To be continued

That seems to be the theme these days, since it is 'almost' certain that SBY will keep his job for another term.

It would be an understatement if we say we are not touched by the whole democratic process. Watching people going to the voting booth, having their say, and see for themselves how their votes actually matter.

You see, we here at the IA compound are not young (average age of 54) and we grew old under dictatorship. We never thought we would be alive to experience this:
Indonesia, directly electing its leader. Twice! Yet although we have only had done it twice, the whole process was so natural like we have done it hundreds of times.

You did it, Indonesia. Oh yes you did.

Sure it is not perfect (even America with its hundreds of years of democracy still has problem in election), but hey: the vote-counts are credible and the election commission although silly at times is still a trusted institution.
To put into perspective of how important this is, consider this: Iranians recently are going to the street in great numbers, taking the risk of beating, arrests, even getting killed, because the lack of these.

Credibility. Oh yes. Indonesia got it.

And one more thing: George Bush once said "If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier" [1].

Not his best quote, but can help put one more thing into perspective. Yes, let's not forget that in all three tickets in this presidential race, there are three generals in all of them.

We, who grew up under military rule, once thought:
"Gee, if they want, they can just take the power, Thailand style..."
(That would be a nightmare, wouldn't it? Yet it happened in Thailand after they enjoyed a period of democracy [2]).

So the fact that the generals prefer to go through the democratic channel to gain power -- despite the risk of losing -- is a good thing.

So far so good. So what's next?

SBY promised not only to continue, but to do better, and with such big mandate, we surely hope he will be more aggressive this time around.

Other than that, we still think political parties need a growing up to do. You see, the problem is -- at least in our point of view -- political parties in Indonesia are not created to fight for certain set of principles or idealism. In America there are Democratic and Republican party. In England Labour and Conservative. Regardless who their leaders are, they do have different set of principles between one another.

In our country, political party is a vehicle: When Amien Rais wanted to run for presidency, he created a party. When SBY wanted to run, he created a party. Same with Wiranto. Same with Prabowo. A party is like a car: you get one when you need to go from point A to point B.

That brings us to the question: Other than fighting to get their man into office, what do political parties do? What are they fighting for? What set them apart? We don't know (yet). We don't even know why we have so many parties when despite different flags and t-shirt colors, they all talk the same.

It's shouldn't be this way beause we are not the same and we don't have to have the same idealism and principles in order to be a great country.

Even one question of "should the government stop people from smoking?" can stir an endless debate about principle among us here.

"That's a personal preference. We don't want a nanny state. Government should stay away".
"Oh shut up. Government should protect its people from harm. Cancer included."
"Oh really? What's next? Government go after you for not looking left and right before you cross the street?"

We do have differences and we do have different views and principles on how to make this country great. Political parties need to do some soul searching and find what values and what principles that drive them and set them apart.

That if they don't want to be just a vehicle. Taken for a ride the whole time.

---------------------

[1] CNN - Transition of Power: President-Elect Bush Meets With Congressional Leaders on Capitol Hill

[2] New York Times - Thailand

Get rich or die laughing

Is it just us or is there more and more ads about 'how to get rich' on many Indonesian blogs?

Do you notice them? Some are about how to make money through internet ads, some offering multilevel marketing gimmicks, and some selling ebooks on how to get rich without even trying, which sounds like scams than anything else.

Let's get it straight:we are not criticizing those who place the ads. People sell what other people want. If the demand is there, there will be people to fulfill it. We get it.

What we don't get is, why such demand?

Sure, we all want lots of money, we all want to live comfortably. But do we really think we can achieve this by buying an ebook about how to get rich?

Did Bill Gates got rich by reading ebook on "how to become a multi-billionaire?".

Did Roger Federer became a champion by reading "2 easy steps to become a tennis superstar?"

Well, we got news for people who bought this kind of stuff: You're not going to get it.

Because if you are spending your precious time browsing "ebook on how to make easy money" site and spending your hard-earned income buying advice that you probably already knew, you are not doing what you are supposed to be doing in order to be succesful: work.

