THE POLITICS OF
IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION: THE CASE OF THE MANDAILING PEOPLE
Sumatra Heritage Trust, Malaysia
IDENTITY
The issue of our time, the survival of human beings with
individuated consciousness and communal ties, is in peril…. Freedom, then, is
the path to this new life. A freedom which begins with the individual, confirms
him in his place with his people and his language and his culture, yet by that
specific location of his being there, grants him a world perspective to
recognise his brothers and sisters elsewhere in their ʻdifferentnessʼand
their challenge (The World Crisis).
INTRODUCTION: BACKGROUND AND AIMS
The Mandailing people inhabit as their homeland the southwestern
corner of the province of North Sumatra on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia.
For centuries they have migrated throughout the Indonesian archipelago and
Peninsular West Malaysia. They have made enormous contributions to politics,
society, music, literature and the press both in Indonesia and Malaysia. Their
social and cultural markers include the markoum sisolkot, the
patrilineal clan-based Mandailing social structure governed by customary law (adat)1;
theurup tulak-tulak (Mandailing script); the tradition of
consultative governance as embodied in the judicial assembly of Namora-Natoras (traditional
institution of Mandailing governance); the totem sculpture Sangkalon,
a symbol of justice; the Gordang Sambilan (nine great drums),
the ritualistic Mandailing music; theAbit Godang, the ceremonial shawl;
the Bindu gable that represents the Mandailing’s philosophy of
life; and the rarangan (protected areas) in environmentally
challenging times.
Yet the Mandailings have been culturally marginalized in
Indonesia and Malaysia. Academic works have subsumed them as an appendix of the
Angkola, Batak and Malay. In Malaysia, racial politics and statesponsored
social engineering in the name of nation building, backed by the academia, have
resulted in the acculturation of the Mandailings into the dominant Malay racial
category. In Indonesia, the Mandailings have been lumped into the dominant
Batak group since the Dutch colonial era.
Recently, Malaysian politicians from UMNO (United Malay National
Organisation) and politician-academics from Gapena (Gabungan Penulis-Penulis
Nasional/Union of National Writers) have been travelling to Indonesia, as well
as sponsoring Indonesian scholars to ‘Malay World’ conferences, to promote the
idea of Melayu inklusif (inclusive Malay identity) – an idea
based on the colonial perception that the native people of the Indonesian
archipelago and Malaysia are of the Malay race/stock (rumpun Melayu).2
The basic human right of the Mandailings – and of other cultural
communities and indigenous peoples – to define themselves has been overlooked
by most Malaysian and Indonesian intellectuals and the academia who have
accepted the state’s discourse on ethnicity. Responding to threats of endangered
human diversity, indigenous people all over the world are reviving traditional
forms of governance, communicating their cultural identity, and using modern
information technology for networking and building international
alliances. Of late, interest in Mandailing identity and cultural heritage
in Malaysia and Indonesia has intensified owing to increased networking and the
use of the Internet among concerned Mandailings. Furthermore, Mandailing
scholars are part of regional movements to deconstruct mainstream history and
state-constructed ethnic categories.
OUTCOMES OF GLOBALISATION
This project represents an effort in the same direction. In the
course of the API Fellowship, the author carried out several activities to gain
further understanding of the dilemmas facing Mandailing identity, and to engage
others in valuing that identity. Several activities were academic: the author
presented papers in symposia and colloquia, wrote articles for journals and the
popular press, facilitated workshops, prepared cultural heritage guides, and
accepted interviews from leading Indonesian dailies.3
But a great part of the effort was also non-academic, some of
which the author would like to highlight in this paper. These are efforts
related to the movement for cultural identity, the promotion of cultural
pilgrimage, regional autonomy and the devolution of power, environmental
management, cultural performance, the promotion of indigenised
‘Mandailing-Islam’, the promotion of alternative currencies, the improvement of
the Mandailing website, and the holding of a photographic exhibition.
All these tasks must be seen as part of a broader concern to
construct a socio-cultural and political identity for the Mandailing people,
the purposes of which are: first, to strengthen Mandailing community and civil
society through the development of cultural heritage resources and
environmental stewardship; and second, to mobilize the Mandailing community
towards increased selfdetermination through public participation, cultural
heritage and environmental activism.
METHODOLOGY AND APPROACH
The author took a participatory observer approach in addition to
doing library and archival research. In Jakarta, he was mainly engaged in
library research, and most of the relevant material was obtained from the two
libraries of Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (LIPI/Indonesian Institute of
Sciences) and Perpustakaan Nasional (National Library) as well as from
bookshops (secondhand ones especially) and private collections such as that of
Basyral Hamidy Harahap.
He managed to obtain substantial background material on
Indonesia’s modern history, some of which was used for his paper presentations.
