Mat Depok (1910 - October 24, 1993) was a strongman and independence fighter from
Depok
Depok ( Sundanese: ᮓᮨᮕᮧᮊ᮪) is a landlocked city in West Java province. It is located directly south of Jakarta, it is the third largest urban centre in the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area after Jakarta and Bekasi and it has an area ...
.
Early life
Mat Depok was born with the name Daeran in 1910 to Sa'ari and Dama. His mother was a businesswoman who ran a bridal makeup and food stall in Depok.
In 1935, Daeran went to Kampong Berlan in
Matraman
Matraman is a district (''kecamatan'') of East Jakarta, Indonesia. Matraman is the smallest district of East Jakarta. The boundaries of Matraman are: Bekasi Barat Raya Road to the south, Prof Wiyoto Witono MSc Highway to the east, Pramuka Road ...
and met a woman from Karawang named Nyai Emah. Mat Depok was attracted to Nyai Emah's beauty and wanted to make her his wife. However, Nyai Emah was already the concubine of a Dutchman. Therefore, Mat Depok took Nyai Emah away and brought her to the house of his
silat
Silat is the collective term for a class of martial arts from the Nusantara and surrounding geocultural areas of Southeast Asia. It is traditionally practised in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Southern Thailand, Southern Philippi ...
teacher, Misar, in . This act made him a fugitive from the Dutch. Upon arriving at his teacher's house, Misar slashed Mat Depok, intending to test his invulnerability, and the result showed that Mat Depok was indeed invulnerable.
Daeran once robbed a Dutch logistics warehouse and this made him imprisoned on
Onrust Island. In 1942, Mat Depok was released from prison by the Japanese. After being released from prison, Mat Depok joined the anti-fascist movement, Banteng Merah.
Indonesian National Revolution
On October 11, 1945, Daeran led a raid on the Depok Dutch neighborhood, which led him to receive the nickname Mat Depok. In addition, he joined the youth brigade called ''Oesaha Pemoeda Indonesia'' (Effort of Indonesian Youth) with
Imam Syafei to fight against the Dutch army. In the battle against the Dutch, he was always at the forefront.
decision to make Jakarta a city of diplomacy caused Mat Depok to move to
Karawang
Karawang (Kota Karawang or Karawang Kota) is the capital of the Karawang Regency of West Java, Indonesia. It is 32 miles east of Jakarta
Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( ...
.
In 1947, Mat Depok was captured by the Dutch in Karawang and thrown into
Nusakambangan
Nusa Kambangan is an island located in Indonesia, separated by a narrow strait from the south coast of Java. The closest port is Cilacap in Central Java province. It is known as the place where the fabled ''wijayakusuma'', which translates as th ...
Prison. While in prison, he got a tattoo on his chest that stated Mat Depok.
After the transfer of sovereignty, Mat Depok was released from prison and returned to , Depok.
Post-Transfer of Sovereignty Period
Upon arriving in Tanahbaru, Mat Depok became a thug who asked for money from drivers who passed through the Tanahbaru intersection. If there was a car that ran away, he would throw a machete at the car to stop it. The money he obtained was distributed to local youths to rehabilitate roads and build a cemetery.
Furthermore, he also helped Imam Syafei maintain security. When Syafei became Minister of State Security, Mat Depok also assisted him.
Mat Depok died on October 24, 1993. In 2017, the Depok Arts Council and the Ngumpul Betawi Studio held a ''
lenong
''Lenong'' is a traditional theatrical form of the Betawi people in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Description
''Lenong'' is a form of theatre traditional to the Betawi people of Jakarta, Indonesia. Dialogue is generally in the Betawi dialect. Actions ...
'' performance with the play ''Mat Depok: Pernikahan di Ujung Bedil'' (Mat Depok: Marriage at the End of a Gun). This play told the story of Mat Depok and Nyai Emah.
Personal life
Mat Depok had at least three wives: Risah, Aminah bin Midin, and Emah. From his three wives, he had five children.
References
{{Reflist
People from Depok
1993 deaths
1910 births