Oey Tamba Sia

Tjoa Boan Soeij, Oeij Tambah Sia (first edition, second volume)

Oey Tamba Sia (1827 – October 7, 1856), also spelt Oeij Tambah Sia, or often mistakenly Oey Tambahsia, was a rich, Chinese-Indonesian playboy hanged by the Dutch colonial government due to his involvement in a number of murder cases in Batavia (now Jakarta), capital of colonial Indonesia.[1][2] His life has become part of Jakarta folklore, and inspired a series of literary works.[3][4]

Life

Born in 1827, Oey was the son of Oey Thai Lo, also known as Oey Thoa, a tycoon and tobacco magnate, originally from Pekalongan, who had been appointed Luitenant der Chinezen of Kongsi Besar in Batavia. This was a civil government position in the colonial bureaucracy with legal and political jurisdiction over the local Chinese community.[5] As the son of a Chinese officer, Oey Tamba held the hereditary title of Sia.[6]

The execution of Oey Tamba Sia

At just 15 years old, he lost his father, Luitenant Oey Thoa, who died and passed down to his children an inheritance that supposedly amounted to 2 million guilders. According to folklore, Oey Tamba Sia was handsome and gallant, but was proud and fond of changing partners. This attitude worsened when he received a large inheritance after the death of his father. He did not respect the Chinese magistrates in Batavia because many were supported financially by his late father, including a friend of his late father Tan Eng Goan, 1st Majoor der Chinezen of Batavia. However, Majoor Tan Eng Goan and other officials were trying to give advice to Oey Tamba Sia to repent. Even the Majoor offered Oey Tamba Sia the post of Luitenant der Chinezen held by his father. However Oey Tamba Sia rejected both the advice and offer of the lieutenancy from the Chinese officials.

The behaviour of Oey Tamba Sia ended in crimes in which he ordered the killing of Sutedjo, brother of his mistress Mas Adjeng Gundjing whom he thought was her lover. Oey Tamba Sia poisoned even his own loyal aides Tjeng Kie to malign his rival Lim Soe Keng Sia, son-in-law of Majoor Tan Eng Goan. The Chinese Council led by the Majoor investigated the Oey Tamba Sia's actions, and reported him back to the Landraad (criminal court). Oey Tamba Sia was sentenced to death by public hanging. Oey's family attempted an appeal to the Raad van Justitie (high court) and for clemency from the Governor-General, both of which were rejected.

At dawn on October 7, 1856, Oey Tamba Sia was hanged to death on the ground Stadhuis, or town hall (now the Jakarta History Museum).

Cultural and literary significance

The rivalry between Oey Tamba Sia and Lim Soe Keng Sia inspired a series of poems and novellas, and became part of Jakarta folklore.[3]

In 1903, Thio Tjin Boen published Tambahsia: Soewatoe tjerita jang betoel soedah kedjadian di Betawi antara tahoen 1851-1856, based on Oey's life.[7] Not long after, in 1906, Tjoa Ban Soeij published a story in verse, entitled Sair swatoe tjeritajang betoel soeda kedjadian di Tanah Betawi dari halnja Oeij Tambah Sia, tatkalah Sri Padoeka toean besar Duymaer van Twist mendjabat Gouverneur General koetika tahoen 1851.[8] Tjoa published another work in 1922 based on Oey's life, called Tambah Sia.

Oey's life also partly inspired Atilah Soeryadjaya's 2013 musical, 'Ariah'.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Phoa, Kian Sioe (1956). Sedjarahnja: Souw Beng Kong, Phoa Beng Gan, Oey Tamba Sia (in Indonesian). Djakarta: Reporter. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  2. ↑ Haris, Syamsuddin (2007). Partai dan parlemen lokal era transisi demokrasi di Indonesia: studi kinerja partai-partai di DPRD kabupaten/kota (in Indonesian). Jakarta: TransMedia. ISBN 9789797990527. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  3. 1 2 Salmon, Claudine (1992). Le moment "sino-malais" de la littérature indonésienne (in French). Paris: Association Archipel. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  4. ↑ Saidi, Ridwan (2003). Romansa Batavia: puisi Tanah Betawi (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Lembaga Kebudayaan Betawi. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  5. ↑ Lohanda, Mona (1996). The Kapitan Cina of Batavia, 1837-1942: A History of Chinese Establishment in Colonial Society. Jakarta: Djambatan. ISBN 9789794282571. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  6. ↑ Blussé, Leonard; Chen, Menghong (2003). The Archives of the Kong Koan of Batavia. Amsterdam: BRILL. ISBN 9004131574. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  7. ↑ "Oey Tambahsia, Si Tampan yang Lupa Diri". liputan6.com. Liputan 6. 2005. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  8. ↑ Tjoa, Boan Soeij (1922). Sair swatoe tjerita jang betoel soeda kedjadian di Tanah Betawie dari halnja Oeij Tambah Sia, tatkalah Sri Padoeka Toean Besar Duymaer van Twist mendjabat Gouverneur-Generaal koetika tahon 1851 (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  9. ↑ "'€˜Ariah'€™ radiates the spirit of Betawi". The Jakarta Post. June 30, 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2018. C1 control character in |title= at position 2 (help); |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
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