Malaysian Claim to Gamelan May Raise Tensions With Indonesia

Last updated at 8:55 PM. Sunday 21 March 2010

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Go to comments September 27, 2009

Anita Rachman & Candra Malik

Staff musicians from Kasunanan Palace playing the ceremonial Sekaten gamelan at the palace’s royal mosque in Solo. (Photo: JG)

Malaysian Claim to Gamelan May Raise Tensions With Indonesia

Tensions between Indonesia and Malaysia over the issue of cultural thievery may not be resolved any time soon, as a Malaysian Web site was recently found to be claiming the gamelan as part of its cultural heritage.

Malaysia’s official Web site for cultural heritage, www.warisan.gov.my, lists gamelan in its national heritage section, in third place after the boria and zapin dances.

But music expert Remy Sylado told the Jakarta Globe that the gamelan has its roots in Javanese culture and dates back to the first Saka era (circa AD 230). That would mean gamelan was already in Java long before Borobudur Temple was built in Central Java during the 8th century.

Reached by the Globe by telephone, the deputy head of mission at the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta, Amran Mohamed Zain, refused to comment on the Web site’s claim.

Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism spokesman Turman Siagian said there had been no discussion regarding the list on the Malaysian Web site, which was last updated on May 13.

“We did not know about the list, but if I am not mistaken, the zapin dance also belongs to Indonesia,” he said. “We will discuss this matter soon.”

Remy said two Dutch researchers, Jaap Kunsp and Brandt-Buys, wrote about the gamelan in a book published in 1930, “The Music of Java,” which states that the gamelan has Javanese cultural roots.

“If the Javanese gamelan developed and was exported, its cultural roots are still undeniably Javanese,” he said.

However, gamelan expert Rahayu Supanggah told the Globe that Malaysia was within its rights to claim the gamelan as part of its cultural heritage, because the Malaysian gamelan is different from the Javanese version.

Rahayu added that the gamelan was not exclusive to Java, with many tribes on other islands, including Borneo, and in other countries having their own versions.

“The Malaysian gamelan has fewer instruments than the Javanese, and thus fewer players,” he said. “A Javanese gamelan needs 25 players, while a Malaysian gamelan needs only seven or eight players.”

Repertoire, scale and instrumentation are also different, he added.

Rahayu said Indonesians and Malaysians came from the same roots and thus shared many similarities in their traditional arts.

On Sept. 17, Malaysia’s state news agency, Bernama, reported that the country would study Unesco’s listing of batik as an Indonesian cultural heritage. The report said the Malaysian government wanted to ensure that the decision would not have a bearing on traditional batik making in the country.

In response, Turman Siagian from Indonesia’s Culture Ministry said, “They may react [to the listing], but we will get the recognition anyway.”

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Comments

Valkyrie

7:22 PM September 28, 2009

Right on..Peter! There they go again!

I would like to ask ALL to go search in the web and find out the origin of Indonesians + Malaysians. Just go to Yahoo. You'd be surprised people!

yazz

5:28 PM September 28, 2009

I cannot believe the idiocy of this. Malaysia claiming gamelan is part of their heritage does not mean it claims gamelan originated from Malaysia. Of course it is 'part of' our heritage, we are all serumpun. Humans who share origins around the world have borrowed from each other throughout millinea. No one's going to ask Indonesia to stop doing Ramayana & Mahabrata performances because it's India's to claim. That would be nonsense right? Malaysians have roundly scoffed at our own politician's claim to Malaysian foods because we think this kind of debate is juvenile to say the least. Could the media be more responsible and stop printing such senseless stories? It looks petty and small-minded, not the way a culturally rich country should portray itself.

mehameha

4:40 PM September 28, 2009

I saw 218 items in the list, including many generic dishes familiar to Indonesians: satay, nasi goreng, pisang goreng, bubur kacang hijau, and air kelapa (young coconut juice)! Either the guy who created the list was desperate to please his bosses or Malaysia is so culturally poor (218 is not a long list, really!) that it has to claim air kelapa as a national heritage! Note that India's Khatak and Bharata Natyam dances are also in the list. I wonder what India and Indians have to say about this.

kzacar

3:59 PM September 28, 2009

There's no tension on Malaysia part.

Indonesia can claim Gamelan too.

The only tension is made by local indonesia paper trying to sell their papers by inflamming a non-issue to a big sensational issues.

sumantha

3:24 PM September 28, 2009

to edet: i very much agree with you. let's chin up and start charting & working on our very own great revival. of course, off & away from these petty claims issue.

already we're being perceived as trying to show off our so claimed strength by bullying our smaller neighbour of same blood and stock. do we need to do that to be seen as strong and rich in culture?

let Malaysia claim whatever they feel rightly theirs, as i believe that in the end, all claims will point to one proud stock that we share like what was rightly said by the wise Rahayu Supanggah.

it's high time that we worry not about all those cultures as historical facts would certainly show that they are ours as well as theirs.

it's high time for us to focus our positive energy on becoming a global race ~ one that will stand equally tall with other great races of the world; one that take pride in seeing our cultures being practised and hailed in foreign lands.

let us not disturb and distract our government's attention from doing their best to uplift the wellbeing of our people. the livelihood of the tens of millions of our hardcore poor living on less than US$2 per day is much more deserving of our government's attention and all the more important than all the hoohaas on culture claims.

May God bless us with clear mind and forward looking vision.

peterR

1:40 PM September 28, 2009

Here we go again!

edet

4:01 AM September 28, 2009

so what??..let them have it,is there any countries claim that guitar is theirs, so no other country allowed to play ? or who claim soccer or football,indonesia should focus more on how to promote it self to the world in positive manner,the time is now for indonesia to shine without have to perceived as bully,it's all about self confidence,chin up stop complaining and be great !