Jakarta, 5 September 2023 - The 43rd Summit of the ASEAN held at the Jakarta Convention Center from 5 to 7 September 2023 is an excellent opportunity for Jakarta to promote itself to international participants, through the promotion of Betawi culture, with its nearly 11 million indigenous people.

The Betawi tribe has inhabited Jakarta since the fifth century AD, as written by archaeologist Uka Tjandarasasmita in the book Greater Jakarta and Surroundings from Prehistoric Times to the Pajajaran Kingdom.

Jakarta's strategic location along the coast of the Java Sea and its division by major rivers such as the Ciliwung made it a hub for trade and services.

Traders from various nations, such as Arabs, Indians, Chinese, Portuguese, and Dutch, entered Batavia, the old name for Jakarta. They settled and contributed to the enrichment of Betawi culture through acculturation, including intermarriage with Betawi locals. There are several forms of acculturation from foreign cultures that influenced the cultural diversity of the Betawi people.

One of these are the still-popular Betawi crafts and textiles, such as the kebaya encim and baju sadariah, which are heavily influenced by Chinese culture. The kebaya encim is also known as kebaya kerancang because it features perforated embroidery along the edges. In Sanskrit, kerancang means holes or perforations.

Mrs. Iriana Joko Widodo’s garment, worn while accompanying President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in welcoming the arrival of heads of state and government at the 43rd ASEAN Summit 2023 at the Jakarta Convention Center, Senayan, on Tuesday, 5 September 2023, is an example of kebaya encim.

Standing on a red carpet against the backdrop of a replica of a tropical rainforest with fresh tiger orchids and the Garuda Palace, Mrs. Iriana looked elegant standing to the left of President Jokowi. The mother of three donned a blue kebaya encim embroidered with golden and blue flower motifs, along with a light blue batik cloth with matching patterns. A plain blue shawl completed her elegant look.

A similar attire was worn by Mrs. Iriana to the 'Istana Berkebaya' event in the courtyard of the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on 6 August 2023. The kebaya encim she wore featured floral motifs and a batik cloth with the same theme, but in different color. On that occasion, Mrs. Iriana wore a kebaya encim, batik cloth, and an all-red shawl.

In addition to the kebaya encim, there is also baju sadariah, which consist of a white baju koko (a traditional Indonesian shirt) paired with loose-fitting batik pants and a velvet kopiah (a traditional hat). The baju koko top features a collar in the Shanghai style, which is influenced by Chinese cultural. It's called baju koko because it is commonly worn by Chinese men, who are commonly referred to as koko, which means older brother.

The baju koko or sadariah is complemented by a cukin, a long pleated shawl that  drapes over the neck and falls to the chest. According to the Jakarta Provincial Government's Cultural Department website www.jakarta.go.id, the cukin serves multiple functions .

One of these functions is that the cukin, when worn by martial artists or combatants, serves as a tool to deflect sharp weapon attacks from opponents. The cukin is also worn as an embellishment on the garments of the Betawi nobility, known as demang or baju ujung serong. The cukin typically comes in bright colors like green, yellow, light red, maroon, light blue, and brown, although there are also black varieties.

The patterns on the cukin vary, similar to batik patterns but more dynamic. Modern-day motifs include images of ondel-ondel (giant Betawi puppets), coconut flowers, gigi balang (a Betawi traditional motif), and kerak telor (a Betawi crispy rice dish), which are among the eight Betawi cultural icons specified in Regional Regulation No. 4 of 2015 on the Preservation of Betawi Culture.

During the 43rd ASEAN Summit in 2023, the cukin represented Betawi culture and was worn to welcome the delegates and heads of state participating in the conference. It was also draped around the neck of Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao of Timor-Leste upon his arrival at the VVIP Terminal of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Cengkareng, Tangerang Regency, Banten, on Monday, 4 September 2023. He was one of the 17 heads of government invited to the 43rd ASEAN Summit in 2023.

The dark brown cukin worn by PM Gusmao featured motifs of ondel-ondel and coconut flowers. Upon entering the room, PM Gusmao was not only greeted by a line of 17 personnel from the Presidential Security Detail in red and white ceremonial uniforms but was also treated to a traditional Betawi dance called Ngarojeng, performed by six dancers dressed in all blue.

The accompaniment of traditional Betawi music, gambang kromong, with the sounds of tehyan and kongahyan, combined with the beats of drums, gongs, gambang, kromong, kecrek, and the melodious notes of a flute, created a harmonious and joyful atmosphere. Even Gusmao joined in the dance, swaying his body and hands to the music and the dance's rhythm.

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For further information, please contact:

Director General of Public Information and Communication, Ministry of Communication and Informatics – Usman Kansong (0816785320).

Get more information at http://asean2023.id, https://infopublik.id/kategori/asean-2023, and https://indonesia.go.id/kategori/ragam-asean-2023

Photo caption: President Joko Widodo (second right), accompanied by First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo (right), welcomes Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet (left) with spouse Pich Chanmony at the opening of the 43rd ASEAN Summit at the Jakarta Convention Center, Jakarta, on Tuesday, 5 September 2023. Media Center ASEAN Summit 2023/Aditya Pradana Putra/aww.