Jakarta to host “Pesta Blogger” on Saturday

Information and Communication Minister Mohammad Nuh said on Wednesday that Jakarta would host this year’s national blogger gathering on Saturday, heralding the theme “Blogging for Society”.

Nuh said the event was to be titled Pesta Blogger 2008 and would be held in the BPPT II building on Jl M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta. Nuh added that the gathering would be attended by the U.S. ambassador to Indonesia Cameron R. Hume.

“To establish an information-based society, we need creativity. Events like this undoubtedly give people room to express themselves,” Nuh said, as quoted by kompas.com.

The event’s administrative chairman, Wicaksono, said bloggers from across Indonesia would participate, and that his team expected to double the attendance levels seen at last year’s gathering.

“We hope this event will make a positive contribution to society,” Wicaksono said.

Source : The Jakarta Post

Commentary: Ramadan, more about extravagance than frugality

For Trade Minister Mari Pangestu, Ramadan means extra work. Her office has to ensure the nation has enough supplies to meet the rising demand for basic foodstuffs, from rice and vegetables to sugar, flour, cooking oil, eggs, chicken and meat.

Over at Bank Indonesia, central bank governor Budiono is calculating how much more money to put into the system to ensure there is enough to meet the extra demand characteristic of this time of the year while still keeping inflation under control.

The result, no matter how hard these two officials try, will still be an increase in the consumer price index, making it higher than in any other month (taking out the inflationary impact of the rises in domestic fuel prices).

The public has come to accept, though grudgingly for some homemakers, that the prices of most basic foodstuffs are higher in Ramadan. Economists call this phenomenon a seasonal fluctuation.

Despite the efforts of Mari Pangestu and Budiono, at the end of the day, there is still too much money chasing too few goods every time Ramadan comes around. This has been the pattern every year now.

All this means that, compared with the rest of the year, we Indonesians eat much more food during the holy fasting month.

This is probably an understatement. Given that the government increases the supply of basic foodstuffs significantly and still consumer prices increase faster than normal, Ramadan is a time when most of us are stuffing ourselves like there’s no tomorrow.

Something is not quite right with this picture.

Ramadan, as we are taught from childhood, is supposed to be a time for frugality. We are fasting in order to feel and appreciate what it is like to be poor, to go without food and drink, not for days on end like what real poor people endure, but just for a few hours, between sunrise and sunset.

It is by being hungry that one supposedly has a spiritual experience during Ramadan.

Logically, the demand for food should be lower, and inflation should therefore be the lowest of the year, not the highest.

Assuming that everyone strictly observes fasting during the daytime (there is no reason to doubt it), this raises the question of how much can you really stuff yourself between sunset and sunrise?

Granted, some of the expected higher inflation is triggered by rising demand for the big feast as we celebrate the victory of good over bad (or evil) at the end of Ramadan.

Some of the extra demand for money can be accounted for by the fact that workers are getting their annual bonuses this month, and many urban dwellers celebrate Idul Fitri in their rural home villages. Besides, Ramadan is also the time when we feel more generous and charitable than usual, hence the extra spending.

But it is also true that during Ramadan, we are eating more food that is rich, in terms of sugar and calorie content. Not surprisingly, for many, Ramadan is the time when they put on a few more kilos and add a few more inches around the waist.

For many Jakarta Muslims, it has become a trend to break the fast together (buka puasa bersama) in restaurants. During weekdays, it’s with colleagues and business relations. At weekends, it’s with families.

Eating out, which is a sign of growing prosperity, is more intense during Ramadan. Just try getting a table at your favorite restaurant, whether on weekdays or weekends. Or visit hotel cafes that serve all sorts of buffet, and see how some people take “all-you-can-eat” literally.

For those in the restaurant business, this is the time to make a killing. And of course it’s all halal. Imagine serving all those religiously inspired people. God must love them all.

Is this too cynical a view of Ramadan in Indonesia? Maybe.

But the growing prosperity for some of us, prompted by commerce, has turned Ramadan from a month of frugality to a month of extravagance. And this is happening even when one out of two Indonesians are still living in poverty.

And no one, not the least the government or the religious leaders, seems to have any qualms about the waning spiritual message of Ramadan to want to try to change it.

Happy Ramadan.

Endy M. Bayuni
Source : The Jakarta Post

Earthquake hits Jakarta

A quake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale hit Jakarta on Tuesday morning but there were no early reports of casualties or damage.

