Ali Sadikin (7 July 1926 – 20 May 2008), better known as Bang Ali, was an Indonesian politician who served as the fourth
governor of Jakarta from 1966 until 1977. Prior to becoming governor, he served as
Minister of Transportation from 1963 until 1966 and
Coordinating Minister for Marine Affairs from 1964 until 1966. He also served as Chairman of the
Football Association of Indonesia
The Football Association of Indonesia ( id, Persatuan Sepakbola Seluruh Indonesia; 'All-Indonesian Football Association'; abbreviated as PSSI) is the governing body of football in Indonesia. It was founded on 19 April 1930, fifteen years before ...
from 1977 until 1981. Born to parents of ethnic-
Sundanese descent, Ali attended the Semarang Shipping Science Polytechnic during the
Japanese occupation period. During the
Indonesian National Revolution, he joined the
People's Security Agency Navy, the predecessor to the
Indonesian Navy
The Indonesian Navy ( id, Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Laut, , Indonesian National Military-Naval Force, TNI-AL) is the naval branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It was founded on 10 September 1945 and has a role to patrol ...
, and fought against the Dutch during
Operation Product
Operation Product was a Dutch military offensive against areas of Java and Sumatra controlled by the Republic of Indonesia during the Indonesian National Revolution.Vickers (2005), p. 99 It took place between 21 July and 4 August 1947. Referr ...
and
Operation Kraai. Following the end of the national revolution, Ali remained in the navy and fought against the
Permesta
Permesta was a rebel movement in Indonesia, its name based on the Universal Struggle Charter (or ''Piagam Perjuangan Semesta'') that was declared on 2 March 1957 by civil and military leaders in East Indonesia. Initially the center of the movem ...
rebel movement in the late 1950's.
In 1963, he was appointed
Minister of Transportation by President
Sukarno. A year later, he was appointed coordinating minister of the newly formed Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investments Affairs. On 28 April 1966, Ali was appointed governor of Jakarta, becoming the first governor in Indonesia to be sworn-in at the
Merdeka Palace. As governor, Ali carried out the construction of Jakarta's infrastructure. He constructed the
Ismail Marzuki Park
Ismail Marzuki Park, ( Indonesian: Taman Ismail Marzuki, TIM), is an arts, cultural, and science center located at Cikini in Jakarta, Indonesia. Taman Ismail Marzuki complex comprises a number of facilities including six performing arts theaters, ...
,
Ragunan Zoo
Ragunan Zoo ( Indonesian: ''Kebun Binatang Ragunan'') is a zoo located in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, Indonesia. The zoo has an area of . The zoo has an aviary and a primate centre, and employs over 450 people. Many of the animals in the zoo are ...
,
Ancol Dreamland
Taman Impian Jaya Ancol also known as Ancol Dreamland is an integral part of Ancol Bay City, a resort destination located along Jakarta's waterfront, in Ancol (Kelurahan), Pademangan, North Jakarta, Indonesia.
It is owned by PT. Pembangunan ...
, and a number of other infrastructure projects. Notably, Ali allowed the construction of night entertainment projects, as well allowing entertainment in the form of
gambling
Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three el ...
in Jakarta. With taxes generating from gambling being used to build the city and build the
Jakarta Islamic Centre. Ali's governorship also saw the revival of
Betawi culture in Jakarta, with the increased popularity of
Ondel-ondel performances and the
Betawi mask dance
The Betawi mask dance ( id, Tari Topeng Betawi) is a theatrical form of dance and drama of Betawi people in Jakarta, Indonesia. This dance-drama encompasses dance, music, ''bebodoran'' (comedy) and ''lakon'' (drama). The Betawi mask dance demo ...
.
Biography
Early life and education
Ali was born in
Sumedang
Sumedang (former spelling: Soemedang) is a town in Western Java, Indonesia, approximately 46 km northeast of Bandung. It is the capital of Sumedang Regency. The town is just south of the volcanic Mount Tampomas, which is 1,684 m (5,52 ...
,
West Java
West Java ( id, Jawa Barat, su, ᮏᮝ ᮊᮥᮜᮧᮔ᮪, romanized ''Jawa Kulon'') is a province of Indonesia on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten ...
, on 7 July 1926, to Sundanese parents. He was the fifth child of six children from Raden Sadikin and Itjih Karnasih. His oldest brother, Hasan Sadikin, became a doctor whose name is immortalized in
a hospital in Bandung; his second oldest brother owned a printing press; his third oldest brother Usman Sadikin, worked at
Garuda Indonesia; his fourth oldest brother, Abu Sadikin, was a soldier in the
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
; and his youngest brother is Said Sadikin.
As a young boy, Ali wanted to become a sailor. During the Japanese occupation of Indonesia, he entered the Great Shipping Officer Education (P3B) which is now known as the
Semarang Shipping Science Polytechnic.
Military service
During the
war of independence
This is a list of wars of independence (also called liberation wars). These wars may or may not have been successful in achieving a goal of independence.
