‘Ondel-ondel' puppet ban threatens Jakarta's buskers

Free Malaysia Today

a day ago

Performers playing the angklung before partially finished 'ondel-ondel' puppets – originally used by the native Betawi people to ward off evil spirits – in Jakarta. (Bernama pic)
JAKARTA : On the sweltering streets of Jakarta, buskers often carry towering, hollow puppets and pass around a bucket for donations. Now, they fear becoming outlaws.
City authorities say they will crack down on use of the sacred 'ondel-ondel' puppets, which can stand as tall as a truck, and are drafting legislation to remove what they view as a street nuisance.
Performances featuring the puppets – originally used by Jakarta's Betawi people in rituals and festive parades to ward off evil spirits – will be allowed only at set events.
The ban could leave many ondel-ondel buskers in Jakarta without a source of income.
'I am confused and anxious. I fear getting raided or even arrested. But what can I do? I need money to eat,' Adi Sutisna, a 26-year-old native, told AFP.
Adi, who only graduated from primary school, has been working as an ondel-ondel busker for seven years, earning US$7 (about RM30) on a good day to provide for his wife and five-year-old daughter.
Ondel-ondel is the pride of the native Jakarta tribe, the Betawi people. Traditional performances were accompanied by instruments for festive and celebratory events, including weddings, circumcisions, and welcome ceremonies for honourable guests.
Cyril Raoul Hakim, spokesman for Jakarta governor Pramono Anung, told AFP the ban was still being drafted with 'the preservation of Betawi culture' in mind and would be put to legislators soon.
'We hope it will be passed not too long from now,' he said.
'Very hot inside'
Over time, ondel-ondel has been used by buskers who sway the puppets to music from loudspeakers, seeking money on the roadside, at traffic lights, and in the alleyways of Jakarta's densely populated neighbourhoods.
The city administration has long wanted to ban ondel-ondel busking, arguing that the practice sullies the dignity of the cultural icon. Bureaucrats believe roadside busking undermines the puppets' cultural significance.
But many Jakartans rely on the entertainment to bring in much-needed cash. According to government data, the number of people living below the poverty line in metropolitan Jakarta – a megalopolis of 11 million people – was up from 362,000 in 2019 to 449,000 as of last September.
The Central Statistics Bureau says the poverty line in Indonesia in 2025 is just over one US dollar a day.
'The ondel-ondel is heavy; it is very hot inside,' said Adi. 'But I do it anyway because if I don't, my wife and my kid won't be able to eat.'
Ondel-ondel artist Fadillah Akbar believes in upholding the dignity of the art form, even as he empathises with buskers. (AFP pic)
The planned ban has left authentic ondel-ondel performers and makers torn about the preservation of their culture and the plight of buskers.
Performers such as Fadillah Akbar believe the cultural symbol must be revered and should not be used to beg for money.
'The problem is that they beg on the streets – that's a disturbance, and it bothers my soul,' the 33-year-old ondel-ondel artist said.
He believes ondel-ondel must come in pairs, a woman and a man, and be accompanied by traditional live music instead of a recorded song playing on loudspeakers.
'Of course, I feel bad for the buskers, especially since I know many of them, but it is a cultural icon whose dignity must be upheld,' he added.
The head of Jakarta's public order agency, Satriadi Gunawan, said ondel-ondel busking was a nuisance. 'In Betawi culture, upholding the dignity of ondel-ondel is important, and now it is often used to beg for money,' he said.
But some historians disagree, saying limiting the puppet presence on Jakarta's streets could hurt efforts to keep the dwindling tradition alive.
'Banning ondel-ondel busking in the name of culture signifies their lack of understanding for tradition,' said historian JJ Rizal, who is based in the capital.
'It proves that not only does the city government not understand culture, it also endangers the preservation of art.'