Ali Sadikin

Who was Ali Sadikin?

Ali Sadikin was an Indonesian politician of Sundanese background. He was often called Bang Ali. He served as the governor of Jakarta, the country's capital, from 1966 to 1977. Appointed by a weak Sukarno, he likely had the full approval of Suharto. A former officer in the Indonesian Marine Corps, he saw the city as a battlefield. He sought to improve public services, clear out slum dwellers, ban becaks, and outlaw street peddlers. Sadikin's role in bulldozing poor areas of Jakarta was part of a long history of struggle over land use in the region Through legislation, Sadikin successfully wrested control over large amounts of poor housing. These areas he gave at minimal cost to developers such as the Jaya Group. For Abidin Kusno, Sadikin was part of a modernist program to attack irrationality, criminalize poverty, and create obedient national citizens. At the same time, he sought to kampung-ize city dwellers—to reinvest them with village sociality and mutual aid.

Sadikin also tried to halt migration into Jakarta by declaring the city closed to newcomers. He issued residency cards in hope of enforcing the policy, but failed to curtail population growth. One of the earliest and most outspoken advocates of family planning, Sadikin showed that Muslim groups would support these policies. Under Sadikin, Jakartan pilgrimage to Mecca and other holy places surged. Hungry for revenue for his projects, Sadikin legalized gambling and steambaths, much to the outrage of many Muslim groups. Although Sadikin's restructuring of land in Jakarta displaced countless urban poor, he also advocated for the LBH, the Legal Aid Society; an organization which was used by both the private sector and the urban poor. After having allegedly "allowed" Golkar to lose an election in Jakarta, Sadikin was removed from office. Despite Sadikin's heavy-handed urban reforms, he is often cited as a popular leader. In 1978, mass student protests embroiled the capital, and students nominated Sadikin as an alternative president.