The quake struck at 10:07 am. The epicenter was 20 kilometers under the sea level at some 125 kilometers northwest of Ujung Kulon, the westernmost tip of Java island which is more than 200 kilometers west of Jakarta.

The Meteorological and Geophysics Agency said that the quake may cause tsunami.

Antara news agency reported that the quake was felt by workers in skyscrapers in Jakarta’s business center in Jalan Thamrin, Central Jakarta. Some of them panicked and rushed out of the buildings. (Source : The Jakarta Post)

Over 100 sailing boats from 16 countries make stopover in Kupang

Over one hundred sailing boats from 16 countries participating in ‘Sail Indonesia’ Race are making a stop-over in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province, for five days before leaving for Kalabahi, Alor District, on August 4, 2008.

“During their five-day stay in Kupang Gulf, Sail Indonesia’s participants will be entertained with various cultural performances of NTT,” Dewi of the Marine Love Foundation, which initiated the race, said here on Friday.

Around 121 sailing boats from 16 countries are expected to visit various tourist objects in Indonesia during the race. Kupang is the entry gate to Indonesia for the race’s participants.

The participants are among others from the United States, Switzerland, Australia, France, Canada, South Korea and Japan.

They reached Indonesia after sailing for four days from Australia.

Most of the participants were the haves who wanted to enjoy Indonesia’s tourist resorts from one island to another by taking a start from Australia, Dewi said.

Kupang Mayor Daniel Adoe and his deputy Daniel Hurek welcomed participants of the ‘Sail Indonesia’ at Kupang Gulf.

From Kupang, they planned to sail to Alor Island, Flores, Mataram in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Province, Bali, and return to Australia.

The first ‘Sail Indonesia’s war organized in 2003 with only 24 participating boats. This year’s Sail Indonesia is the sixth. (The Jakarta Post)

Children feel ‘hurt’ on their national day

By Desy Nurhayati

The commemoration of National Children’s Day turned sour Wednesday with the government refusing to allow children to read out their demand for the establishment of a special ministry of their own.

The request is the last point of a six-point declaration, titled “Voice of Indonesian Children”, drafted during the just-concluded 7th Indonesian Children’s Congress in Bogor, West Java.

The restriction, viewed as a denial of freedom of expression, took place right under the nose of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was among the state dignitaries attending the celebration at the Taman Mini Indonesia park in East Jakarta. It remains unclear if the President has been informed about the censorship.

Representatives of the children said the event organizers had forbidden them from reading out the sixth point for “political reasons”.

The event was organized by the Social Services Ministry.

“We feel hurt by the restriction. What we know is that the declaration is just an expression of our ideas, so we should have been allowed to speak out,” said Ajat Sudrajat, who was among the children who signed the declaration.

“We don’t care if the ministry could only be established in the next 10 years or so. We just want to be heard.”

Social Services Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah defended the restriction, but denied it was intended to disappoint the children.

He said he had talked to the children during the congress.

“I explained to them the condition of our country. It is impossible for the government to set up the ministry because it would increase the burden on the state budget.

“(The establishment of the ministry) is not that urgent. Maybe we can only make it come true within the next 20 years when our country’s economy has improved.”

He asked the children to stop complaining and demanding their own rights.

National Commission for Child Protection secretary-general Arist Merdeka Sirait said the restriction was evidence of the government’s lack of commitment to addressing the problems that Indonesian children are facing.

“We urgently need a ministry that deals with children’s affairs, as the government has failed to address children’s problems, such as violence and child labor. There is no coordination among the related ministries in coping with the problems,” he said.

The commission estimated about 6.5 million children in the country were forced to quit school last year in order to work.

Speaking to about 15,000 children during the ceremony, Yudhoyono called on related ministers and regional administrations to take steps to implement the declaration — minus the special ministry for children’s affairs.

“Ministries and regional administrations should actively participate in implementing the declaration. This is also part of our commitment to address children’s problems in the country as we have ratified the UN Convention on Child Protection,” the President said.

