Two New Faces of Yogyakarta’s Malioboro Street

KOMPAS/REGINA RUKMORINI

Visitors are seen sitting and some other tourists walking along the sidewalks of Malioboro. The arrangement and relocation of street vendors, which was carried out last February, made the sidewalks look clean and tidy..

Malioboro Street, the heart of the city of Yogyakarta, frequently revamps itself. It had been identical with crowds of street vendors for decades, but Malioboro now has a new face. The memorable street is now cleaner and better organized.

It had been 15 minutes, and Sugiharti (50) and her daughter were still standing next to the street sign reading "Jl. Malioboro", which stands on the eastern sidewalk of the famed tourist street in the city of Yogyakarta in the same-name province, on Tuesday (3/5/2022). While checking their cell phones, they waited for their turn to take pictures.

"Well, I’m on mudik [exodus]. If you go to Yogyakarta and don't visit Malioboro, it feels like something is missing. You shouldn’t forget to visit this place. Besides, I also wanted to know what Malioboro is like after it was revamped. It’s very nice," said the tourist from Jakarta.

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Sugiharti was amazed by Malioboro’s new face. The sidewalks were wide, street vendors (PKL) no longer crowded the sidewalks. The revamped area was more comfortable to visit.

Arofah (34), a visitor from Malang, East Java, also said this was the first time she and her family were able to eat food on a sidewalk bench.

“When street vendors occupied the sidewalks, the sidewalks were uncomfortable. Visitors were usually disturbed by crowds and the voices of traders offering their items,” said Arofah, who had visited the are more than four times.

Malioboro’s new face was also enjoyed by Rina (29), a visitor from Purwokerto, Central Java. The revamped area made it easy for her to walk down the street without being disturbed by rows of merchants on both sides of the sidewalk, as if to hedge in every passerby.

KOMPAS/REGINA RUKMORINI

The traders who originally sold on the overhang of shops on the Malioboro sidewalk now occupy the stalls provided on Teras Malioboro 2, Thursday (5/5/2022). This arrangement is actually opposed by traders because it makes them experience a decrease in turnover.

The revamping of Malioboro’s sidewalks started in 2018. However, the relocation of street vendors in February 2022 completely changed the street’s appearance. This year's Idul Fitri holiday season was the first time the newly revamped Malioboro was packed with millions of residents and tourists.

The local administration relocated a total of 1,836 street vendors from Jl. Malioboro to Malioboro Terrace I, which is located in the building that formerly housed the Indra Cinema building, and to Malioboro Terrace II, which is on land that belongs to the Yogyakarta Tourism Office.

Today, Malioboro is crowded only with tourists. Some are sitting on the benches, others are walking down the street while enjoying snacks, and still others are taking selfies with the "Jl. Malioboro" street sign. Others are picnicking on the sidewalk benches.

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Even so, Jl. Malioboro’s wide space is still being used somewhat improperly. The sidewalks, which are dedicated to pedestrian use, is still used by people riding bicycles or electric scooters. This endangers pedestrians and other passersby.

Yudi (30), who drives a horse-drawn carriage and plies the area around Malioboro to make a living, also welcomed the new face of Malioboro Street. Although its revamping did not have a direct impact on his income, he said he felt more comfortable when came to the area, because the sidewalks were cleaner and neater.

Even though it has been enjoyable by visitors, the street vendor relocation program has left some traders disappointed, with some saying that their income had declined since they were relocated to their new site at Malioboro Terrace.

KOMPAS/REGINA RUKMORINI

A family from Malang, East Java, sits and enjoys their food on a sidewalk bench in Malioboro, Yogyakarta, Thursday (5/5/2022)

Walidi (56), a T-shirt vendor at Malioboro Terrace I, was disappointed over a decline in his income during Lebaran, which was usually when his income peaked.

“When I was still trading in front of the stores [on Jl. Malioboro], from morning until noon, I was able to earn Rp 10 million. However, when we came here, the income from morning to noon is only around Rp 100,000," said Walidi.

He wanted to return to selling on the sidewalk despite the heat and rain, because it was better for his income. “On the sidewalk, I just feel the heat of the sun. Here, my mind gets hot thinking about debt because I don’t sell many T-shirts,” said Walidi, who had been trading on the sidewalks of Jl. Malioboro for more than 20 years.

Each change has its pros and cons. However, over time, revamping Malioboro became a necessity to transform the area into a tourist attraction with international standards.

Ratna (41), who sells a variety of traditional foods like bakpia, geplak, and wajik, also complained that she had lost touch with her regular customers after the relocation. "I have to start from scratch, babad alas [start over] again," said Ratna, who had been trading on Malioboro for around 10 years.

The street vendors were also relocated without grouping them according to the goods or merchandise they sell. For example, Ratna’s food kiosk stands next to a T-shirt kiosk.

Hasyim, a hat trader at Malioboro Terrace I, is straightforward in his criticism of the street vendor relocation program, which he says had deprived Jl. Malioboro of its uniqueness. Without the street vendors, visitors will only feel like they were shopping at an ordinary traditional market.

Promotional also regretted the relocation program, as it was not complemented with promotional efforts from the Yogyakarta provincial administration to help vendors. The Yogyakarta city administration should help enliven the atmosphere at Malioboro Terrace by holding large public events, such as concerts, dance performances, and culinary festivals, he added.

Each change has its pros and cons. However, over time, revamping Malioboro became a necessity to transform the area into a tourist attraction with international standards.

This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswo.