Nen Dit Sakmas Remembered as Figure Behind Southeast Maluku's Customary Law
- 08 Sep 2026 20:02 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Key Points
- The 8th Nen Dit Sakmas Day commemorates Nen Dit Sakmas as a pioneer of women's emancipation and an important figure in the development of Larvul Ngabal customary law in the Kei Islands.
- The customary law contains provisions protecting women's property, honor, and dignity, with three of its seven articles specifically addressing women's protection.
RRI.CO.ID, Langgur - The figure of Nen Dit Sakmas is once again commemorated as an emancipation pioneer and the heroine behind the emergence of the Larvul Ngabal customary law in Southeast Maluku, Maluku Province. Through the 8th Nen Dit Sakmas Day, the community is invited to emulate her legacy, which successfully unified elements of criminal and civil law since ancestral times.
Nen Dit Sakmas is a legendary pioneer of women's rights from the Kei Islands of Maluku Tenggara who co-authored the foundational Larvul Ngabal customary law. She is celebrated for embedding strict legal protections for women's dignity into local tradition, serving as an enduring symbol of female empowerment and cultural unity.
According to Southeast Maluku Regent, Muhamad Thaher Hanubun, together with customary figure Hila’ai, Nen Dit Sakmas played a role in unifying customary legal elements that later became known as Larvul Ngabal.
“Larvul is criminal law, Ngabal is civil law. This came from a woman named Ditsakmas. She combined the two elements,” he stressed while leading a pilgrimage to the Rat Ohoivur Tomb in Ohoi Letvuan, Southeast Maluku Regency, Maluku Province, on Monday, 7 September 2026.
He said the history of Larvul Ngabal customary law cannot be separated from the role of women, particularly the figure of Nen Dit Sakmas. Nen Dit Sakmas’ story is not only part of past history, but also reflects the character of Kei women as resilient figures capable of facing various life challenges.
“They can go to the sea, they can go to the forest. That is proof of strong women,” he said, as quoted by infopublik.id.
Thaher said this resilience portrays the role of Kei women, who are not only within the family environment, but also help support the community’s social life.
He also highlighted the protective values for women contained in Larvul Ngabal customary law. According to him, out of seven articles in the customary law, three relate to the protection of women, including those concerning property, honor, and dignity.
“There, women’s property and dignity are protected. They may have shortcomings, but they must not be regarded lightly. In Kei, women are highly valued,” he said.
Thaher emphasized that these values must be realized in daily life and not remain limited to cultural symbols or annual ceremonies. In Kei society, he continued, women and land are two things closely tied to family honor and customary life. “People fight in Kei over two things, when halat dit [sisters] are disturbed, and when land is taken,” he said.
He added that offenses against women’s honor are not viewed merely as individual issues, but also concern family dignity. “If the wives of the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum here are respected. If they are disturbed, there will definitely be a fight. Because that is our dignity,” he said.
This year’s Nen Dit Sakmas Day commemoration also carries a message of unity among the Kei people. In the pilgrimage procession, representatives of Catholic, Muslim, and Protestant communities walked at the front as a symbol of togetherness and brotherhood.
This interfaith togetherness reflects customary values that can serve as a meeting point for the Kei people regardless of their religious backgrounds. Thaher conveyed that respect for women also carries meaning as a form of appreciation for human dignity.
“This is a symbol of women’s emancipation. Upholding women’s honor and dignity,” he said.
He expressed hope that the younger Kei generation would not only know Nen Dit Sakmas as part of history, but also understand and apply the values she bequeathed. Respect for women must be realized through attitudes, words, and behavior in daily life.
The 8th Nen Dit Sakmas Day commemoration is expected to become a momentum to strengthen customary law once again as a moral guide in building a community life based on mutual respect and the preservation of brotherhood. “Let us improve ourselves. Appreciate and respect women,” he concluded. ***
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