Voice of Indonesian Children

On Tuesday, July 22, 2008, we, the children of Indonesia, declared in the seventh National Children’s Congress that we:
1. Will aspire to be creative, intelligent, qualified children and be protected from all acts of violence, exploitation, abandonment and discrimination.
2. Will need protection from the dangers of tobacco in order to grow and develop as naturally as possible.
3. Will increase our understanding and be conscientious toward healthy lifestyles and our reproductive health to avoid the dangers of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and the use of drugs.
4. Will unite children living in underprivileged, border and isolated regions with the help of proper infrastructure.
5. Will voice our aspirations through the regional children forum that will subsequently be passed to the Indonesian National Children’s Congress as a platform to share information and education on civil democracy at the earliest stage in order to build solidarity among children and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Indonesia.
6. Will call for the need for a special ministry for children’s affairs to respond to children’s needs. (The Jakarta Post)

Preening for the Presidency

By Budi Setyarso, Budiriza, Rina Widyastuti

THE seventh floor of the National Mandate Party (PAN) headquarters was still busy close to midnight last week. Celebrities Wulan Guritno, Marini Zumarnis and Dery Derajad were in the office of PAN Chairman Soetrisno Bachir, along with economist Christianto Wibisono. A thin layer of smoke wafted through the air. Cigarette butts filled the ashtray.

Dangdut music singer Iyet Bustami had just left the room a few minutes ago. “They will be candidates for the legislature representing PAN,” said a member of Soetrisno’s staff, who handed out forms to the guests. Christianto just smiled, as did the celebrities.

The ground floor of the party headquarters was full of people, and a few food vendors. Heavy cigarette smoke stung the eyes. Some of the people were busy rummaging through samples of stickers, T-shirts and jackets. They were also legislative candidates selecting campaign paraphernalia.

It is fair to assume that similar preparations are going on at the headquarters of other political parties. They are all getting together their list of legislative candidates, which must be submitted to the General Elections Commission (KPU) by next month. This is an important phase because it can determine how many votes they will receive in the 2009 General Elections. Good candidates will bring in the most votes.

Of course, winning votes is also connected with the presidential nomination ticket—as well as the number of seats in the House of Representatives (DPR). The Indonesian Constitution regulates that only political parties or groups of parties can nominate candidates. The DPR is still deliberating the minimum number of votes which parties or groups of parties must receive before being eligible to nominate candidates. There are differing calculations, ranging from 15 to 30 percent of the votes.

This is the ticket which those hoping to become presidential candidates are seeking. Some of them already have an edge in the competition: they lead political parties or are supported by them. Soetrisno has PAN, Prabowo Subianto is supported by the Grand Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), Wiranto leads the People’s Conscience Party (Hanura), and Yusril Ihza Mahendra is being backed by the Crescent Star Party (PBB). Then there is Sutiyoso, who is being wooed by the Prosperous Indonesia Party, Indonesian National Party Marhaenisme, and the Indonesian Bull Freedom National Party.

Other well-known personalities plan to run, even though they do not yet have party support, among them, Rizal Mallarangeng, Kivlan Zen, Ratna Sarumpaet and Fadjroel Rachman. The list of presidential candidates may grow even longer. On top of this, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) and Chair of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Megawati Sukarnoputri, will announce that they are running for office once again.

Speaking to Tempo, Soetrisno said that he has not yet decided to step forward. This is not only because his party has not yet nominated him as its candidate, he has yet to receive his family’s approval. Nevertheless, he has already placed many ads in the media, having completed shooting some of them recently, to be broadcast next month. “The theme is independence,” he said.

Soetrisno has used some inspirational people to star in his commercials—among them Nurse Apung, a midwife who crosses the seas to serve people in South Sulawesi. The ads, which will premiere in August, are part of a series Soetrisno is producing up until the April 2009 General Elections. From May to June last year, the ads featuring this batik businessman filled television screens with his “Life is Action” slogan.

Money seems to be no problem for Soetrisno. He has plenty of funds as a result of playing with stocks in oil and coal companies. He purchased a seven-story building for Rp20 billion in Mampang, South Jakarta, which he then donated for use as the party’s headquarters. According to a party insider, Soetrisno spent over Rp40 billion to place those ads last year.

Soetrisno also sponsored the founding of the Solusi Bangsa (Nation’s Solution) Center, which is led by, among others, Zaim Uchrowi, Balai Pustaka President Director. Soetrisno said that this institution had helped him considerably, including his image branding concept. Zaim, who was interviewed separately, said that the Solusi Bangsa Center is an independent body. “Whether or not Mas Tris (Soetrisno) becomes president, we will continue to operate,” he said.

RIZAL Mallarangeng’s office at the Freedom Institute, an organization of scholars which he founded, is filled with books. He was smoking a Marlboro cigarette when Tempo met him last week. “I want to follow Barack Obama’s example,” he said, referring to the US presidential candidate from the Democrat Party, who has received a lot of support from youths.

