By PAUL MU
PADANG: Thousands of participants, including delegates from Sabah, have arrived to attend the 4th International Minangkabau Literacy Festival (IMLF), held in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of Jam Gadang in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra.
The Sabah delegation, comprising eight members, is led by Machdaniar Nisfah, Consul for Social and Cultural Affairs at the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Kota Kinabalu.
The event, from June 3 to 7, will feature more than 250 international delegates and artists from 38 countries.
The Jam Gadang centenary celebrations are being held to promote tourism and showcase the cultural heritage of Bukittinggi and West Sumatra.
Machdaniar, whose mother is from Bukittinggi, said the visit also carries personal significance, as her family still has ancestral property in the area.
Among the highlights are the planting of 100 trees by local representatives and international delegates, 100 poetry readings, and the simultaneous launch of 100 literary works.
The celebration will culminate in a grand parade featuring 1,000 women dressed in traditional Minangkabau attire.
One of the distinctive features of Jam Gadang is its link to Big Ben in London, as both clocks share a similar mechanical system and were produced by the same manufacturer in Germany.
Machdaniar said the Jam Gadang centenary celebrations will also include a Diaspora Congress, which is a separate programme.
She said the government hopes to maintain strong emotional bonds between members of the Indonesian diaspora and their ancestral homeland.
Many diaspora members, she said, still maintain family ties, inherited property and business interests in Indonesia, despite acquiring citizenship in other countries.
“We want them to continue returning to Indonesia and maintain their connection with their roots. Many still have family heritage, land and property that they need to manage,” she said.
Machdaniar said Indonesia is exploring measures such as a Diaspora Identity Card that would provide certain privileges to overseas Indonesians.
Among the benefits being considered are easier access to banking services, longer stays in Indonesia, and administrative facilitation for those managing inherited assets and business affairs.
She said the initiative is ultimately aimed at encouraging greater economic participation by diaspora communities.
“The end goal is economic development. We hope members of the diaspora can contribute through trade, investment and other economic activities that benefit both Indonesia and their hometowns,” she said.
The congress is expected to attract about 300 participants from 36 countries, including members of the Indonesian diaspora, as well as academics, researchers and journalists with a strong interest in Indonesia.
Machdaniar said participants who are not of Indonesian descent but actively study, write about or research Indonesia are recognised as “Indonesianists”.
“They may be researchers, academics or journalists who have a deep interest in Indonesia and contribute to the international understanding of the country,” she said.
Machdaniar (third left), with the Sabah delegation at Minangkabau International Airport.
