Bali governor wants families to have four children so the names Nyoman and Ketut don’t go extinct

According to Balinese tradition, families name their children according to their birth order. - AFP

JAKARTA (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): A Balinese politician has called on families at the resort island to have more children so that the names Nyoman and Ketut would be preserved.

Bali governor Wayan Koster said Indonesia’s family planning programme, which encourages married couples to have two children, is not in line with Balinese customs and traditions.

This includes naming children in the order in which they are born.

“Check the enrolment of new students at elementary schools... how many Nyomans are there, how many Ketuts are there? Definitely, it is very rare.

“If everyone has two children, that means Nyoman and Ketut can go extinct. We will lose this aspect of our tradition,” Koster said.

According to Balinese tradition, families name their children according to their birth order. This applies to both males and females.

First-borns are named Gede, Putu or Wayan, while the second child is called Made or Kadek. The third will be called either Nyoman or Komang while the fourth will be named Ketut.

The order repeats itself for subsequent children born, but with the 'Balik' suffix added to their names, for example the name of the fifth child will be Wayan Balik.

Koster said Balinese parents should not worry about the cost of having more children, assuring them that the government will help families to defray the financial burden of raising a big family.

“Having more children will not lead families into poverty. We will still help them pay for their schooling, healthcare and housing needs. There is nothing to worry about,” he added.