There is potentially more material on the Mandailings in Dutch records of the
19th century, but unfortunately the author will have to get assistance in
translation as the language is inaccessible to the author.4 In Jakarta, the
author’s host was Yayasan Pelestarian Budaya Indonesia (Indonesian Heritage
Foundation).
Medan disproved the author’s earlier fears that there is a
paucity of material written in Bahasa Indonesia and the Mandailing language
concerning the Mandailings. For years the author had been led by his fellow
Indonesian scholars to believe that there was not much written on the
Mandailings. Archival and library research in Medan shows that there is a
substantial amount of material on and by the Mandailings. A bibliography of
these works should be done to facilitate further studies of the Mandailings.
In Medan, library research was conducted at the various faculty
libraries as well as the main library of Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), the
major government university in Medan. The library research at USU proved the
most productive. USU has the most Bachelors’ theses (skripsi), Masters’
theses and research reports (laporan penelitian) on the Mandailings,
albeit mainly on Mandailing literature.
Library research continued at Universitas HKBP Nommensen
(private, Protestant Christian-based university), Perpustakaan Daerah Sumatera
Utara (North Sumatra Provincial Library), Badan Warisan Sumatra (Sumatra
Heritage Trust) and from private collections. The author’s host in Medan was
Badan Warisan Sumatra (Sumatra Heritage Trust). The Universitas HKPBNommensen’s Pusat Dokumentasi dan Pengkajian Kebudayaan Batak (Batak
Documentation and Cultural Research Centre, previously known as Pusat Batakologi/Batakology
Centre) has arguably the best collection on the Batak including some written in
Dutch and German. However, the amount of materials in the collection has
remained static over the last few years for lack of funding.
While in Jakarta, Medan and in the Mandailing homeland, the
author conducted selected interviews to gauge perceptions of history, culture,
architecture, identity, etc. Mandailing personalities, academicians, activists
and conservationists (both environmental and cultural) were interviewed. These
interviews were done formally as well as informally. In the course of his
research, the author made two visits to the Mandailing homeland to participate
in adat (customary) ceremonies as well as in a photographic
expedition.
SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES
Nine key activities were undertaken to promote Mandailing
ethnic identity. These were:
Movement for cultural identity. Over
the last few years, the author has sought out and nurtured a network of
Mandailing scholars and intellectuals from organisations such as the Yayasan
Pengkajian Budaya Mandailing (Yapebuma), Ikatan Kebajikan Mandailing Malaysia
(IMAN), Himpunan Keluarga Besar Mandailing (HIKMA) and Bindu Matogu, a
Mandailing environmental non governmental organisation (NGO). Yapebuma and
Bindu Matogu are based in Medan and HIKMA in Jakarta with branches in Medan and
Mandailing, whilst IMAN is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. All the
groups mentioned above are directly engaged in activities promoting Mandailing
cultural identity. These and other associations such as student bodies with the
same objectives, are linked together through the Mandailing website. Internationally,
the author maintains a network of friends and supporters, especially amongst
academic and activist communities, particularly through the use of the
Internet.
Promotion of cultural pilgrimage. In the
early 19th century, many Mandailings left their homelands to seek their
fortunes in the rantau (outside the homeland), especially in
Minangkabau (province of West Sumatra today). After the Padri War (1820-1833),
many fled to the west coast of the Malay Peninsula (West Malaysia today) via
Riau and Jambi. In the late 19th century, Mandailings started to migrate to
Medan when the east coast of Sumatra was opened up for plantations by the
Dutch. In the early 20th century, Mandailing
migrants to the west coast states of Peninsular Malaysia arrived via Medan.5
Consequently today there are substantial Mandailing communities in Medan and
along the east coast of Sumatra.
Many Mandailing sojourners to West Malaysia returned to their
Mandailing homeland regularly. For example, the author’s family and relations
have been visiting their homeland since the 19th century, interrupted only by
the Second World War, the Independence Revolution and Konfrontasi
(Confrontation) against the formation of the Malaysia. However, many of the
present-day Malaysian Mandailings who know only the names of their ancestral
settlements, have never set foot in Mandailing itself.
In Malaysia, the focus of Mandailing activities is in the west
coast states of Perak and Selangor, where most Mandailing migrants settled.