(Bill Gates started programming since he was really young, and already had a company when he was 17 [1]. Roger Federer started playing tennis when he was eight years old [2]. By the age of 14 he practiced tennis 5 to 6 hours a week and played 2 to 3 tournaments a month [3].)

Yes, it does not help that on our tv we have all this foreign quiz show franchises such as "Who wants to be a millionaire" or "Deal or no deal", which give us an illusion that we are only one quiz show away from getting tons of money.

For example of such illusion, remember the Deal or no deal show and think about the following:

Notice how the participant got disappointed when he/she picked the wrong briefcase and lost the chance of winning a large sum of money?

Disappointed. Sad. "Oh, no, we've lost the money..."

Here's the question:

How can you lose something you never have in the first place?

It's not your money. It's never been your money. In fact: it's not even money. It's just a briefcase with some numbers in it.

You got disappointed not because you lose money. You got disappointed because you lose the illusion of getting it.

We won't deny it: we like the quiz shows. We find them entertaining.

But it is probably wise to leave it at that and not bring the same illusion into our real life.

If we want something, we'd better roll-up our sleeves and work on it.

In real life there is no random briefcase to pick that can make us rich. There is no secret ebook.

Which reminds us of a joke by Bill Maher:

Do you know why the console game "Guitar Hero" [4] is so popular?

"Because everybody wants to be a rock star but nobody wants to learn the chords"...

-------------------

Source:

[1] Wikipedia - Bill Gates

[2] Wikipedia - Roger Federer

[3] Roger Federer - Ask Roger

[4]Wikipedia - Guitar Hero

One Woman, One Mind, One Vote

(A friend of a friend wrote this in a social networking site. We translate, edit and publish it here with her permission. We added the footnote to make sure all sources are cited. A slighty more original version in bahasa Indonesia can be found at our other blog here.)

---
Dear friends,

It's such a relieve to finally cast my vote in the election.
A relieve because before this I did not even know which political party to vote for!

I was so confused I ended up going around asking for advice. I asked my husband, my mom, my neighbours. My husband said "Just pick based on their plans. Their programmes. What they have to offer." One neighbour said the same thing: "Just choose the one that is good for the country..."

That's easier said than done. Maybe I am stupid, but if I chose based on what they offer in the campaign, then they are all pretty much the same. Copy and paste. They all say they will work for the people, will eradicate corruptions, bla bla bla.
How do you choose?

Until one day I happened to speak with my Mom on the phone.
She said "Don't think too much. Just think what's important for you."

What's important for me?

"Yes, start with you. Yourself. As a woman, a wife, and a mother of one."

That made me think. What's important for me? Gee, that's not very helpful.

Tired of thinking, I spaced out for a while, and slowly my thought flew elsewhere.

First, I remember one news I read some months ago. A name popped up in my mind: Lutfiana Ulfa.
Remember her? A 43 year old man named Pujiono Cahyo Widanto aka Syekh Puji, who calls himself a Kyai (Islamic teacher [1]) is in the news for marrying a 12 year old girl, Lutfiana Ulfa, although it is against the law UU Tahun 1974 on Marriage [2].

I have an 11 year old daughter. That time, after I read the news I went to hold my daughter and I cried.

In the internet I read that a member of National Commission on Violence against Women, Kiai Husein Muhammad said such thing should not be allowed. It is againsts Islamic teaching. Islam protects women and not the other way around [3].
I agree.

So I search some more: Is there any political figure who openly condemned such act? I found one: The chairman of Commission VIII DPR Said Abdullah said this is not a matter of religion. This is a matter of lust [4]. Which party is he from? PDIP.

Meanwhile DPR Vice Chairman Hilman Rosyad Syihab said based on religion, health, psychology and sociology point of view, it is not a problem [5].
Which party is he from? PKS.

Hmmm....

From that my thought jumped to another matter that always stays in the back of my mind: My neighbour, whose husband left her to marry another woman. I saw with my own two eyes how her world suddenly fell apart.

