Malaysian “jingle” tune claimed as Maluku folk song

10/04/07 00:10Ambon (ANTARA News) – The adoption of the song “Rasa Sayange” as Malaysia`s cultural “jingle” has given rise to claims in Maluku that the tune is an indigenous Indonesian creation.

Maluku Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu said “Rasa Sayange” was Indonesian because it had been a folk song in Maluku since time immemorial so that Malaysia could not consider it as its own.

“After I was born in 1946, my mother often carried me as a baby while singing this tune. In fact, it has been a Maluku people`s folk song from generation to generation. So Malaysia should not use it as an icon of its tourism by taking advantage of the fact that Indonesia has not patented it,” he said here Wednesday.

Some words in the song such as “lia” (see) and “jao” (far), were taken from the Ambon people`s vernacular so any Malaysian claim to it was baseless, he said.

Therefore, Ralahalu would bring Maluku artists together to find out who actually created “Rasa Sayange” so that it could be patented and not be claimed by other parties such as Malaysia.

“It is time for us protect the property rights of Maluku and Indonesian artists so their creations cannot be pirated by other countries,” the governor said.

Separately, the chairman of Maluku`s Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD), Richard Louhenapessi, said if Malaysia persisted in claiming Rasa Sayange as its cultural property, the legislature would lodge a protest with the International Court of Justice through the Indonesian government and parliament.

“We hope the central government will support the Maluku government`s and community`s initiative so that the song Rasa Sayange is duly acknowledged as a Maluku folk song,” he said.(*)

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