Cukong
Derived from the Chinese word hokkien (master), cukong is a pejorative term in the Indonesian language for a clever Chinese businessman who plays a role as a middleman with connections and cooperation with those in power. The figure is not unique to Indonesia but occurs in other Southeast Asian countries as well.
The concept of the Chinese businessman as cukong arose from the nature of Dutch colonial policies in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in Indonesia. These policies estranged the Chinese minority from the rest of the population. Forbidden government jobs, the Chinese were forced into roles as traders. As traders, they established networks and developed their management skills.
A broadening of the concept of cukong began in 1965 when the army took over political power in Indonesia and asserted control over the country's economic resources. Lacking skills, experience, and trading networks, some army officers authorized Chinese businessmen to run the army's businesses and manage their economic interests.
These army officers believed that their collaboration with the Chinese businessmen, coupled with discriminatory laws and the weak political base of the Chinese minority in Indonesia, would maintain the army's political and economic power more effectively than it would be maintained if the officers collaborated with indigenous, or pribumi, businessmen. This system has developed into what is known in Indonesia today as the "cukong system," a web of collusion and corruption among Chinese businessmen, bureaucrats, and military officers. The cukong specialize in administering business affairs while the bureaucrats and military officers provide them with government funds, facilities, and security protection.
Further Reading
Mackie, J. A. C., ed. (1976) The Chinese in Indonesia. Singapore: Heineman Education Books.
Seagrave, Sterling. (1999) Para Pendekar Pesisir: Sepak Terjang Gurita Bisnis Cina Rantau. Jakarta, Indonesia: Alvabet.
Suryadinata, Leo. (1978) Pribumi Indonesians: The Chinese Minority and China. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Heineman Education Books.
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