PRIME NEWS POST 

The INDONESIAN, Jakarta – Ahead of Ramadan 1447 Hijriah and in the spirit of welcoming Jakarta’s 500th anniversary, the Betawi Consultative Body’s Customary Council (Dewan Adat Badan Musyawarah Betawi/DABB) held a Gathering and Consolidation for Betawi Cultural Preservation event with the Betawi Customary Troops (Laskar Adat Betawi/LAB) at LAB Headquarters, PUPR Building, on Monday (February 16). The event was attended by Betawi cultural figures, national leaders, academics, and intellectuals concerned with the preservation and future of Betawi culture.

Titled “Strengthening LAB’s Steps Together with DABB in Safeguarding and Overseeing Regional Regulation No. 4/2015 on Betawi Cultural Preservation in a Global City Towards Jakarta’s 500th Anniversary” with the sub-theme “Inauguration of LAB’s Core Team”, the event marked a key moment in strengthening the consolidation of the Betawi cultural movement while reaffirming collective commitment to preserving Betawi customary values and culture amid Jakarta’s development as a global city.

On this occasion, R. Panca Nur – Founder and Initiator of the Betawi Cultural Awareness Movement, also Chairman of the RPN Center Foundation, Secretary-General of the Anti-Corruption Community Alliance Forum (Formasi), and a member of DABB’s Customary Council – delivered a speech emphasizing that cultural awareness is the main foundation for the sustainability of Betawi culture. He stressed that culture cannot survive without the collective awareness of its people.

According to him, Betawi culture essentially cannot thrive without awareness from the Betawi community itself to protect and nurture it.

“Betawi culture cannot exist without a sense of awareness. That is why in October 2025, we held the Cultural Awareness Movement in Jakarta’s Old Town. This event became ground zero for the improvement of Betawi culture going forward,” said Panca in his speech, which was also attended by Retired Navy Admiral (Laksdya TNI Purn) Dadang Irianto, Advisor to DABB’s Customary Council.

He explained that the term “ground zero” symbolizes the starting point of Betawi cultural awareness awakening, defined as the first pillar of the movement to rebuild moral consciousness and responsibility for one’s own culture.

“Ground zero is our first point of awakening to our own culture. Cultural awareness does not emerge spontaneously – it must be fought for and built together,” he emphasized.

Panca stated that the cultural awareness movement is inseparable from efforts to maintain moral integrity in cultural management. He touched on a significant moment when Betawi communities, through cultural forums, dared to expose alleged corruption practices within the Jakarta Provincial Culture Office as part of the moral struggle to uphold Betawi cultural dignity.

He noted that this step was a joint initiative by him and several cultural activists from Formasi – a national organization advocating for transparency and integrity.

“Betawi must be at the forefront of the moral struggle, including against practices that damage culture. That is where cultural awareness is born – not just as a slogan, but as real action,” he said.

In this struggle, Panca acknowledged facing various pressures and challenges, from insults to threats, as efforts to expose the alleged corruption case in the cultural sector came to public attention.

Nevertheless, he stressed that the fight to uphold Betawi cultural dignity must continue with courage and moral firmness.

“Fighters will meet fighters, and hypocrites will gather with hypocrites. In defending Betawi culture, we must dare to stand firm,” he said during his speech, with Retired Navy Admiral Dadang Irianto also in attendance.

In his address, Panca also linked the spirit of the cultural awareness movement to the national commitment to eradicating corruption, as previously stated by President Prabowo Subianto – who emphasized that combating corruption is a state mandate requiring collective awareness from all elements of the nation.

According to him, this spirit aligns with the moral movement being built by the Betawi community through cultural awareness and integrity in cultural management.

“This is a state mandate. Combating corruption requires collective awareness. People with shared values will work together toward the same goal,” he said.

He affirmed that the cultural awareness movement serves as ground zero for the Betawi moral pillar – a starting point for the collective awakening of the Betawi community to safeguard customs and culture more seriously and responsibly.

“Ultimately, that is where ground zero for the Betawi moral pillar lies. This does not mean others lack morality, but rather that it is a starting point for awareness we must build together,” he said.

Through the gathering forum, Panca also called on young Betawi generations to grow together in the spirit of dedication to customs and culture.

He stressed that the future of Betawi culture is largely determined by the willingness of successors to actively participate in the struggle for cultural preservation.

“I want young Betawi people to have the spirit to care about their culture. Let us act and dedicate ourselves to Betawi customs and culture,” he said.

As part of the DABB family, Panca also emphasized the importance of unity among the Betawi community within a single cultural “big house”.

According to him, DABB must serve as a shared space uniting all elements of the Betawi community in safeguarding the identity and future of Betawi culture.

The gathering and consolidation event is expected to be a strategic step in strengthening synergy between DABB and LAB, particularly in overseeing the implementation of Regional Regulation No. 4/2015 on Betawi Cultural Preservation and ensuring the sustainability of Betawi culture amid Jakarta’s development into a global city.

The moment also reaffirmed that the awakening of Betawi culture is not only based on formal programs but also on moral awareness and active participation of the community as cultural owners.

With the spirit of unity and cultural awareness, the Betawi community is expected to turn Betawi culture into a moral force and a living, relevant identity as Jakarta advances toward its 500th anniversary.(*)

Reported from various media sources // photo from Google documents // contribution by Prime News Post international online media