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Javanese Migrans’ World View in Olak-Olak Kubu Village, District of Kubu Raya

By:

ABSTRACT

salah satu program pemerintah yang telah dimulai sejak Orde Lama. Tujuan dari
program ini yaitu pemerataan kepadatan
Transmigration is concept of inter-island migration in Indonesia. This program is one of
government programs which have started in the reign of Old Order. The aim of this program
is to distribute population along with encourage development across the country.
Using unused land, agricultural intensification, sharing poverty, and cultural distinction are
the perceived impacts of this transmigration program. This study aim to describe an in-depth
construction of shifting views of Javanese trans-migrants community in Olak-Olak Village.
The method of this study was qualitative research with case study strategy.
Human was the prior instruments of collecting data. The main techniques are in-depth interviews, direct
observation and document review. The village of Olak-Olak is one of self-supporting transmigration
destinations organized by the Government of President Soekarno in 1959. Transmigration in the village was a
successful program, although in the early days were the hardest time for transmigrants. The former group that
came first in this village faced severe conditions to build settlements for the first time. The transmigrants open
up peat forests and must adapt to river transportation which is very different from what they used to see in their
home lands. The first generation of Transmigrants in Olak-Olak has broken the general view of the Javanese
community of " eating or not, stay together ". They have a strong belief to “mati urip neng
Kalimantan” (stay in Kalimantan, die or life). However, It is interesting that these migrants
community still hold and preserve their original culture. Some tradition had change to adapt
with local conditions, some another are lost in time as disappearance of old generation, also
physically the lost connection with Java.
Keywords: Community, Migration, West Kalimantan

Olak-olak Kubu is a village formed by the transmigration program during the reign
of the old order. Olak-Olak Kubu is located Kubu Raya District West Kalimantan Province
Pontianak City. This village was first opened in a former forest site in 1959. This village is
one of destination of trans-migrant program originating from Java, thus, the majority of the
population is Javanese. There are also ethnic of Malay, Chinese and Dayak residents. At
present, there are 2,729 persons of Javanese, 787 Malay, 114 Sundanese, 51 Chinese, 40
Bugis, 24 Dayak, 11 Madura, and Ambon and Flores 1 respectively. The majority of Muslims
are 3,572 person, 16 Protestant, 167 Catholics, also 40 Buddhists.
The village’s profile as the study conducted shows that Olak-olak Kubu village has
5.969,86 hectares, with 3.795 residents consist of 1.942 male and 1.853 women. The northern
part of the village bordered on Sungai Kapuas Village, while the southern part bordered on
Dabong Village, the eastern part bordered on Kubu Village and western part bordered on
Mengkalang Village.
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Olak-olak Kubu Village consist of 10 RW and 32 RT and divided in 5 sub-villages

(dusun), they are Dusun Medan Tani, Dusun Pelita, Dusun Danu Harapan, Dusun Idaman
Jaya, dan Dusun Melati. Olak-olak Kubu Village is a lowland that affected by tides. So the
regular tides will watering the land to cultivate paddy. For the consequence, Olak-olak
Village flooded frequently especially in rainy season. Yet, this flood has been minimized
since water canal constructed.
The infra structure that already build are village meeting hall, village office, 2 units
of village health center, 11 units of mosque, 6 units of small mosque, 1 unit of church, and 6
location of burial ground, 2 location of integrated services centre, Koran (Quran) education
centre in 5 location. For supporting land transportation, Olak-olak Kubu Village has 68
bridges connecting areas separated by water canal, most of which are broken, 16.9 kilometers
concrete road, and 15.6 kilometers ground road that also get worse in rainy season.
Most of residents (1.780 people) of Olak-olak Kubu Village completed Primary
School, 814 people completed Junior High School, 541 people finished their Senior High
School education, and 57 people got their diploma of university. Bad accessibility of
education facilities affects the low education of the people in Olak-Olak Kubu. This village
has kindergarten, 5 primary schools, and 1 junior high school. Thus, children should go out to
study in nearest Senior High School from Olak-olak Kubu. Meanwhile to study in university,
those Senior High School graduates should go to Province capital City, Pontianak.
For it is located in remote area, Olak-olak Kubu face bad accessibility, especially
through land transportation system. The road was constructed by Oil Palm Plantation
Company. From capital district of Kubu, we should use boat twice to get in Olak-olak Kubu
Village. However, economic activity is going pretty well in moderate level, supported by
river transportation system.