List
See also
* Lists of active separatist movements
* List of civil wars
* List o ...
, Ali joined the
Naval Section of the People's Security Agency, the forerunner of the modern
Indonesian Navy
The Indonesian Navy ( id, Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Laut, , Indonesian National Military-Naval Force, TNI-AL) is the naval branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It was founded on 10 September 1945 and has a role to patrol ...
. He was sent to
Tegal
Tegal is a city in the northwest part of Central Java of Indonesia. It is situated on the north coast (or ''pesisir'') of Central Java, about from Semarang, the capital of the province. It had a population of 239,599 at the 2010 Census and 276 ...
,
Central Java to form a Navy base and Marine Corps. During the war, he fought against the Dutch during
Operation Product
Operation Product was a Dutch military offensive against areas of Java and Sumatra controlled by the Republic of Indonesia during the Indonesian National Revolution.Vickers (2005), p. 99 It took place between 21 July and 4 August 1947. Referr ...
and
Operation Kraai.
Ali Sadikin also helped crush
Permesta
Permesta was a rebel movement in Indonesia, its name based on the Universal Struggle Charter (or ''Piagam Perjuangan Semesta'') that was declared on 2 March 1957 by civil and military leaders in East Indonesia. Initially the center of the movem ...
in North Sulawesi. According to a story, he bravely advanced to the front line, running while firing a
machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) ar ...
. One of his friends called his fighting "Hollywood Style."
Governor of Jakarta
Appointment
Ali Sadikin was directly inaugurated by President Sukarno as Governor of Jakarta on Thursday, 28 April 1966 at 10:00 at the
Merdeka Palace. His inauguration was based on Presidential Decree No. 82/1966. In that decision, Ali, who is also a member of the staff of the Deputy Minister for Economics, Finance, and Development, was deemed capable and fulfilled the requirements to become the Governor of Jakarta.
Tenure
A former officer in the
Indonesian Marine Corps
'' ("Glorious on the Land and Sea")
, colors =
, colors_label = Beret color
, march = Mars Korps Marinir
, mascot =
, equipment =
...
, he saw the city as a battlefield. He sought to improve public services, clear out slum dwellers, ban (
cycle rickshaw
The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport. It is a type of hatchback tricycle designed to carry passengers on a for-hire basis. It is also known by a variety of other names such as bike taxi, velotaxi, pedicab, bikecab, ...
s), and outlaw street peddlers.
Sadikin's role in bulldozing poor areas of Jakarta was part of a long history of struggle over land use in the region. 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. For Abidin Kusno, Sadikin was part of a
modernist
Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...
program to attack irrationality, criminalize poverty, and create obedient national citizens. At the same time, he sought to
kampung
A kampong (''kampung'' in Malay and Indonesian) is the term for a village in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore and a "port" in Cambodia. The term applies to traditional villages, especially of the indigenous people, and has also been used ...
-ize city dwellers—to reinvest them with village sociality and
mutual aid (''
gotong royong
Communal work is a gathering for mutually accomplishing a task or for communal fundraising. Communal work provided manual labour to others, especially for major projects such as barn raising, "bees" of various kinds (see below), log rolling, and ...
'').
Ali 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. One of the earliest and most outspoken advocates of
family planning, Sadikin showed that Muslim groups would support these policies. Under Sadikin, Jakartan pilgrimage to
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow ...
and other holy places surged. Hungry for revenue for his projects, Sadikin legalized gambling and steambaths (de facto brothels), much to the outrage of many Muslim groups. Although Sadikin's restructuring of land in Jakarta displaced countless urban poor, he also advocated for the LBH, the
Legal Aid Society
The Legal Aid Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit legal aid provider based in New York City. Founded in 1876, it is the oldest and largest provider of legal aid in the United States. Its attorneys provide representation on criminal and civil mat ...
; an organization which was used by both the private sector and the urban poor.
Ali also carried out the construction of Jakarta's infrastructure. Notably, he oversaw the construction and inauguration of
Ismail Marzuki Park
Ismail Marzuki Park, ( Indonesian: Taman Ismail Marzuki, TIM), is an arts, cultural, and science center located at Cikini in Jakarta, Indonesia. Taman Ismail Marzuki complex comprises a number of facilities including six performing arts theaters, ...
, an arts, cultural, and science center located at
Cikini in
Jakarta,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, on the site of what was then the
Ragunan zoo
Ragunan Zoo ( Indonesian: ''Kebun Binatang Ragunan'') is a zoo located in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, Indonesia. The zoo has an area of . The zoo has an aviary and a primate centre, and employs over 450 people. Many of the animals in the zoo are ...
. Taman Ismail Marzuki complex comprises a number of facilities including six performing arts theaters, cinemas, exhibition hall, gallery, libraries and an archive building. He also oversaw the moving of Ragunan zoo to its present location, which was officially reopened on June 22, 1966, managed by the city administration. His administration also saw the development of
Ancol Dreamland
Taman Impian Jaya Ancol also known as Ancol Dreamland is an integral part of Ancol Bay City, a resort destination located along Jakarta's waterfront, in Ancol (Kelurahan), Pademangan, North Jakarta, Indonesia.