Many well-to-do Mandailings are concentrated in Kuala Lumpur, the federal
capital of Malaysia. Malaysian Mandailings do make the trip to the homeland,
usually travelling via Medan, a trip that takes 12 hours by coach. The journey
can now be shortened as flights are now available from Kuala Lumpur to Padang,
the capital of the province of West Sumatra, Indonesia, making it possible to
travel to Mandailing via Padang in only 6 hours. Having explored Mandailing
over the years, the author is now of the view that the Mandailing homeland is suitable
for the promotion of cultural pilgrimage amongst Malaysian and Indonesian
Mandailings. The cultural and natural attractions in Mandailing include
pre-Islamic (‘animistic’, Hindu and Buddhist) sites; traditional sites, such assipelebegu graveyards;
Islamic sites, such as the waqf; colonial influences (Portuguese,
Dutch, Japanese, etc.); sites where there were anti-colonial struggles such as
the burial site of Raja Mangkutur; sites significant for the Independence
movement such as the birth-place of General Abdul Haris Nasution; scenic
terraced paddy fields; cultural performances includingGordang Sambilan performances;
active volcanic mountains (such as Sorik Marapi and its surrounding
hot-springs); hundred-year-old rubber trees, the seeds of which came from 19th
century ‘British Malaya’6; and extensive man-made irrigation systems (bondar
saba).
In view of Mandailing’s cultural tourism potential, a guide book
that captures and promotes the cultural and natural attractions should be
prepared. Cultural tourism can help build bridges between Malaysian and
Indonesian Mandailings to restore and rebuild relationships that were sundered
by colonialism, nationalism and regionalism. It is likely that Indonesian
Mandailings can benefit from an access to a wider range of resources and
expertise, while the Malaysian Mandailings can recover their roots and
identity.
Regional autonomy and devolution of power. During
the colonial period, Sumatra was carved up by arbitrary and artificial
administrative boundaries. There is a need to remap the frontiers of the
Mandailing homeland in West Sumatra and Riau along lines based on commonality
of culture, language, geography and a Volk. In the context of
Indonesia’s decentralisation, administrative units have been restructured all
over the archipelago, resulting in the formation of new Pemda (local
governments) starting in 1999. Regional autonomy is considered potentially more
democratic than a centralised system as it favours pluralism and does not
subject people to the same standards. It prevents the accumulation of
centralist power based on one particular culture, religion, belief or ideology.
The provision of ‘village parliaments’ as provided in the UU (National Law) No.
22 of 1999, could enable the traditional institution ofNamora-Natoras (Nobles
and Elders) to be revived and revitalised to play a critical role in the
management of local affairs.
This will help Mandailings recover their tradition of
consultative governance, and encourage them to challenge the newly-created district
of Mandailing-Natal (abbreviation Madina)7 to promote participatory planning
and decision-making. Although the original purview of the institutions of
traditional Mandailing governance covered all aspects of adat life,
its functions now are circumscribed to marriage and rites of passage. The call
for regional autonomy and devolution of powers within the Indonesian state has
stimulated the people to engage with their authorities. In this context, on 19
October 2000, a seminar entitled Pembangunan Mandailing-Natal (The
Development of Mandailing-Natal) was organised in Panyabungan, Lower
Mandailing. Mohammed Dolok Lubis, a young lecturer, organised the seminar, with
financial backing from USU and the cooperation of the newly constituted
district of Mandailing-Natal. The seminar had the objectives of ‘increasing the
role of the sons and daughters of the district in its development in order to
promote a civil, participatory Mandailing-Natal’. Mandailing scholars and
activists from Medan participated in the seminar.
The general consensus of Mandailing people in Jakarta, Medan and
Mandailing is that the Pemda (the local authority) is
ineffective and possibly corrupt, reflecting the general sentiment of
Indonesians towards their governments. In May 2002, when Indonesian television
aired a half-hour programme on the state of kabupaten (district
of) Mandailing-Natal, Mandailings from all over Indonesia called in criticizing
the district’s bureaucracy. This is a case of Mandailing rakyat (people)
criticizing Mandailing civil authorities. Many vocal Mandailings say that the
present line-up should be replaced with a new set of more honest officers. To
foster transparency and local consultation, locallocal dialogues could be
conducted to explore areas of multi-sectoral collaboration and capacity
building as well as making local-global links with experts and resource centres
for good governance and environmental management. The objectives would be to
strengthen the Mandailing people as stakeholders in national and regional
development, allowing them to better realize their options in the post-modern
world.