Background of Transmigration Program of Old Order Reign

Indonesia faced up political turmoil in early independence from Japan Colonialism.
This very young country also should counter any aggression that could happen. This complex
situation became main factor why the population policy had not been implemented. In 1948,
a committee that had reviewed work policy of government headed by A.H.D Tambunan
proposed transmigration program. Government’s decision to implement transmigration
program begin at 1950. First transmigration held in December 1950 by New Order reign. It
was organized by Transmigration Service (Jawatan Transmigrasi). Jawatan Transmigrasi
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was under Ministry of Social. In 1960, this Service had joined Cooperative Department, so it
had become Department of Transmigration and Cooperative [ CITATION Hee79 \l 1057 ].
Former transmigration program did not have any certain objectives, but
demographic purposes related to inequality of population density. It was not intended to
consider things related with prosperity, welfare, and the unity of the nation [ CITATION
Swa87 \l 1057 ]. The issuance of The Law (Undang-Undang) Number No. 20/1960 that
clarify transmigration’s objectives is to improve security, prosperity and welfare of the
people, as well as strengthen sense unity and unity of the nation[ CITATION Tjo86 \l 1057 ].
Transmigration program at that time was assessed not realistic with its target to
migrate 23 million people population of Java during as long as 35 years implementation, yet
since 1950 until 1959 government had send only 227.360 people [ CITATION Sya86 \l 1057 ]. In
the consequence, in 35 years there would be less than one million people migrated. Then the
target was evaluated to more realistic, which means should be increased. In 5 years between
1956 until 1960, at least two million people should be migrated out of Java to another islands,
or 400.000 people in average per year. In the next 8 years period (1961 to 1968),
Transmigration Service (Jawatan Transmigrasi) reduced the target to 1.56 million people, or
195.000 in average per year.
The latest transmigration policy of that 8 years period plan named New Mode of
Transmigration (Transmigrasi Gaya Baru). The New Mode of Transmigration was resulted
from national deliberation about transmigration movement that started from December 1964.
Basic concept used in this new transmigration was to move excessive total fertility rate. The
idea to implement of self-supporting cost transmigration emerged accompanying that new
policy, which means previous migrants would give help to accommodate new comers, like it
was been implemented in Dutch colonialism era. The new transmigrants then opened forest
land to build their own settlement and roads, so making it cheaper for government to finance
the program. Those transmigrants who went with their own expenses were also a lot. After
arrived at destination location, they should have reported their arrival to get a plot of land,
and other assistances.
In Old Order reign, transmigration program named as general transmigration, family
transmigration, self-supporting cost transmigration, and spontaneous transmigration. In
general transmigration, government had responsibility to handle all transmigrants’ needs,
from registration until arrival in destination location. Government gave living needs for first
eight months, crops seeds, and farming tools. Family transmigration was held in sequence. It
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means if there was a transmigrants family wanted to ask another family who still lived in Java
to stay in transmigration destination region, so the former transmigrants should had
responsibility to give help for the new transmigrant’s living cost and accommodation
(housing). The latest one wasn’t success because it was burdensome transmigrants, so it had
stopped since 1959.
In self-supporting cost transmigration, potential transmigrants should registered in
original residential place, and went to destination location using their own funds. After their
arrival in destination location, they would get a plot of land and subsidy such as those who
did general transmigration. Meanwhile, spontaneous transmigration should have self-financed
their departure. Then, they would get a plot of land and subsidy after reported their arrival
[ CITATION Man85 \l 1057 ].