It is owned by PT. Pembangunan ...
, a
resort destination located along
Jakarta's waterfront, in
Ancol
Ancol ( nl, Antjol, zh, 安恤) is a coastal lowland area located to the east of Kota Tua Jakarta in northern Jakarta, in Indonesia. The coastal lowland stretched from Kota Tua Jakarta to the west and Tanjung Priok to the east. Today, Ancol contai ...
(
Kelurahan),
Pademangan, Indonesia, on the site of what was previously a mosquito-infested swamps and fish ponds, and the source of century-old malaria outbreak in Jakarta. The first facility was the Bina Ria Ancol beach, best known for its
drive-in theater
A drive-in theater or drive-in cinema is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, a concession stand, and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movi ...
especially during the 1970s, then followed with a golf course, swimming pool, oceanarium, Putri Duyung cottage, Hotel Horison and its casino. Ali's administration was also responsible for the construction of the
Senen Project.
During the 1960s, he founded an advocacy group for the
waria.
In 1975, Sadikin famously attended the wedding of Indonesia's first trans woman legally recognised as her true gender,
Vivian Rubiyanti Iskandar. After having allegedly "allowed"
Golkar
)
, foundation =
, youth = AMPG (Golkar Party Young Force)
, women = KPPG (Golkar Party Women's Corps)
, newspaper = ''Suara Karya'' (1971–2016)
, headquarters = Jakarta
, ideology ...
to lose an election in Jakarta, Sadikin was removed from office. Despite Sadikin's heavy-handed urban reforms, he is often cited as a popular leader. In 1978, mass student protests embroiled the capital, and students nominated Sadikin as an alternative president.
Post-governorship
Chairman of the PSSI
Petition of Fifty
The Petition of Fifty is a document criticizing President Suharto's use of the state philosophy,
Pancasila, against his political opponents. The petition was published on May 5, 1980 in Jakarta. The petition emerged as an expression of concern and concern by 50 influential military and private figures in Indonesia. The contents of Petition of Fifty include that the Suharto has considered himself to be the embodiment of
Pancasila. Suharto considered any criticism of him to be a critique of the state ideology of Pancasila. Suharto used Pancasila as a tool to threaten his enemies, and so on.
Participants of the Petition of Fifty included a group of powerful and highly influential critics of the New Order. From former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces
General Abdul Haris Nasution, former National Police Chief
Hoegeng Imam Santoso, and former Prime Ministers
Burhanuddin Harahap
Burhanuddin Harahap ( EVO: Boerhanoeddin Harahap; 12 February 1917 – 14 June 1987) was an Indonesian politician and lawyer who served as the 9th prime minister of Indonesia from 1955 until 1956. A member of the Masyumi Party, he also se ...
and
Mohammad Natsir
Mohammad Natsir (17 July 19086 February 1993) was an Islamic scholar and politician. He was Indonesia's fifth prime minister.
After moving to Bandung from his hometown Solok, West Sumatra for senior high school, Natsir studied Islamic doctrine e ...
. Ali also helped found and lead the Petition of Fifty. Reportedly, he regularly hosted meetings of the petition at his home. Though he remained a resolute
statist
In political science, statism is the doctrine that the political authority of the state is legitimate to some degree. This may include economic and social policy, especially in regard to taxation and the means of production.
While in use since ...
in favor of
militarism
Militarism is the belief or the desire of a government or a people that a state should maintain a strong military capability and to use it aggressively to expand national interests and/or values. It may also imply the glorification of the mili ...
, he opposed President Suharto's consolidation of power in the government and military (
ABRI). It is likely that Sadikin's stature and popularity both bolstered the Petition of Fifty and helped to shield it from more severe repression.
Death
Sadikin died in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
on May 20, 2008, and was buried in Tanah Kusir Cemetery, Jakarta the next day.
Personal life
Ali was first married to Nani Sadikin, a dentist who became commonly known throughout Jakarta as Mpok Nani. However, Nina died in 1986, and Ali later remarried to a woman named Linda Syamsuddi Mangan.
Together with Nani, Ali had 5 children. Namely,
Boy Sadikin, Yasser Umarsyah Sadikin, Benyamin Irwansyah Putra, Edi Trisnadi Putra, and Irawan Hernadi Putra.
References
Bibliography
* ''Bang Ali demi 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.
External links
Ramon Magsaysay Award biography*
Wet Earth and Warm People', a film by
Michael Rubbo that includes a profile of Governor Sadikin ca. 1975
*
Profile at TokohIndonesia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sadikin, Ali
1928 births
2008 deaths
Governors of Jakarta
Ramon Magsaysay Award winners
Suharto
Deaths from cancer in Singapore
Sundanese people
Presidents of the Football Association of Indonesia
Football Association of Indonesia officials
People from Sumedang Regency
Transport ministers of Indonesia