Ah yes, that again. Questioning polygamy. No, I don't intend to participate in the for or against polygamy argument. Trust me, it is very very difficult for a muslim woman like me, to be against something that my religion actually allows.

But if someone asked me: "If your husband were going to get a second wife, will you let him?"
My answer would be: No. Over my dead body.
And I believe any woman who has the option to say no, will give the same answer.
That's just my opinion, because I am a woman and a wife.

Then I read the news about an NGO releasing a list of candidates in the election, who are allegedly practicing or are supporters of polygamy [6]. Responding to this release, one political party hotshot said that making a fuss about polygamy "does not sell and will not affect the result of the election" [7].

Oh really? Is that so? Hmmm....

Sure we can argue that it is a personal matter and we should not mix personal matters with political matters. But in my opinion, when I vote for a leader, I expect someone who are willing to sacrifice for the sake of the people. If that sacrifice took shape in having to stick with just one wife, is that so difficult? Surely not as difficult as having to wage a guerilla war in the jungle while suffering from tuberculosis like our war hero Gen. Sudirman [8] !

Looks like my Mom was right.
"Start with you. What's important for you."

On election day, I walked to the voting booth with my mom's words echoing in my head.

My point is this:
When I voted based on what I think is important for me, I voted because I think such matters is also important for other people who are like me.

When I am in the voting booth, everything that political parties said during the campaign, in television, radio, newspapers and posters, is no longer in my head. It's out the window. What's left are matters that are close to me. Close to my life.

Yes, they can promise prosperity, jobs, economic growth, and fight against corruption. Sure, it is important. It's great. But if I had to choose based on that, then all political parties are just the same.

In the meantime my mind went to my neighbour whose husband abandoned her, and to Lutfiana Ulfa, an underaged girl whom a middle-aged guy who calls himself religious would marry.

Yes, those things are important for me. Because I am a woman. I am a wife. And because I have an 11 year old daughter.
But what's important for me is not necessarily important for some hotshots at some political parties. It's no big deal for them to ignore one voice from one stupid woman such as I am.

They have the right to ignore me.
But I too have the right not to vote for them to represent me.
My vote is not a gift. I cast my vote with a hope that they will fight for me and for people like me.

Yes, one vote from one woman probably means nothing.
But they should remember: In Indonesia, there are millions of us and we all can think.

-------
Source:

[1] WIkipedia: Kyai
[2] Kompas: Kasus Syekh Puji Bukan Semata Nikah Siri
[3] Detik: Kiai Husein Muhammad: Tidak Boleh Terjadi Nikah di Bawah Umur dan Nikah Siri
[4] Detik: DPR: Ini Bukan Persoalan Agama, Tapi Syahwat
[5] Detik: Anggota DPR: Tak Masalah Asal Semua Tercukupi
[6] Detik: 21 Nama Caleg Pelaku dan Pendukung Poligami Versi SPI
[7] Detik: Anis Matta: Itu Isu Nggak Laku, Soekarno Saja Masih Banyak Pendukungnya

Much ado about nothin'

A bunch of Muslim clerics in East Java "are seeking ways to regulate online behavior in Indonesia, saying the exploding popularity of social networking sites like Facebook could encourage illicit sex" [1].

Oh, please.

Anybody still wonders why Islamic parties are losing votes in the recent election?

--------

Eskimo: "If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to Hell?"

Priest: "Not if you did not know."

Eskimo: "Then why did you tell me?"

(Annie Dillard)

--------

Source:

[1] The Jakarta Post - Indonesian clerics want rules for Facebook

[2] Wikiquote - Annie Dillard

Politics, Spare Tire and Baggage

"Vice presidency is like a spare tire. It has no power to do anything." said Prabowo's henchman at the Gerindra party [1].

But that was a week ago. This week, apparently it is ok for Prabowo to be a spare tire in Megawati bandwagon, and it will be made official on May 24 [2].