System of Motives, Feels, Values and Confidence in Migration

Cultural studies aimed at researching human behavior that has a system of ideas as
the foundation. An action not arbitrary emerged, every action surely based on system of ideas
as the reference. Therefore people tend to choose or take the same action when face the same
situation. The reference leads on motive. There are motives in every person, and they
become parts or essential aspects of cultures. As Geertz wrote the statement below:
“...the existence of cultural resources, of an adequate system of public symbols, is just
as essential to this sort of process as it is to that of directive reasoning. And therefore,
the development, maintenance, and dissolution of "moods," "attitudes,"
"sentiments,"and so on-which are "feelings" i n the sense of states or conditions, not
sensations or motives-constitute no more a basically private activity in human beings
than does directive "thinking." [CITATION Gee72 \l 1057 ].

Several parts drown and gathered beneath systems of ideas forms into motive, “feeling” or
system of feelings, also systems of trust and beliefs. These all are condition that more likely
describes the way human being thinking, in spite of a straight and rigid thought. It determines
the value what is bad, and what is good, which named as system of values.
Motives, systems of feelings, systems of trust and beliefs formed by previous
experiences, both individual experiences and social experiences. According to Bruner, these
all represent the expression of experiences and systems of knowledge that accumulatively
organized, either cognitively or affectively.
Experiences said to be accumulative, since they are tied on temporal dimension,
always grow and continue to build construction over time. This expression of course will be
nonsense, if it doesn’t have observable phenomena in attitude neither in communicating
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speech or socialized to be accepted as “common sense” or common’s property. Furthermore,

Bruner said that experiences are interpretation of facts individually or collectively in a
community. And expression of the experiences is reflected in daily life [ CITATION Bru96 \l
1057 ].
Cultures have many dimensions, for it is assumed that culture as a system of view to
see the life, view of world, or something Hiebert [ CITATION Hie08 \l 1057 ] named with term of
worldview. Culture’s dimensions are cognitive, affirmative, and evaluative. In cognitive
dimension, there are knowledge, thought and any kind of ideas. Affirmative dimension
consist of hope, desire, and anything that used as guidance of attitude and action to take.
Evaluative dimension is something that is used as guidance to judge whether something good
or bad, and make adjustments between action and goals in living the life.

Transmigrants Arrival in Olak-olak Kubu: Experiences of First Generations

Transmigration process from Java to Kalimantan (Borneo) was taken a long journey
of couple months. The complicated problem was faced from the registration process to
departure, transmigrants also transit and accommodated in temporary shelters several times.
In temporary shelters, they lived for weeks or months.
The first shelter was located at Transmigration Services in Jakarta. In Jakarta, they
met another groups of transmigrants who depart from many region such as Province of Bali,
Province of West Nusa Tenggara, Province of East Java, Province of Middle Java and
Province of West Java. The groups would departure from Jakarta and have destination in
many regions in Sumatra and Kalimantan. Groups by groups went by ships, each group were
waiting to departure, with new hope in new place. Then it was time for groups who have
West Kalimantan Province as destination should leave.
“lanjut”
---- data lapangan, wawancara dan sejarah olak2 yang sudah tertulis---

The Broken Myths of “Mangan ora Mangan Kumpul” (eating or not, stay together):
Decision to Transmigration

Javanese proverbs that still be a philosophy of Javanese life said, “mangan ora
mangan kumpul”, which means eating or not, stay together”, was fundamental reason for
Javanese reluctance to leave their hometown, to go out and migrate although they live
stressful life, poor, and lack of environment’s carrying capacity. Geertz termed ‘shared
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poverty’, which interpreted as products of work-sharing, income-redistributing institution had

whose function was to provide each member of rapidly expanding population with a niche in
the rural economy. Although this view tightly related with Javanese ideology, this was
proven in history that noted that economic equality of rural in Java was overwhelming.
[ CITATION Ale82 \l 1057 ].
This was considered by some of Javanese, that inheritance land increasingly narrow
from generation to the next. And sibling conflict due to land disputes often happen in this
stressful life. Alternate to change the fate, the philosophy “mangan ora mangan kumpul”,
already broken. Some of them chose to leave Java for new life in an island where they would
not scramble for land, and even have their own land. This shows that personally, Javanese
already aware that the life philosophy above not appropriate anymore with developments and
demands of times.