Stewardship of the Mandailing environment. The
process of Indonesianisation has resulted in lands, forests and minerals being
usurped as national resources to be exploited by the state and its cronies,
Mandailings included. The granting of concessions to national and international
logging and mining companies is part of Indonesianisation. In this way, kabupatenMandailing-Natal’s
natural resources were appropriated in the name of national development. In
consequence many urgent issues facing Mandailing today are environment related,
in particular illegal logging, the harvesting of bird’s nests, and water
management. Illegal logging, which has been taking place for over a decade, is
the most pressing of these issues. In October 2002, the author, together with
Dr.Zulkifli Lubis, an ecologist, held a series of meetings with environmental
NGOs, including the North Sumatran branch of Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia
(WALHI, or Indonesian Forum for Environment), the leading Indonesian
environmental NGO, to discuss the course of action to be taken to address the
issue of illegal logging in Natal. It was decided that a second field trip
should be conducted from 26 to 30 October, to verify the seriousness of the
situation. The first field trip was organised in March 2002, the result of
which was subsequently released to the media.8
In contrast to the forestry situation, where there is virtually
no organised action at the local level, initiatives have been made in fisheries
and water management. For centuries, communities in the district of
Mandailing-Natal have managed their own watersheds and river resources under
their adat. In the 1970s, this was formalised into river protection
I(lubuk larangan) schemes by local committees. The Mandailing-Natal
district with 29 local committees has the largest number of such schemes in the
province of North Sumatra.9 The practice prohibits the harvesting of river
resources close to human settlements for 6 to 12 months in a year.
Come ‘harvesting’ time, a small fee is charged to residents and
sojourners10 alike to catch the fish. The income derived is then used to pay
for the development of social facilities such as schools, roads and mosques,
and to provide educational scholarships and administrative salaries and grants
to orphans, poor families and invalids. Given the unstable political and
economic situation in Indonesia, where remote communities cannot depend on
governmental funding for development, this income-generating exercise is
beneficial to the community. It instils confidence and financial selfreliance.
However, much still needs to be done to overcome over-exploitation of certain
species, and to gain the full cooperation of the Dinas Perikanan (Fisheries
Authority). The following are suggested in addressing the problem of
environmental management in the Mandailing-Natal district:
● Empowering adat or
local communities in making equitable ‘public policies’ which utilise local
indigenous knowledge in the management of natural and cultural resources;
● Formulating
an ideology of environmental stewardship in keeping with Mandailing adat and Islamic principles for customary lands, waqf (Islamic
endowments) andharangan (Mandailing term for prohibited zones);
● Introducing organic farming practices; and
● International marketing of eco-friendly products.
● Introducing organic farming practices; and
● International marketing of eco-friendly products.
Throughout Mandailing, rivers are treated as ‘sewers’ for
rubbish: in the past this posed no immediate Environmental problems in view of the organic nature of the
wastes, but with plastic packaging and otherinorganic wastes, continued dumping could eventually endanger
Mandailing riverine environments.
In order to address this pressing issue, a ‘model’ project has
to be implemented for other settlements to follow suit. Maga has been
identified as a possible site for a pilot composting project.
Gordang Sambilan Competition
The performance of the Gordang Sambilan, a
traditional set of nine drums, has ritualistic functions in adat ceremonies such as weddings, installations of nobles (namora-mora,
plural for raja or chief), receptions of dignitaries, and funerals of rajas. They were also played to mark
the death of a tiger, regarded by Mandailings as the king of the forest. The
drums are made from old Meranti trees that have hollow centres. Meranti, or
Ingol in Mandailing language, refers to a group of hardwood species found in
native forests. The conservation of these trees for drum making is another good
reason to preserve the diminishing Mandailing forestlands. It takes a skilled
craftsman one to two months to make a completely new set of the nine drums.
Formerly, the performance of the Gordang Sambilan had
to be approved by the huta (settlement) leaders, the Namora-Natoras,
and a buffalo had to be slaughtered for each occasion on which they were used.
A performance of the drums requires five to seven drummers and
usually lasts about half an hour. The performance of the drums is physically quite exhausting for the
drummers, some of whom enter into a trance-like state while playing. The cost
of the drum performance plus the shortage of buffaloes eventually led to the
drums falling silent as ordinary Mandailing families did not have the means to
pay for such ‘extravagances’.
In order to revive the Gordang Sambilan, HIKMA (All
Mandailing Clans Assembly) has pushed for the relaxation of customary conditions for their performance.
Initially there was resistance from the conservative namora-mora,
but this was eventually surmounted. Thus since the 1970s, the Gordang
Sambilan has come to be considered as one of the performing arts of
the Mandailing people. Gordang Sambilan troupes from the many
settlements in Mandailing compete with each other in an annual Gordang
Sambilan festival.11
During the author’s last visit he discovered that the Gordang
Sambilan has resumed its prominent place in Mandailing society. The fact that there are new commissions
for the rather expensive sets of Gordang Sambilan indicates that this
performing art is making a comeback. The settlement of Tamiang in Upper Mandailing was well known for its Gordang Sambilan craftsmanship.
Now Manambin and other settlements have their own Gordang
Sambilan craftsmen. The Gordang Sambilan set is
displayed prominently in many settlements.
