Si Pitung

Si Pitung (Old spelling: Si Pitoeng; or sometimes written just Pitung) was a 19th-century bandit in Batavia, Dutch East Indies (modern-day Jakarta, Indonesia). His exploits have become legendary since then, with numerous accounts of his life, deeds, and death.

Biography Pitung was born in Pengumben, a slum in Rawabelong (near modern-day Palmerah Station), to Bung Piung and Mbak Pinah in what is today West Jakarta; His real name was Salihoen. Based on oral tradition, the name Pitung is derived from pituan pitulung (Javanese for "group of seven"). As a child, Salihoen studied at Hadji Naipin's Islamic boarding school. Some tellings have Pitung stealing money only from rich persons who had collaborated with the Dutch colonial overlords. During the search, a black coat, a police uniform, and a cap were discovered. Those items were allegedly used by Pitung and his comrades to rob a village. The next month, 125 guilders were found concealed under the house. The money was supposedly from the robbery of a Mrs. De C. and Hadji Sapiudin.

Eventually, Hinne was able to kill Pitung. According to the report in the Dutch-language Locomotief, the historical Pitung was caught in an ambush and killed by Hinne and several assistants; some Indonesian tellings indicate that Pitung's family had been arrested and tortured to draw him out. When the city began to develop, most of the cemetery where Pitung was buried was built over with the head offices of Telkom Indonesia. However, the grave remained undisturbed and was often the site of pilgrimages for those seeking mystical powers.

Description In the lenong version, Pitung is described as a humble person, a good Muslim, a hero of Betawi people, and an upholder of justice. According to Indonesian author and screenwriter Lukman Karmani, who wrote about Pitung in the 1960s, the bandit was an Indonesian Robin Hood, stealing from the rich to give to the poor. The Indonesian-run newspaper Hindia Olanda described Pitung as a "colorful figure" in its first reports. The film starred Herman Shin as Pitung and the keroncong singer Ining Resmini as a love interest. There were also television series made about him.

Si Pitung Museum, a house which reportedly belonged to Hadji Sapiudin, is located in Marunda. The house has also been said to be Pitung's.