Badness and Goodness in Beting

When you go to Kampong Beting, what is in your mind? Do you feel peaceful when see the two historical place in Pontianak, Jami’ Mosque and the Kadariyah palace? Or you see the place that provides high criminality rating? Forgot those two problems, how about the potential of tourism object in Kampong Beting, the place that seperate the river and have the longest “Gertak” in Indonesia even in the world. In this article, I will give my opinion about the goodness, the badness and the potential tourism object that Kampong Beting have. First, let we see the history of Kampong Beting.

            Kampong Beting located at Kampong Dalam Bugis, East Pontianak. If we come from other city and arrived at Supadio, we have to pass the Kapuas Bridge to get there and we will see the yellow gate. That is Kampong Beting enterance gate. We can find the Kadariyah palace and Jami’ Mosque there. According to people’s, there was a young man named Syarif Abdurahman brought his religion as a Muslim and came from Arabia. At that trip, Syarif and his friend were disturbed by pontianak ghost or Kuntilanak while looking for place to live in the edge of Kapuas river. Then, Syarif and his friends shoot the gun to make the ghost go away. This place then called Kampong Beting. There, they build Kadariyah palace and Jami’ Mosque. These two places are the goodness from Kampong Beting.

            Kadariyah palace and Jami’ Mosque are some of Pontianak city landmark. This two place are the place that the story of Pontianak begun. When someone wants to see the history of Pontianak, this is the right place. In that palace, we can see the Sultan goods and some guns. On the other hand, Jami’ Mosque has its own honour because this mosque can stand until now. This two buildings shows Kampong Beting have a religious point. But, that religious place covered by criminal action that Kampong Beting have.

            Most of people in Pontianak describe Kampong Beting as a dangerous place. This negative stereotype even has been known by police headquarter. Every new police chief will receives message from the other chief how to handle the criminality there, but it never changes at all. Criminality in Kampong Beting is very various such as drugs and thief and the agent are mostly children and some are adults. Many drugs and the stealing item deal happen around here. This place also called Pontianak’s Texas or like Bronx in New York. Can this place be an interesting tourism place?

            This village well known as criminality village, but this village also has a good prospect such as tourism object, the exotics of the real living in the edge of the river. The houses that build above the river give the exotics to this village. This village can be water city front and water tourism like in Venice. With the bridge view and “Gertak” provide good view. This view can be an interesting potential tourism, but it is disappointed because the views are screw and not organized well.

            In this case, the government need to improve this village, because the history of this place. And I can see this village has a big potency to be a tourism object that visited by many tourists. Functions and home entertainment industry by supporting activities such as commercial, museum and gallery, housing and cottages can bring local and foreign tourists. But do not forget, crime must be cleaned by providing jobs, and cleaning up the corrupt police mentality so there is only goodness exist, no more badness. And the images of Kampong Beting in the brochure visit Kalbar 2011 would not be in vain.