In view of the fact that the Gordang Sambilan is
unique to Mandailing music, it has become the cultural marker of Mandailing
identity. In the state of Selangor, West Malaysia, where there are significant
numbers of Mandailings, IMAN has successfully lobbied for the Gordang
Sambilan to be made the official state musical ensemble albeit
compromised by subsuming it under the Malay identity. In 2001, the Pesta
Pulau Pinang (Penang Fair) in Malaysia was officially opened with a
performance of Gordang Sambilan by a troupe from Mandailing,
Indonesia. The playing of the Gordang Sambilan during the Malaysian
Independence Day on 31 August 2002 is perhaps the highest recognition to date
for these fantastic drums.
Indigenised Mandailing Islam
The first encounter between Islam and Mandailings in the
interior was probably through the port of Natal, on the west coast or by traders coming up the Batang Gadis River
from Singkuang (Chinese for New Light) river north of Natal. There are
indications that Islam also entered Mandailing from the east coast of Sumatra.
More significantly, Mandailing society was historically transformed by a
radical brand of Islam – Wahabbite Islam brought by Padris in their white garb
from
Minangkabau (the province of West Sumatra today). This brand of
Islam, now backed by puritan Arab states and the western intelligence community, is still a menace
even today! The Padri episode was one in a series of historical incursions by
Minangkabau into the Mandailing homeland, and during this time many Mandailings
embraced Islam at the point of the sword.12
The coming of Islam brought with it many values from this
universal religion and its global culture. In conversations with Dr. Nur Fadhil Lubis, who is also an API
Fellow, it was revealed to the author that no one has studied the phenomena of
‘Mandailing Islam’. The author then visited tombs/mausoleums of Mandailing
religious leaders, pesantren (Islamic schools), historic
mosques and waqf (Islamic endowments). Previously, he had
visited cultural heritage sites like tombs/mausoleums of the progenitors of
Mandailing clans, sopo godang(council house), and bagas
godang (dwelling of the raja).
The author and his travelling companions had the fortune of
being treated with a zikir13 session by Raja Syahbudin at his home in Maga, where he and his companions were
stationed during their stay in Mandailing. The author also attended a zikir session
marking a wedding ceremony in Maga in September 2002. This latest visit gave the author a glimpse into the
practice of Islam in Mandailing society, a subject that has been largely ignored by Mandailing scholars themselves.
In stark contrast with many Islamic settlements or towns where
the mosque takes centre-stage, in traditional Mandailing settlements, the most
prominent buildings are the traditional bagas godang and sopo
godang buildings. The indigenous architecture of Mandailing rajas’
tombs do not conform to the appearance of typical Islamic gravestones found
throughout Indonesia and Malaysia.
However, the traditional architecture of Mandailing mosques is
presently giving way to globalised Islamic architecture, that is, the Moghul-style mosque of domes and
minarets. Likewise, the same pattern is observed with gravestones – even the
dead are not spared from the imposition of globalised Islamic culture. The
author’s preliminary impression is that Islam has been indigenised and
harmoniously integrated into Mandailing adat, culture and way of
life. That is to say, the interpretation and application of Islam in Mandailing
is very different from that of the Minangkabau. The Minangs are matrilineal and
adopt a position of custom based on Islamic law (adat basandi syarak),
while the Mandailings are patrilineal and adopt a position of adat on
par with Islamic law. This is reflected in the maxim ombar do adat
ugamo, that is, the adat is on equal footing with Islamic
law.
The latter understanding is closer to the Madinan tradition (amal of
Madina)14than to the Shaf’ie madhhab (school of thought) dominant today in Malaysia and the
Indonesian archipelago. In the Madinan tradition local custom urf is regarded as part of public
benefit or public good and is to be encouraged so long as it does not go
against Islamic law. Traditionally, Islam is expressed in Mandailing terms and
not in Arabic terms as with Malay-Islam. Of late, Middle-Eastern, Indonesian
and Malaysian brands of Islam appear to be making headway. Thus, there is a
need to promote an understanding of an indigenized Islam distinct from
globalised Islamic trends promoted through the mass media and through global
Islamic publications such as annual calendars. Madinan Islam offers a critique
of the present situation in which Muslims find themselves and also a way out of
this predicament. The challenge of traditional Mandailing leadership is to
retain this unique way of maintaining and reconciling traditional customs with
the Islamic religion in the face of globalised revisionist-modernist Wahhabite
(Arab)- Islam and regional statist Malay-Islam.
Alternative economic and development models. Concerned
citizens, interest groups and communities the world over are looking at
alternative models of economics and development. Over the past two decades,
there has been a flood of literature about organic farming, natural medicines,
back-to-nature lifestyles and so on. Interestingly, the initial four-year
development plans for the Mandailing-Natal district prepared by consultants
that included academics took ‘green’ approaches into account in their
developmentmodule.15
In this regard, the author himself has written works
particularly on the re-introduction of bi-metallic currency and commodity
trading as a means of exchange. The author has been actively promoting this at
the regional and international level. In Malaysia, the Prime Minister, Dr.