Rizal believes that support can be raised through the media. He has begun placing ads with several television stations. He took footage of several historical sites: Doctor Tjipto Mangoenkoesoemo’s place of exile in Banda Neira, Bung Karno’s detainment at Ende, and the Ampera Bridge in Palembang.

Rizal, who is a special staff to the Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare, Aburizal Bakrie, chose words that would convey a strong message in his ads. For instance, on a scene depicting a tree growing in an arid area is written the words “Hope in the midst of difficulty.” “This is the art of modern democracy,” said Rizal.

Rizal decided to step forward when he saw that no particular figure was dominant. Even the electability of Yudhoyono and Megawati, the two strongest candidates, was less than 20 percent. He also claims to have stepped forward to break the barriers which kept the youth from progressing. “I stepped forward after waiting and waiting and not seeing anyone step forward,” he said.

Rizal does not need to go too far to improve his image. He has Fox Indonesia, which he founded early this year. This strategic and political consulting firm managed an image-building project for Soetrisno Bachir. However, the contract was dropped when Rizal decided to become a candidate. “I am loyal only to ambition, to nation, not to people,” he said.

Rizal, 44, is currently gathering support, in part through the Facebook website. As of last week, 106 people had joined his RM09 page. This is also being done by Fadjroel Rachman, a 1989 student activist, who will announce his candidacy this week. He is touting the theme “Republic of Youth, Republic of Hope”.

Fadjroel was once sentenced to three years in prison for leading a demonstration rejecting the arrival of Home Affairs Minister Rudini to the campus of the Bandung Institute of Technology in 1989. The demonstration turned into a riot. He then campaigned for the White Party (Golput) which espoused no voting, rejecting the elections organized under the New Order regime.

Ratna Sarumpaet will announce her candidacy on Wednesday this week. She plans to invite leaders of all the political parties. To this end, she founded Akar Indonesia. In August, this group will issue “stock” as a fundraising effort. One share of “stock” is worth Rp2,500, and an individual may purchase a maximum of Rp5 million.

On the shares, the following is written: “I donate this for the victory of Ratna Sarumpaet, as stock in the self-respect of the people.” The owners of this “stock” then write their list of expectations for Ratna if she becomes President. “This is my way of raising money,” she said.

YUSRIL Ihza decided to step forward as a presidential candidate on 1 Muharram 1429, the Islamic Hijriah calendar, which falls on January 10. He was a presidential candidate in the 1999 General Elections, competing with Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati. He withdrew from the race to pave the way for Abdurrahman.

“For 10 years I have been gathering experience and knowledge as a minister. Now I have more experience,” said Yusril, when he was met at the office of his legal firm, Ihza&Ihza, last week. The office on the 10th floor of the Citra Graha Building, on Jalan Gatot Subroto, South Jakarta, is full of paintings. Some rest on the floor because there is not enough space to hang all of them on the walls.

Yusril was a cabinet minister three times, most recently as Minister/State Secretary in the Yudhoyono cabinet. As State Secretary, he said that he always prepared concepts and suggestions for the President. After holding this post for two years, he was finally fired in May last year. He concluded that the President is very slow when it comes to making decisions. “It’s better if I become President,” he said.

His wish was welcomed by many. Through a national working consultation, the PBB nominated him as a presidential candidate. He says that he is not going to place ads in the media yet because he lacks the funds. He will take advantage of opportunities for dialog and debate in the media. “That is the opening I can use, without having to spend money,” he said.

Four other contenders are former Military Academy graduates, Wiranto, Prabowo, Kivlan and Sutiyoso. Wiranto is currently making visits to various provinces. “Our target is that in September the electability of Pak Wiranto reaches 15 percent,” said Yus Usman Sumanegara, Secretary-General of the Hanura Party.

Sutiyoso is also touring the provinces. He is doing so to get closer to the people. He will start placing ads in the media nearing election time. “Going around the provinces is indeed tiring, but yields effective results,” said this former governor of Jakarta. “As an indication of this, if I go to a market, all of them shout to welcome me,” he said.

