The conflict of Yogyakarta Sultanate in these recent two weeks has gain attention of Indonesian people, particularly Yogyakarta people. The issues emerged due to ‘Sabda Raja’ (King’s proclamation) declared by Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X on 30/04. The sabda raja was considered breaking the custom of the palace. Some public observers also contended that the sabda raja could threaten the existence of Yogyakarta Palace and Sultanate which might be divided.
The aforementioned statement was the main idea uttered by Prof. Dr. Tulus Warsito M.Si. in a discussion organized by Public Relation and Protocol of UMY on Friday (15/5) at Public Relations of UMY. It discussed the conflict occurred in Yogyakarta Palace. He elucidated that Yogyakarta Sultanate was distinct from Solo Sultanate. Thus, the conflict was getting complicated since Sultan has a privilege to be Governor of Yogyakarta. “Yogyakarta Palace is immediately integrated to Government of Yogyakarta Special Region because the Sultan is the Governor without general election owing to Privilege Constitution (UUK), and it is different from Solo Palace,” he informed.
He continued that Yogyakarta Sultanate might be threatening. The complicated conflict in internal of palace was significant since it was dealing with the custom of palace. He contended that many Yogyakarta people were still eager to maintain the custom. On contrast, some people and observers regard that the custom was made by human and possible to alter. “Besides the internal of palace, Yogyakarta people might also be divided because of the conflict,” he stated.
According to Tulus, the conflict might take a long time since the conflict was the huge issue of leader succession of the palace. “Sultan uttered one of the sabda raja that he named GKR Pembayun ‘Mangkubumi’ who would directly be the governor of Yogyakarta Special Region. On the other hand, Sultan has a brother, the son of HB IX, to be a crown prince,” he mentioned.
He recommended that Sultan could notice and learn from the past, especially from the succession in era of Sultan Hamengkubuwono V. In that era, the issue of naming crown prince also occurred because Sultan HB V did not have a son to be Sultan Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat. Nevertheless, the decision of Sultan HB V was divergent from Sultan HB X. “Confronting the succession issue, Sultan HB V opted his nephew as crown prince and Sultan Yogyakarta, and did not name his daughter as crown princess,” he ended.
