House of Si Pitung - Robin Hood of Betawi

A Betawi-style stilt house stands tall in the Marunda area, North Jakarta. Dominated by brown colour, the house is known as House of Si Pitung. It is far from the hustle and bustle of the city because there are not many residential areas in the area.

The house was not actually the home of Si Pitung's birth or family. This house belonged to Haji Saipudin, a wealthy fish merchant from Makassar who, according to local people, had been robbed by Pitung. Si Pitung was a Betawi champion who is famous for his struggle against the injustice of the rulers. He robbed the rich people then gave them to the poor. Hence, he was known as the Robin Hood of Betawi.

History of Si Pitung

Si Pitung was born in Rawa Belong slum area. This area was an Ommelanden (outside of Batavia) at the end of the 19th century, an area that the Dutch Colonial couldn't control. His father's name was Bang Piung and his mother was Mbak Pinah. Pitung's real name was Salihoen. His parents sent Pitung to study at Hadji Naipin's Islamic boarding school. Aside from learning his prayers, he also received training in pencak silat and situational awareness.

Outside of school activities, Pitung helped his father selling goats. One day a bandit stole the money from selling his father's goat. The victory was on his side. This incident made him known as a Jago, a cocky person or local legend. From here, he changed his name to Si Pitung. He started to rob many landlords then gave back to the poor. Many bandits, landlords, and the Dutch submitted to him. Pitung's actions frightened them. They wanted to have Pitung killed, then they conspired to find his weakness. In the end, Si Pitung died. He was shot with a golden bullet by A.M.V Hinne, a Schout (Head of Police Residency of Batavia).

House of Si Pitung

The House of Si Pitung has two porches, one each on the front and back of the house, which is equipped with a 1.5-meter high staircase. It also has four doors and ten windows. This stilt house is 15 meters long, 5 meters wide and 2 meters high, supported by 40 poles of 2 meters high.

Now in the Si Pitung House, there are several typical Betawi furniture, such as guest chairs, beds, dressing tables, congklak games, and kitchen utensils. Some of this ancient furniture did not come from the original interior of the house but were donated from various parties. On the walls of the house, there are panels that tell the story of Si Pitung.

This house has been renovated several times. The first renovation was in 1972 while maintaining its original design. Some of the changes made during this renovation were the changes in the interior of the house from having 3 bedrooms to 1 bedroom, replacing the bamboo floor with teak wood, and painting the wooden walls in a ruby red colour. The last renovation in 2010 was an addition of a 50 cm high concrete structure, to ensure the house is not flooded.

As the people who live in Jakarta, we must preserve this heritage. Knowing the legend of a local hero is how we appreciate the history of our city. If you want to visit this cultural heritage building, here is the address.