Sutiyoso is being helped by some accomplished senior figures. There is former Home Affairs Minister, Syarwan Hamid, former Deputy Attorney General for Intelligence Yusuf Kartanegara, and a number of retired generals. There is also Ryaas Rasyid, President of the Democracy and Nationhood Party. Their headquarters is located at the Bang Yos Center, on Jalan Proklamasi, Central Jakarta, at an empty house belonging to Siti Hediati (Titik Suharto), which is being rented for a year.

ALL of these efforts have produced some benefits; some of them have become more popular. However, they make the same claim: capable of leading the people and having solutions to the nation’s problems. “I’ve been in the bureaucracy for 10 years, I have experience no other candidates have,” said Sutiyoso, who was Governor of Jakarta for two terms.

“My strong point is that I can make decisions very quickly,” said Yusril. Kivlan Zen claims to have similar ability. He then said: “I can make the price of electricity half of what it is now.” The way to do this, according to Kivlan, is with technology which can turn seawater into energy. It is called a fuel cell. “But this is not that Blue Energy made by Joko Suprapto,” he said, mentioning the alleged conman from Nganjuk, East Java, who claimed to have found a way to produce fuel out of water.

However, the presidential election is still a year away. Some other contestants may yet throw their hat into the ring.

The Contenders

By Budi Riza

UNLIKE Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Megawati Sukarnoputri, the following opponents do not have any presidential experience. At most, some of them may have been candidates in the past—for instance Wiranto and Yusril Ihza Mahendra. Prabowo Subianto has only taken part in a Golkar Party convention.

Inspired by Barack Obama, a US presidential candidate from the Democrat Party, some of them have collected support via the Internet. Like a talent contest searching for new stars, some of them are bound to be eliminated along the way.

Ratna Sarumpaet, 59

Chairwoman, Akar Indonesia

Slogan: For the People’s Self-Respect

Born in Tarutung, North Sumatra on July 16, 1949, Ratna is known as a political activist representing drama artists. She owns the Sanggar Satu Merah Stage, and writes dramas, among them Marsinah Menggugat. She founded the Ratna Sarumpaet Crisis Center for victims of starvation and abuse.

Rizal Mallarangeng, 43

Executive Director, Freedom Institute

Slogan: RM09: A New Generation, A New Hope

Born in Makassar, Rizal earned his doctoral degree from Ohio State University, Columbus, at the age of 31. He is popularly known as the host of the Save Our Nation program on Metro TV. He is known to be close to businessmen Aburizal Bakrie and Surya Paloh. The Bakrie family also sponsors the Freedom Institute. Early this year Rizal founded Fox Indonesia, a strategic and political consulting firm.

Sutiyoso, 64

Chairman, Indonesian Badminton Association

Slogan: Firm! Dare to Change for the People

Campaign Vehicle: Prosperous Indonesia Party, Indonesian National Party Marhaenisme, Indonesian Freedom Bull National Party

Popularity: 0.8%

After being Governor of Jakarta for a decade, Sutiyoso is known for having an iron fist. He went ahead with the city’s busway project, even though many were against it. Forced evictions were carried out, even though it was widely denounced. However, he feels that his deeds were to make Jakarta progress, a city which he calls a miniature version of Indonesia.

Prabowo Subianto, 58

Chairman, Indonesian Farmers Unification Association

Slogan: Carrying the Voice of Indonesian Farmers

Campaign Vehicle: Grand Indonesia Movement Party

Popularity: 1.5%

This son of the late accomplished economist Sumitro Djojohadikusumo was given early retirement as a lieutenant-general in 1998 when it was felt he was involved in the abduction of student activists. In 2004 he took part in the Golkar Party convention, but as an entrepreneur in the pulp and paper industry.

Fadjroel Rachman, 44

Executive Director, Institute for Studies in Democracy and the Welfare State

Slogan: Republic of Youth, Republic of Hope

Fadjroel is known as a protester. In 1989, he was behind a campus demonstration at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) for which he was imprisoned for three years. He is also known as an activist who promotes the non-voting “White Party” and has written novels and non-fiction.

Wiranto, 61

Chairman, People’s Conscience (Hanura) Party

Campaign Vehicle: Hanura Party

Popularity: 7.8%

Wiranto is always connected with various human rights violations, even though he has made repeated denials. These include the case of post-polling rioting in East Timor in 1999, the shooting of Trisakti university students, and the 1998 riots. In 2004, his personal wealth was Rp46 billion. He was the presidential candidate of the Golkar Party in 2004.