People, however, have not forgotten about his past.

"His past? You mean his crime against humanity thing?" asked one friend.

Now hang on a minute. We are not defending Prabowo, but if he is at all charged for this crime, we certainly have not found the information to support it. (but we stand corrected). 

"Isn't there an arrest warrant out there somewhere?" 

Actually, no. 

There is however an arrest warrant against Wiranto, issued by The Serious Crime Unit (SCU) of the East Timor General Prosecutor's Office [3]. Not by the UN nor ICC. So folks, this is not the same as the warrant issued by the ICC against for example the president of Sudan, Omar Al Bashir [4].

We are not saying Prabowo or Wiranto are saints. We are just making an effort to get the facts straight.

So Prabowo has nothing to worry about.

Except for the stories from the past that will keep resurfacing:

The British paper Guardian in 1999 wrote:

"US trained butchers of Timor: Specific commanders trained under the US programme have been tied to the current violence and to some of the worst massacres of the past 20 years, including the slaughter at Kraras in 1983 and at Santa Cruz in 1991. The US-trained commanders include the son-in-law of the late dictator General Suharto, Prabowo Subianto and his mentor, General Kiki Syahnakri" [5]

The UNHCR in 1998 published an update that said:

"in July, a military tribunal held Prabowo accountable for the much-publicized abduction and torture of several opposition and student activists and discharged him from the Armed Forces. By the end of the summer, evidence that Prabowo and his allies had instigated the violent anti-Chinese riots in mid-May in Jakarta also began to surface." [6]

And one more: Mr Prabowo has been denied visa to enter USA. For life. That's according to Robert Gelbard, former US ambassador to Indonesia and foreign policy advisor to Barack Obama [7]. 

This means (if it is not changed), he can never set foot on american soil. Ever. (that would include unable to visit the UN headquarter in NY. But hey, that's the president's job. Vice president stays at home and be - oh, well - spare tire.) 

[Correction : As host, the United States is obligated under U.N. rules to approve visas to foreign leaders no matter their relations with the United States, and no one has ever been barred [9]. Thank you Silverlines.]

Megawati may embrace Prabowo with a hope that he can boost her to the forefront of the presidential race. But with such history, her spare tire may also become a heavy baggage.

However, speaking of baggage, we end this post by leaving you with a cutting from the Jakarta Post, commemorating the May 1998 riot:

"Both the government's fact-finding team (TGPF) and the rights body's team are of the same opinion that the riots involved intelligence personnel and that someone had hired the rioters.

...

The rights body's investigation team said current Golkar presidential candidate Gen. (ret) Wiranto, then the Indonesian Military (TNI) chief, Prabowo and the Democrats' Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, then the TNI chief of territorial affairs, were three of dozens of military and police officers who were responsible for security at that time. [8]" 

-----

The stupid neither forgive nor forget; 

the naive forgive and forget;

the wise forgive but do not forget.

Thomas Szasz

----

Source:

[1] Kompas - Anggap Wapres Ban Serep, Prabowo Emoh Jadi Cawapres

[2] Detik - Deklarasi di Bantar Gebang  Mega-Prabowo Kedepankan Unsur Kerakyatan dan Nasionalisme

[3] The Jakarta Post - Not many choices left for Wiranto over indictment

[4] BBC - Warrant issued for Sudan's leader

[5] Guardian - US trained butchers of Timor - Exclusive: Washington trained death squads in secret while Britain has spent £1m helping Indonesian army

[6] UNHCR - Indonesia Update: Transition and its Discontents, July - November 1998

[7] ABC Radio Australia - Rights abuser up for office in Indonesia

[8] the Jakarta Post - Six years after, May 1998 tragedy still unresolved

[9] USA Today - US Finds No Close Ties to Hostage Takers for Iran Leader

We're old

And hence we forget things.

With all the excitement of having published a book, we forgot to mention a friend who has made it possible.

Without him, this blog will just be a little blog in the corner of cyberspace.

Thanks to him, now it is also a little book in the corner of a bookshop.

