaster he meant was the survival of the Dutch. Those white-skinned gentlemen could be dizzy because of the outbreak of diseases and resistance from the Betawi people.

Thamrin also began to speak out about the wide gap between Dutch and Betawi settlements. Dutch settlements were clean and orderly. Unlike the Betawi settlements in the villages.

Many villages in Batavia were neglected. The villages were often muddy, flooded, and lacked lighting. Thamrin continued to voice this so that the lives of the Betawi people could be improved.

"Thamrin proposed allocating funds of 100,000 guilders collected from cutting various other items from the council's budget for general improvements to village cleanliness. To speed up the implementation of this program, it is necessary to employ a group of 100 coolies who are mobilized from village to village," Thamrin's proposal was written by historian Bob Hering in the book "Mohammad Hoesni Thamrin" (2003).

Thamrin's proposal regarding village improvement (kampongvraagstuk) received support from other members of the Batavia Council in 1923. However, the Batavia government was reluctant to spend as much money as Thamrin requested. They only wanted to allocate around 30,000 guilders.

Thamrin became even more vocal. He considered the government to be stingy, like a frugal grocer. Thamrin argued that the large sum of money would be used to improve the villages. These improvements included repairing roads, sanitation facilities, garbage collection, lighting, and even repairing Betawi houses.

The government began to consider Thamrin's proposal. The budget began to be increased slowly until it reached the amount Thamrin had envisioned. Thamrin's prowess in speaking on the podium became a new chapter in history. The village improvement project, which was initially impossible, became achievable.

This skill made Thamrin known as the voice of the Betawi people. His name was always respected and remained special in the eyes of the Betawi. After all, it was only Thamrin who could force the Dutch to care about the Betawi people.

Thamrin's services in defending the Betawi people, even in trivial matters, continued to be remembered by many. Legendary Betawi artist, Benyamin Sueb, immortalized Thamrin in the song "Abang Husni Thamrin". The song appeared on the album "Tukang Tuak" ("The Palm Wine Seller") (1972).

Thamrin is depicted by Benyamin as a figure who defends the Betawi people. This representation is present in the lyrics:

Abang Husni Thamrin, champion from Betawi / But Abang Husni is not a good fighter / Abang Husni is a leader who likes to defend his people / From oppression in Betawi, there is none like him.

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