Soetrisno Bachir, 51

Chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN)

Slogan: Life is Action

Campaign Vehicle: National Mandate Party

Popularity: 0.3%

As an established player in the capital market, his wealth is seemingly unlimited. He built up the Sabira and Ika Muda business groups. He used some of his wealth to purchase a seven-story building in Mampang, South Jakarta, which was donated to PAN. He recently sponsored the establishment of the Soetrisno Bachir Foundation and the Solusi Bangsa Center.

Yusril Ihza Mahendra, 52

Head of the Syura Council, Crescent Star Party (PBB)

Campaign Vehicle: Crescent Star Party

Popularity: 1%

Yusril has had experience as a minister in the presidential cabinets of Abdurrahman Wahid, Megawati, and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. When he was suspected of engineering the release of Tommy Suharto’s funds, he was relieved as Minister/State Secretary from Yudhoyono’s cabinet last year. However, he feels that this accusation was political pressure designed to put an end to his career. This star of the show Admiral Chengho (which is to begin broadcast in August) had a personal wealth of Rp6.9 billion in 2004.

Kivlan Zen, 63

Chairman, Indonesian Public Development Institute

Slogan: Renovation and Determination

Kivlan made news when he exposed the government’s involvement in the formation of the Pam Swakarsa militia, a group which opposed student protesters in 1998. This former Chief of Staff of the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) was involved in a polemic with retired General Wiranto, the then Commander of the Indonesian Military. (Tempo Interaktif)

National Awakening Museum portrays our nationalism

By Matheos Viktor Messakh

(JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)

In contrast to the clamorous 100th anniversary celebrations of the national awakening at Bung Karno sports stadium, the National Awakening Museum on Jl. Abdul Rahman Saleh 26 is in appalling condition.

The neoclassic building was built in 1899 for the School tot Opleiding Van Inlandsche Arsten, Stovia, a Dutch medical school for native students.

Built as a medical school by Dutch military engineer corps, the building is more like a fortress or military dormitory than a medical school.

The facade above the main entrance is classical Greek, but the main entrance itself is a colonial fortress. Its iron gate and the absence of a porch or veranda accentuates the fortress style of the building.

The National Movement Room, which was used as the Stovia students dormitory from 1902 to 1925.: (JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)

The 19th-century building has long windows because of the tropical climate. Every window has two shutters and a semicircular grille fanlight attached to each one. The outside shutter uses a grill for sun protection, while the inside shutter uses glass. Some windows were fixed according to their original style in 1973, but some glass panes have been replaced by iron bars.

Between 1942 and 1973 the building was used by Ambon soldiers. Until a renovation by the Jakarta administration in 1973, the building still hosted 196 households of Ambon soldiers.

During the renovations, former Stovia, MULO (Meer Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs) and AMS (Algemeene Middlebare School) students provided pictures and shared their memories of the original building.

Some changes have been made, including new doors connecting rooms, to cater for its new function as a museum.

Some doors and windows have been blocked with their frames still intact.

Once you enter the main entrance, you turn left to start your clockwise journey through the rooms. All of the collections have been arranged in chronological order.

Not many national awakening related collections can be found here except some replica Dutch sailing vessels; hundreds of reproduction pictures of national heroes, heroines, and other historical figures; dozens of paintings of national heroes and heroines; reproductions of some old newspapers; busts of nine people believed to be the founders of Boedi Oetomo; several
dioramas; and medical and old war equipment.

A replica of a Stovia classroom : (JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)

“Apart from the building, the only original collection is some furniture and medical equipment,” Edy Suwardi, the National Awakening Museum head, said.

A poor standard of preservation has made it difficult for the museum’s management to chase down original items, Suwardi said.

“Out of all the museums in the country, only the national museum has proper standards for preservation and maintenance. People may be willing to donate their heirlooms, but they are
worried about the continuity of preservation,” Suwardi said.

Some of the museum’s collections are poorly kept. Some pictures have no label or if they have, the explanations are vague. Some pictures are already missing from their places, with their labels left behind. Only a few rooms use for display receive the proper treatment in terms of light and temperature, except.

A doorway at the veranda of the early national movement rooms is riddled with white ants. (JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)

Some parts of the building, such as door frames, are riddled with white ants.

A lack government funding is part of the management problem the building that established as a cultural heritage building on Dec. 12, 1983, Suwardi said.

Last year the building received Rp 2.8 billion (US$ 300.82 million) from the government, while this year it received only Rp 1.75 billion.

Every year, the government earmarks about Rp 300 million for maintenance.