Mahathir Mohamed, has taken this on and adopted bi-metallic currency as a
parallel currency to the US dollar.
Since the translation and publication of the author’s Jerat
Utang IMF (1998) and Dinar Emas Solusi Krisis Moneter (2001)
in Bahasa Indonesia, the movement to promote these alternative currencies has
gained greater momentum. Nusantara Islamic Mint in Bandung and Yayasan
Dinar-Dirham (Dinar-Dirham Foundation) in Medan have been set up to promote the
minting, and the usage of gold and silver currencies respectively. In
fact, Logam Mulia(literally Noble Metal), the Indonesian government
mint, has already minted gold and silver dinar and dirham coins.
Recognising that the district of Mandailing-Natal has been a
gold-producing region since time immemorial, the author initiated talks with
Dr. Helmi Thalib, a founding member of Yayasan Dinar-Dirham on the
possibilities of setting up aWakala (clearing house) in the
district for the purchase of gold nuggets procured by the local population
through dulang (panning) washing as well as for putting gold
coins into circulation. A proposal is being prepared for sponsorship by Bank
Muamalat, to be followed by a field survey in Mandailing-Natal district.
The Yayasan will also approach the local government for its
support in this project. The idea is to explore the possibilities of
introducing a distinct currency for the Mandailing-Natal district in the light
of regional autonomy and of making it a distinctive part of the Mandailing
identity. In order to address the question of poverty in Mandailing-Natal
district, the author has been told by Dr. Rizali H. Nasution, a Mandailing and
the chairman of Yayasan Pokmas Mandiri (Foundation for Self Reliance of Groups
of [Poor] People), a micro-finance institution (MFI), about plans to introduce
microcredit in Mandailing starting in mid-2003.
A Mandailing website / database. Currently
the dual-language (Bahasa Indonesia/Malaysia and English) Mandailing website
has around 200 pages of text and pictures, and has on average of 20,000 hits
monthly. The Toyota Foundation gave seed funding to set up the site in 1998.
The author has been maintaining it at his own expense since then, for it serves
as a database of Mandailing studies as well as a gateway for cultural tourism
to the Mandailing area. Mike Ionescu, who is currently upgrading and updating
the Mandailing website, has suggested that the capacity be increased ten-fold
from its current capacity and to host it on another server. At the moment the
website is being hosted on a server based in Malaysia.
The benefits of increasing the website’s capacity as well as
changing its server will be to make it faster, to allow for the posting of photographs
suitable for making reports and for general expansion. Mike has also suggested
that the contents of the website be converted into Microsoft Word document
format and sold as CDs. Arbain Rambey, one of Indonesia’s leading
photojournalists and national daily Kompas bureau chief for the province of
Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Riau (Sumbagut), has offered the use of
his photographs for the website.
Mandailing photographic exhibition. From 14
to 30 September 2002, the author went with Arbain on a photographic expedition
to the district of Mandailing-Natal. In this exercise, he acted as a guide
while Arbain captured Mandailing and Natal in pictures. All in all, Arbain took
42 rolls of both colour, and black and white photographs, for the purposes of
documentation as well as exhibition. Arbain took pictures of the remains of the
pre-Islamic (sipelebegu– traditional faith of ancestral reverence,
Hinduism and Buddhism), Islamic, Dutch and Japanese as well as post- Merdeka periods.
One of Arbain’s photos of a traditional dentist in Pasar Maga, Mandailing was
featured in Kompas.16
On 12 October 2002, an exhibition of Arbain Rambey’s photographs
from this expedition was launched at Gallery One in Medan. Ibrahim Champion, a
long time friend of the Mandailings, owns the gallery. The exhibition
entitled Jejak Mandailing (literally, Mandailing Trails)
displayed a total of 53 frames and was to run for one month.17 In conjunction with the exhibition, a group discussion was
held on the question of Mandailing identity, with a panel including Prof.
(Emeritus) Dr. M. Solly Lubis, Dr. Zulkifli Lubis and the author himself. The
exhibition was very well received by Mandailings as well as non-Mandailings.
One of Medan’s leading dailies, Analisa,18 carried full-page exclusive coverage
of the exhibition. The exhibition had a visible impact on those who visited it.
Many visitors interviewed at the exhibition showed that they did not know that
Mandailing held such cultural treasures. The organisers received many queries
on how to get there. For Mandailings who grew up in the homeland, Arbain’s
pictures gave them fresh insight into the Mandailing world which they
previously took for granted. They could now see Mandailing with different eyes
and in that sense, the exhibition was very successful.