Lanjut data (analisis/interpretasi) -Pull forces and Push forces in migration

Sistem Rasa: “Krasan ra Krasan nduwe lemah”

Pengalaman manusia sebagai suatu individu ataupun kolektif, turut membentuk sistem rasa
yang digunakan untuk melakukan interpretasi mengenai segala hal yang terjadi dan dialami.
Hal ini merupakan salah satu bagian dari pembentuk pandangan seseorang atau kolektif
terhadap dunia [ CITATION Opl64 \l 1057 ].
Perasaan merupakan salah satu faktor para transmigran di Desa Olak-olak Kubu untuk tetap
bertahan. Sebagian besar dari mereka yang bertahan untuk tetap tinggal, dan tidak
meninggalkan Desa Olak-olak Kubu adalah transmigran Jawa Timur dan Jawa Tengah.
Hanya satu atau dua keluarga saja transmigran jawa barat ataupun dari Nusa Tenggara Barat.

Lanjut data (analisis/interpretasi)

Sistem Keyakinan: “Mati urip neng Kalimantan”

Transmigran Jawa memiliki niat untuk menetap di Pulau Kalimantan dan memilik keyakinan
tinggal selamanya. Keyakinan ini muncul berdasarkan niat awal mengikuti program
transmigrasi pemerintah saat itu.
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-lanjut deskripsi data, yang menjawab tentang kekuatan niat untuk migrasi dan tetap tinggal
dan bertahan

Sistem Nilai: “ Nek ra gelem gotong royong toto-toto trus muliho Jowo”
Sistem nilai merupakan bagian dari demensi budaya yang memeliki fungsi evaluatif. Sistem nilai
pada setiap budaya dapat dibagi menjadi tiga tipe. Pertama, masing-masing budaya selalu secara
kognitif melakukan evaluasi kepercayaan yang menentukan hal yang baik dan buruk. Kedua, budaya
juga menentukan ekspresi emosional kehidupan manusia. Dan Ketiga, budaya, sebagai penentu,
seperangkat nilai, penentu benar dan salah[ CITATION Hie08 \l 1057 ].
Sistem nilai, etika atau moralitas yang berlaku di masyarakat Desa Olak-olak Kubu pada masa awal
kedatangan mereka muncul dengan sendirinya, karena perasaan senasib dan sepenanggungan.

-lanjut deskripsi tentang gotong royong, sanksi dan lain sebagainya-

Pandangan pada Dunia Migran

Usaha untuk memahami tentang bagaimana transmigran dalam memandang dunia, adalah
dengan memahami secara terintegrasi, sistem ide, perasaan-perasaan, dan sistem nilai yang
berkaitan dengan pola perilaku, serta sebagai hasil yang dimiliki bersama oleh kolektif yang
mengorganisasikan serta menata apa yang mereka pikirkan, rasakan, dan lakukan.
“the more or less integrated systems of ideas, feelings, and values and their associated
patterns of behavior and products shared by a group of people who organize and regulate
what they think, feel and do” [CITATION Hie08 \l 1057 ]

- Interpretasi bebas, dan nilai kearifan khas jawa-

PENUTUP

DAFTAR PUSTAKA

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Relationships in Colonial Java. MAN, Vol. 17, No. 4, 597-619. doi:10.2307/2802036

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Geertz, C. (1973). Interpretation of Culture. New York: Basics Inc Publiser.

Heeren. H.J. (1979). Transmigrasi di Indonesia. Jakarta: Gramedia.

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Hiebert, P. (2008). Transforming Worldviews: An Anthropological Understanding of How People

Change. Michigan: Baker Publisher Group.

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di Indonesia 1905-1986 (p. 80). Jakarta: UI Press.

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Depan. In S. E. Swasono, Transmigrasi di Indonesia 1905-1986 (p. 32). Jakarta: UI Press.