“With this amount there is not much we can do. Painting door and window frames is cheap, but replacing old and broken materials is expensive.

Suwardi said the government stated that 30 percent of the funds should go toward fixed-expenditures such employee salaries and building maintenance, while 70 percent should go toward museum activities. However, more than half of the money is used for the salary of its 44 employees.

“It is difficult to apply this ratio because we have many employees and obviously expenditure for salary is larger,” said Suwardi.

A replica of a Dutch vessel. (JP/Matheos Viktor Messakh)

“I don’t know how to deal with it so that the allocation for activities is larger than maintenance and salary,” said Suwardi.

Earnings from the entrance fee and the museum shops form only a tiny part of their funding. Suwardi said that the museum receives up to 1,000 visitors a month, but since the entrance fee
was set by the government in 1998 at Rp 750 for adults and Rp 250 for children, the museum does not earn much money.

Besides rooms full of pictures, four rooms are dedicated to several occasions or national awakening episodes: a room for Boedi Oetomo memorial, a room for a diorama of Stovia lecturers meeting, a room for a diorama of a Stovia class and a room for a diorama of R.A. Kartini’s classroom.

On the front corner to the left of the building is the Boedi Oetomo memorial room, which might be the only room in its original state. It is believed that Raden Soetomo and eight other students held a meeting here on May 20, 1908 to establish Boedi Oetomo.

The Boedi Oetomo Memorial Room: (JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)

The room was the anatomy room back then.

In this dark room there are the bronze busts of eight people believed to be the founders of Boedi Oetomo, including Goenawan Mangoenkoesoemo, Raden Angka Prodjosoedirdjo, Gondo Soewarno, Raden Mas Goembrek, Soeradji Tirtonegoro, Moehammad Saleh and Moehammad Soelaiman.

The bust of Raden Soetomo is not found here as it is in another room to the left of the main entrance, the introduction room.

A portrait of Dr. Wahidin Soedirhoesoedo by the famous painter Basoeki Abdullah is in front of the memorial room with a quote from Raden Soetomo adjacent to it. The quote acknowledges the role of Dr. Wahidin played in establishing Boedi Oetomo.

The diorama of a lecture meeting where Stovia director Dr. F.H. Roll (right) defends Raden Soetomo. The only original item in the exhibit is the table. (JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)

An original human skeleton used as example for medical students is still hanging inside a display case. A surgery table lies next to it.

The room is set up to represent the original Stovia’s anatomy class with some wooden chairs for students. On the wall are some paintings and reproduction pictures of Stovia students.

Next to the Boedi Oetomo memorial room is a room with an exhibit detailing the situation of the lecturer meeting when Stovia director Dr. H.F. Roll defended Soetomo. Soetomo was about to be expelled from Stovia due to his activities in Boedi Oetomo. Roll was able to defend Soetomo with his famous saying: “Didn’t anyone among the gentlemen present here, more red than Soetomo when we were at the age of 18?”

The original table used during the meeting is put on display, but the exhibit itself does not represent the real event. From paintings and pictures depicting the event, it appears that eight
people attended the meeting, but we only find three people in the exhibit including Dr.H.F. Roll.

Recreatiezaal (reading room) which are used now as the museum office: (JP/Matheos Viktor Messakh)

It’s common knowledge that the poor management of many museums in the country is caused by a lack of funding. Not only are the collections poorly kept, but they also lack modernity. In a shop inside the museum, apart from soft drinks and snacks, don’t expect to find any souvenirs that show you have been to the National Awakening Museum.

“Our museum shop is run by our cooperative, which emphasizes employee welfare. We have some miniature of the building and some t-shirts and caps, but sometimes we just give them to visitors for free,” Suwardi said. [The Jakarta Post]

Indonesians call for disbanding of ‘heretical’ Muslim sect

Thousands of Muslims rallied in the Indonesian capital Wednesday to demand the government disband an Islamic sect they consider heretical.

The white-robed protesters also demanded the authorities release hard-liners arrested last week in connection with an attack on members of the Ahmadiyah sect and their supporters that injured several people.

“We want the president to issue a decree disbanding Ahmadiyah,” cleric Abdul Roshid told a crowd of around 3,000 protesters outside the presidential palace.

Ahmadiyah, which has followers around the world, is considered deviant by most Muslims and banned in many Islamic countries because of its belief that Muhammad was not the final prophet.