The organisers, including the author, are now in the midst of trying
to interest certain parties to bring the exhibition to Malaysia. The author
assumes that the exhibition will be well-received by Malaysian Mandailings,
many of whom have never laid eyes on their ancestral homeland, and this
hopefully will trigger visits, and in the long run, sustained cultural
pilgrimages.
RECOMMENDATIONS
In order to promote Mandailing studies and cultural identity,
research on Mandailing cultural heritage including architecture should be
sustained and a strategy developed for an ecological and cultural base
development approach/model that is sustainable and environmentally friendly. As
such, the author proposes that the following recommendations be considered as a
follow-up to the Fellowship:
§ Translate
selected materials from the Mandailing language (in Mandailing script tulak-tulak or
Romanised Mandailing) into Bahasa Indonesia. This is critical for the study of
Mandailing, simplybecause many Mandailing, including the author, can no longer
speak or write the old Mandailinglanguage. In addition, translate source
materials from Dutch into English to make them accessibleto a wider range of
scholars.
§ Compile
and publish an annotated bibliography of references regarding matters
Mandailing topromote and facilitate research.
§ Upgrade,
update and maintain the Mandailing website with the objective of it becoming
aknowledge networking and resource site to nurture and sustain interest in all
things Mandailing as well as to promote Mandailing studies.
§ A
conference would be desirable and timely to bring together community leaders,
activists and scholars from Malaysia, Indonesia and elsewhere to debate the
issues and chart a future directionfor Mandailing studies. The conference would
act as a catalyst for further initiatives in the followinglong-term goals:
1) Enhancing the distinct cultural identity and worldview of the
Mandailing people.
2) Recovering language, culture and indigenous knowledge.
3) Establishing an educational, cultural and environmental
centre inkabupaten Mandailing-Natal.
4) Restoring Mandailing traditions of governance to empower
local communities and civil societies to engage in public participation in the
context of Indonesia’ decentralisationprocess.
5) Strengthening the ties between Mandailings in Malaysia and
Indonesia through the Internet, cultural pilgrimages, exchange programmes and
common projects.
Notes
1. The key concepts are marga (patriclan), kahanggi (lineage), mora (wife-giving
clan) and anak boru (wifereceiving clan) as well as tarombo(genealogy).
2. For a study of this, see Anthony Reid, “Understanding Melayu
(Malay) as a source of Diverse Modern Identities,”Journal of Southeast Asian
Studies 32.3 Oct. (2001): 295-313.
3. See Appendix on Academic Activities.
4. Raymond Kennedy, Bibliography of Indonesian Peoples
and Cultures, Southeast Asian Studies, Yale University, second revised
edition 1974. First published in 1945.
5. A good summary of this migration is provided by Pande
Maradjar, “Perpindahan Orang Mandailing” in the magazine Mandailing,
No 11, Tahoen ke 2, Chamis 29 Maart (1923): 2-3.
6. According to informants, rubber was introduced into Upper
Mandailing in 1918. See Donald Tugby, Cultural Change and Identity:
Mandailing Immigrants in West Malaysia, University of Queensland Press,
1977.
7. This new district incorporated the Natal area on the west
coast of the island of Sumatra and Mandailing, into a new kabupaten (district)
of Mandailing-Natal. Natal adjacent to Mandailing, was never part of the
Mandailing homeland but its relationship with Mandailing spans a few centuries.
Through Natal, Islam and other foreign influences was introduced into
Mandailing.
8. “WALHI blames destruction of forests in North Sumatra on six
firms,” Jakarta Post, 20 March 2002. See also <http://www.ecologyasia.com>.
9. Daftar Lubuk Larangan di Proponsi Daerah Tingkat I Sumatera
Utara, 1999.
10. Those who return to the homeland from elsewhere in Indonesia
and Malaysia for a short visit.
11. The performance of the Gordang Sambilan troupe from Maga has
been featured in the Pulse of the Planet @NationalGeographic.Com(http://www.pulseplanet.com/current.html)
in a write-up by anthropologist Peter Zabielskis from New York University. The
author assisted Peter Zabielskis in this venture.
12. Dja Endar Moeda, however, put the date of the spread of
Islam in Mandailing as late as 1859. Dja Endar Moeda, Riwajat Poelau
Sumatra, N. Venn Snelspersdrukkerij “Insulinde,” Padang, 1903, 70.
13. Recitation in praise of God and the Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him.
14. For a critical discussion favouring the Madinan school over
the other madhhabs within the Sunni school of thought, see Syakh Abdalqadir
al-Murabit, Root Islamic Education, Madinah Press, 1993 (2nd ed.).