 

(We did mention and thank him in the book, but we thought we should mention him here too, so here it is).

He is Isman H. Suryaman, our editor. If you see proper Bahasa Indonesia in there, that's his hardwork at play. If you see bad grammar, that's our ego resisting.

Without his hardwork this book will never see the light of day. 

The title of the book, Kopi Merah Putih, was his idea as well.

(He probably came up with it after he rolled his eyes reading our silly suggestions for a title.)

So thank you, Isman. We know you do not need this (and probably do not enjoy the spotlight), but we thought this is the least we can do to thank you for all that you have done for us.

And sorry we forgot to write about you a lot earlier. 

But we're old. So we have an excuse.

----

By the way, you -- our beloved reader -- can follow Isman's footprints on the web by checking out his blogs below:

The fool has landed (very very funny)

Bertanya atau mati (also really funny, in bahasa Indonesia)

He also published a few excellent books himself. among them are:

7 Dosa Besar (Penggunaan) Powerpoint and Bertanya atau Mati.

And yet he modestly calls himself "a former professional bus-chaser and a common office fodder"... 

Shrinking and Drowning

What do you know. Global warming may cause Indonesia to shrink, like a wool sweater in a tumble dryer.

With the rise of the sea level, it is said that 8 of 92 Indonesia's outmost small islands are vulnerable. They are Kepala, Dolangan, Manterawu, Fani, Fanildo, Brass, Laag and Nipah islands.

Although small, they are important: They serve as baselines for Indonesian sea territory. So if one of this island disappeared, we can no longer use its coast as a base.

(Nipah island is a base to draw the border with Singapore).

How bad is it? One survey in 2004 shows that the total area of Nipah island is about 73.6 ha during low tide. On high tide, we are looking at a mere 1.8 ha.

That was a survey in 2004. Meanwhile the sea level goes up 1 - 8 mm per year.

 We probably do not have to wait long to see Nipah island completely drowned on high tide.

Jakarta is not looking good either. And not just because of the rise of sea level. We Jakartans use ground water so much it causes the ground to sink 1 - 10 cm per year (depending on the areas).

That, plus a rising sea level: not a good combination.

"That's the government's fault" says one friend. "If the government can provide clean water, then the population won't use ground water."

Ah, yes. That again. But apparently it is not that simple:

"Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, gets drinking water from the Citarum Dam. Under extreme dry years, the water level at Citarum Dam may go down to a level of less than 75m. Under this condition, the water pump at the dam can not be operated and supply of water to processing the plant will stop..."

And with global warming, we will have longer and longer dry season.

So looks like in the near future we'll keep using ground water, and we will keep on sinking.

And the sea level keeps rising.

What does this mean?

"A sea level rise of about 0.25, 0.57 and 1.00 cm per year the total area of north Jakarta being inundated by flood in 2050 would be about 40, 45 and 90 km2 respectively, and this will increase further if land subsidence continues."

"A similar study also indicated that when sea level increases by about 0.5m and land subsidence continues, parts of six sub-districts of North Jakarta and Bekasi will be permanently inundated. In North Jakarta the sub-districts include Kosambi, Penjaringan and Cilincing, and in Bekasi they are Muaragembong, Babelan and Tarumajaya."

Not exactly the kind of  'waterfront' real estate we have in mind.

Doom and gloom?  Is there anything us common folks can do?

Sure. Let's start by saving water. Do not let water running while brushing our teeth.Take a shower instead of a bath. Don't run the washing machine half empty.  Use it sparingly when washing our car. 

And check the house for leaks.

Water is expensive. Just because we got it from the ground does not mean it did not cost us more than the electricity we use to run the pump.

Remember this when the flood comes.

-----

Source:

MoE. 2007. Indonesia Country Report: Climate Variability and Climate Change,

and their Implication. Ministry of Environment, Republic of Indonesia, Jakarta.

Asian Development Bank - The Economics of Climate Change in Southeast Asia: A Regional Review.