Cap Tikus and All Its Impacts and Aspects

Yuanita Maya

 

“Minum satu sloki Cap Tikus tambah dara, dua sloki maso penjara, tiga sloki maso neraka.” That is a very popular song all Manadonese are familiar with. It means you take a sip of CT (Cap Tikus), it energizes you. You drink two sips of it, the prison is awaiting. You drink three sips or more, the hell is awaiting. What a song, is it not? The popularity of this song tells us how CT has been a part of Manadonese life. It says that only one cup of it is beneficial. This song emphasizes the fact that overconsumption of it is ‘a kind of bloody hell’.

If you are visitor to Menado and wondering what CT is, this brief information might give you some ideas. CT is liquor containing up to 70% alcohol. It is made from the destilation process of saguer (Manadonese arrack) taken from aren or seho trees. Saguer naturally contains alcohol right from the start it comes out from the seho three. The bamboo and the filter (usually called ijuk –palm or seho fibers) should be completely clean. The cleaner it is, the sweater the saguer is. It can even taste as sweet as candy. The cleaner the saguer is, the higher the quality of CT will be. Another way to indicate its quality is by trying to set fire on it. If you can, then it is the good one.

No one knows why it is called Cap Tikus (Cap= brand, Tikus=mouse). Visitors will easily say,”There is no way for me to drink something which is made of mouse!” But people believe that the history of the name was set up long time ago, when the villagers produced it in the middle of the jungle. During that time, mice were observed everywhere and running here and there while the saguer farmers did not bother them at all.

People drank this drink in the beginning to keep their body warm due to cold weather, which could be extreme occasionally. It was also a good appetizer to some. It could also be used for medical treatment to avoid infection. While CT can be beneficial, unwise consumption, however, can pose treat to the taker and other people. The Police Department of North Sulawesi record CT is the first killer in this province. Rapping, divorce, and juvenile delinquency are some other misconducts to be credited to CT consumption. It is not really surprising, since over consumption can turn people into uncontrollable being.

That is the reason why the former Head of North Sulawesi Police Department, Dicky Atotoy, Brigadier General at that time, promoted a program called ‘Brenti Jo Bagate’, which literary means ‘Stop Drinking (Cap Tikus)’ and generally means ‘Stop Being a Drunkard’. There are always pros and cons in any program proposed. However, looking at the positive impacts of ‘Brenti Jo Bagate’ program to the society should be hand in hand to support this program for a better Manadonese Society. The government shall also support this program holistically, since it has been a general knowledge that aren or seho trees does not only produce saguer.

These are the benefits of aren/seho tree that Indonesian people have enjoyed for centuries:

1. The fibers (ijuk) can be made as broom, traditional house roof, and many more.
2. The fruits of aren/seho tree called kolang-kaling/glibbertjes. It does not have any articular taste, but usually put in kolak (sweet soup contains fruits or sweet potatoes blended with coconut milk and brown sugar). Kolak is very popular among Indonesians. Mothers love so much to serve it to the family since it is tasty, healthy, and affordable. Along the fasting month of Ramadhan, the Moslems serve kolak almost every dawn throughout Indonesia. Kolang-kaling can also be boiled with water, white sugar, and food coloring as manisan (sweet). Not only the children love it, but also the adults.
3. It can be produced as non-sulfate brown sugar which has domestic and international massive market.
4. We can also call seho tree as treasure since it can produce bioethanol. Many people believe that conventional gasoline will not stay any longer since its main material is unrenewable. It has been a big issue to convert unrenewable gasoline into renewable one.

Many more benefits people can take from seho tree. It means that contrary argument against it is exaggerating. However, it is unfair also to let the farmers struggle by themselves to this big change of way of life and work. The North Sulawesi Police has taken the first step to create a comfortably safe social environment by ‘Brenti Jo Bagate’ program and its minor details of action in field. At the same time, the government has also responsibility to boost other benefits of seho tree as the replacement of Cap Tikus production.

The programs should be holistic in cooperation with experts from all aspect. Additionally, it needs legal regulation, especially when we talk about bioethanol. Legal regulation from the provincial government is a must since bioethanol is a strong alternative energy of the future. We can say that it is a strategic field. Thus, the government should protect the citizen dealing with this business from outside conspiration. It is impossible for North Sulawesi Police to work alone by setting ‘Brenti Jo Bagate’ program. It is only a hope that all the drunkards stop their bad habit and the farmers no longer produce Cap Tikus, if the North Sulawesi Province Government does not set up a holistic program as the substitute

 

 

 

 

Yuanita Maya, independent writer, stay at home mother.