East Jakarta Mayor Muhammad Anwar opened the Golok 'Machete' Cakung Harmoni Festival in the East Flood Canal (KBT) area, Jalan Raya Pulo Gebang, RW 03, Pulo Gebang Urban Village, Cakung Sub-district.

We want people to know more about the Golok Cakung, which is a cultural heritage that must be preserved

The activity initiated by the Bedok Latih Studio features a colossal martial art parade from around 100 martial arts schools in Jakarta, also bare-handed martial arts attractions, and the use of machetes, sickles, tridents, and toya rattan.

There are also pop-up bazaars occupied by 14 Jakpreneurs under the East Jakarta Industry Trade Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (PPKUKM).

What's interesting is that some ancestral machetes that are around 300 to 700 years are also on display during the event which attracts the attention of visitors who want to take a closer look at the historic machete.

According to the mayor, the Golok Cakung Harmoni Festival is one of the very high historical values and should be appreciated, studied, and disseminated to others, especially the young generation.

"Let's preserve and develop it thus the young generation loves its history and culture in this way. This activity is very positive and good for the community," he stated, Sunday (8/7).

Sanggar Bedok Latih Leader Agus Sahadat explained that in Cakung area, there are seven Cakung machetes that have been recorded as historical objects of the nation's cultural heritage, following the Governor's Decree number 91/2022 on the Designation of Cakung I-VII machetes as Cultural Conservation Objects.

The Golok Cakung is one of the traditional weapons that has cultural value as a symbol of the struggle of the Indonesian people, especially the Betawi ethnicity against colonialism.

"We want people to know more about the Golok Cakung, which is a cultural heritage that must be preserved," he stressed.

According to him, the Golok Cakung on display was very unique, as it was made from meteorite, uranium, titanium, and iron which were not found in other machetes. It can be seen from laboratory results at the Borobudur Conservation Center in Magelang, Central Java.

This machete has a variety of materials which are made of Nogosari wood and horns of Caucasian buffalo and deer horns. The characteristic of its shape is it resembles the feet of a deer and its length is about 40 centimeters.