In recent years, hard-liners in Indonesia have attacked the group’s mosques and intimidated some of its 200,000 followers.

Responding to pressure from the conservatives, the government last week issued a decree that ordered Ahmadiyah members to stop spreading their beliefs or face imprisonment.

The move was criticized by civil rights activists, who said it threatened Indonesia’s long traditions of secularism and freedom of religion, but did not satisfy the hard-liners.

“The joint decree by the president’s ministers was not enough to calm down Indonesian Muslims insulted by Ahmadiyah,” said Roshid.

Indonesia has more Muslims than any other country in the world, some 210 million. Most practice a moderate form of the faith, but an increasingly vocal extremist fringe appears to be gaining influence over the government, which relies on political support from Islamic parties.[The Associated Press | The Jakarta Post]

Police say all five missing European divers found alive on a remote island

Rescuers have found all five European divers who went missing while scuba diving in treacherous waters off eastern Indonesia, police said Saturday.

The divers – three from Britain and one each from France and Sweden – were found Saturday morning on the southern coast of an island in the area they went missing on Thursday, chief of local police Lt. Col. Buce Helo said.

“They were found on Rinca island and are now being transported to Labuhan Bajo on board a motorboat,” Helo said.

The five had been last seen plunging from their wooden boat Thursday to dive off Tatawa islnd, near Komodo National Park.

A sea search was launched after the five – Kathleen Mitchinson, Charlotte Allin and James Manning of Britain; Elena Neralairen of Sweden; and Lauren Pinel of France – were reported missing by other foreigners who were waiting to dive.

Police and soldiers plied the waters on port authority boats and small vessels borrowed from area residents.

The area, near Bali island and the Komodo National Park – known for being home to the world’s largest lizards, called Komodo dragons – is famous for its rich marine diversity but also for its treacherous and unpredictable seas.

Recommended only for experienced divers, it is in a place where the Indian and Pacific Oceans meet, creating currents that converge and separate. Whirlpools and eddies can pull divers downwards. [The Associated Press | The Jakarta Post]

‘Smart card’ for fuel seen as not smart enough

By Ika Krismantari

Costly satellite technology coupled with the high potential for public unrest has led the government rethink the “Smart Card” program to limit motorists’ purchase of subsidized fuels.

Despite all the publicity on the claimed effectiveness of the system, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro on Wednesday put the breaks on the plan.

Purnomo, having recently been criticized for mismanaging the country’s energy sector, said there would be greater financial burden on the government should the plan be launched without a comprehensive study.

“We are now studying the Smart Card (program) once again. We need to study the financing of the program because it will be expensive, especially when it involves satellite technology,” said Purnomo during a hearing with the House of Representatives’ energy commission late Wednesday.

According to Purnomo, satellite technology is required because the downstream oil and gas regulator BPH Migas will need an interlinked system which can help the regulator supervise around 2,000 gas stations in Java and Bali.

The agency is responsible for implementing the program.

Purnomo said the Smart Card system had so far received negative responses from the public in Bali and Batam where a trial run was recently launched.

“It’s also impossible to do it in Jakarta as the market here is more complicated. We will review the plan,” he said.

Purnomo’s statements contradicted his earlier optimism during a similar hearing two months ago when he boasted the program would take effect early January next year.

At the previous hearing, Purnomo said the government would start the bidding process for the procurement of the technology in June and start the distribution of the Smart Cards to the public from Sept. 31 to Dec. 31.

He did not mention anything about satellite technology.

The Smart Card program was proposed earlier this year to reduce fuel consumption and save on fuel subsidies, which are expected to soar to Rp 132.1 trillion (US$14.3 billion) from the 2008 state budget’s allocation of Rp 126 trillion.

The Smart Card, which keeps track of the amount of subsidized fuel an individual purchases, would be distributed to motorists and public transportation operators.

Users would be required to show the cards every time they purchased subsidized fuels.

Previously, BPH Migas chairman Tubagus Haryono said the Finance Ministry had allocated a budget of Rp 300 billion for the implementation of the program.

Energy analyst Pri Agung Rakhmanto recommended the government use smarter and more efficient strategies in trying to limit public fuel consumption by issuing a regulation giving certain groups of motorists priority in buying subsidized fuels.

“Just issue a clean-cut regulation saying only certain groups of people can buy subsidized fuels, while the others cannot. The government must be strict in implementing such a rule,” he said. (The Jakarta Post)