First edition published in 1982. On the Madinan amal, see Yasin Dutton, The
Origins of Islamic Law, The Qur’an, the Muwata and Madinan Amal, especially
the chapter on “The ‘Amal of the People of Madina”, Curzon, Surrey, 1999. 32-41
15. See Draft Propeda Kabupaten Mandailing Natal 2001-5 and Pola
Dasar Kabupaten Mandailing Natal 2001-5 published by Pemerintah Kabupaten
Mandailing Natal.
16. Kompas, Kamis, 10 Oktober 2002, 11.
17. Gallery One is the exhibition space on the second floor of
Restaurant Number One at Jalan KH Wahid Hasyim No. 1, Medan.
18. Analisa, Minggu, 13 October 2002, 12. The paper
featured seven (7) of Arbain Rambey’s photos as well as notes
on the author’s involvement in the exhibition.
REFERENCES
Analisa, Minggu. 13 Oct. 2002.
Daftar Lubuk Larangan di Proponsi Daerah Tingkat I Sumatera
Utara. 1999.
Dutton, Yasin. The Origins of Islamic Law, the Qur’an,
the Muwata and Madinan Amal. Surrey: Curzon, 1999.
Harahap, Parada. “Dari Pantai Kepantai Perdjalanan
Ke-Soematra.” Bintang Hindia Oct.-Dec. 1925
dan
Maart-Apr. 1926. Weltevreden: Itgevers Maatschappij,1926.
Jakarta Post. 20 March 2002.See also <http://www.ecologyasia.com>.
Kennedy, Raymond. Bibliography of Indonesian Peoplesand
Cultures. Southeast Asian Studies. Yale University,1974.
Kompas, Kamis. 10 Oct. (2002): 11.
Lubis, Abdur-Razzaq. “The Transformation of Traditional
Mandailing Leadership in Malaysia and
Indonesian in the Age of Globalisation and Regional
Autonomy.” Antropologi Indonesia, Indonesian Journal of Social and
Cultural Anthropology, Th. XXV, No. 66, Sept.-Dec.
(2001): 114-125.
Lubis, Abdur-Razzaq. “Perceptions of Penang: Views from Across the
Straits.” Penang Story International Conference, 18-21 April 2001.
Lubis, Abdur-Razzaq. “Mandailing Movement to Malaysia,
Millennium Markers Series.” The Star, 29 Oct. 2001.
Lubis, Abdur-Razzaq. “Orang-Orang Indonesia di Pulau
Pinang.” Pengkisahan Melayu Pulau Pinang. First Colloquium of the
Penang Story, A Celebration of Cultural Diversity, 25 Aug. 2001.
Lubis, Abdur-Razzaq, The Sumatran Community in Acheen
Street, George Town, Penang. Article commissioned by Academy of Social
Sciences, Malaysia (AKASS) for a book on Straits Muslims, 2003.
Lubis, Abdur-Razzaq. “Managing the Environment in Kabupaten
MADINA, from Regionalism to Autonomy.” 3rd International Symposium of
Journal Antropologi Indonesia on “Rebuilding Indonesia, A Nation of ‘Unity in
Diversity’: Towards a Multicultural Society.” Udaya University,
Denpasar, Bali, 16-19 July 2002.
Maradjar, Pande. “Perpindahan Orang Mandailing.” Mandailing no.
11, Tahoen ke 2, Chamis 29 Maart (1923): 2-3.
Moeda, Dja Endar. Riwajat Poelau Sumatra. Padang:
N.Venn Snelspersdrukkerij ‘Insulinde’, 1903.
Pola Dasar Kabupaten Mandailing Natal 2001-5.
Pemerintah Kabupaten Mandailing Natal.
Propeda Kabupaten Mandailing Natal 2001-5. Pemerintah
Kabupaten Mandailang Natal.
Pulse of the Planet @ NationalGeographic.Com<http://www.pulseplanet.com/current.html>.
Rambey, Arbain, “Kerinduan Mandailing dari TanahSeberang: A
Profile on Abdur-Razzaq Lubis.” Kompas 3 Oct. 2001.
Reid, Anthony. “Understanding Melayu (Malay) as a Source of
Diverse Modern Identities.” Journal of Southeast Asian Studies 32.3
Oct. (2001): 295-313.
Syakh Abdalqadir al-Murabit. Root Islamic Education.Madinah
Press, 1993.
The Penang Story Project. <http://www.penangstory.net>.
Titian. Media Komunikasi Masyarakat Indonesia di Wilayah Areditasi
KJRI Penang, Edisi Perdana, Volume 1 July 2002.
Tugby, Donald. Cultural Change and Identity: Mandailing
Immigrants in West Malaysia, University of Queensland Press, 1977.
Women’s Centre for Change, Penang. <http://www.wccpenang.org>.
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