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August 26th, 2007

Indonesia: Kidnapping Children for Ransom

lingua → ar · de · zht · zhs · es

Nobody in Indonesia feels sure as to what motivates the criminals to abduct a child to serve their purpose. One thing is clear this trend is growing and it grows at an alarming pace. The “climax” of such child abduction criminal trend was the release of Raisya, a 4-year-old pre-nursery student yesterday afternoon after being kidnapped for about 9 days in Jakarta.

As the daughter of Ali Said, the head of Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs (HIPMI) group, makes Raisya more fortunate than the other kids in the sense that her case is getting a lot of attention from the media and Indonesian establishment. No less than President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) himself made a plea to the abductor to release her sooner rather than later.

Many schools has beefed up their security arrangements to prevent repeats of such incidents. That's said, some schools think that they have had done enough. Reports Cheetezz:

Despite widespread calls for a greater focus on school security, some city private schools insist they have already taken appropriate action to protect their students.

The North Jakarta International School (NJIS), an elite school in Kelapa Gading, for example, says it already has comprehensive security arrangements in place.

The school says it assigns a teacher’s assistant to accompany students home on the school’s bus service.

But he said the school’s responsibilities did not extend to students who were driven home in private cars.

“Parents are fully responsible for the safety of children who are dropped off and picked up by their own driver,” said Ibu Ish, the transportation coordinator at NJIS.

She said the school kept the identity of all private drivers on file and obliged parents to report the hiring of new drivers to the school.

The principal of another elite institution, Gandhi Memorial International School (GMIS), said his school already had a comprehensive security arrangement but had boosted security somewhat in the wake of the kidnapping.

“Of course, schools should not become fortresses … but security and safety is rule number one for our school. How can we educate correctly without safety?” Ashok Pal Singh said Thursday.

“We have everything under surveillance (at our school),” he said,

According to the Jakarta Post, the abductors ask Raisya parents for ransom about IDR 150 million to 700 million. Interestingly, the mastermind of the kidnapping was the husband of Raisya's Quranic teacher meaning that the suspect was a person whom the unfortunate kid knew very well.

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March 24th, 2007

Bachelor Degree for President and the MP's Laptop

A. Fatih Syuhud · 05:01 · East Asia

lingua → zht · zhs

In political arena every move becomes political, or considered to be political if it's not in line with certain interest of particular segment of political elites. That's exactly what's happening currently in Indonesian both in politicosphere and blogosphere. A contentious debate over the current plan of DPR (Indonesia's MP) to amend the constitution to make a Bachelor degree a prerequisite for a presidential candidate to be eligible for nomination by any political party has sparked a furore. And that's understandable considering the fact that one of the would-be presidential candidate from PDI-P party, former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, has never finished her bachelor degree.

Terkini believes this move as a means to stop Megawati from the next 2009 general election candidacy. M. Alfian Alfian in his long analysis conclude that a Bachelor degree should not be a requirement for a presidential candidate as it will only create another corrupt practices of another kind: the long line of politicians who want to seek the Degree and some “malicious” universities who are more than willing to accomodate the “market demand” through “special channel and special price.” Qui est votre agrees..

One who agrees with the plan argues that if Bachelor degree becomes a precondition to be a head of district, it's natural that the same rule should be applied to a presidential candidate as well.

Laptop and Indonesian MPs (DPR)

Despite less significant, the issue of DPR (Indonesia's MP)'s plan to buy a laptop for each of DPR's member assumes a bigger interests among Indonesian blogosphere. No less than 160-odd postings has been dedicated talking about this issue.
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4 comments · »»

February 5th, 2007

Indonesia: Floods that Paralysed the Capital and its People

A. Fatih Syuhud · 02:39 · East Asia

lingua → zhs

Indonesia again gets international media intention for yet another natural disaster. This time the capital Jakarta has gone through the worst floods in five years. The floods paralysed everything - the business activities, its people movement and day-to-day government activities.
Indonesia Floods
Picture from Rifle's Flickr Page

Around 340,000 of Jakarta's population were forced to flee, leaving almost everything but themselves. Around 200,000 are homeless.

Ferry Rahman makes a daily report on the messy situation in the capital right from the first day of torrential rain that led to the flood which up till now has killed 20 people.
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December 29th, 2006

Indonesia: Internet Outage and Flood in Aceh

A. Fatih Syuhud · 07:58 · East Asia

lingua → zhs · zht

There is nothing worse for Indonesian bloggers in particular around the new year eve but to see the sudden temporary “demise” of internet connection.

The cause as reported by Budi Putra, , Sani Asy'ari and Enda Nasution is “the strong quake off Taiwan’s coast on December 26 damaged submarine cables and severely disrupted telecom links in the East, Southeast and South Asia.”

That makes almost 90 percent of Indonesia's internet connection disfunctional or very slow. According to Yulian Firdaus, quoting from a portal media, the recovery could take “as long as as one month” during which Indonesian online activities will witness the lowest traffic ever. Certainly one month, if it's true, a way too much for an internet addicts like Enda Nasution who wonders whether this is what end of days fell like.

Some Indonesian bloggers who are fortunate enough to still have internet connection like Willy Sudiarto Raharjo, still complains over how slow the connection is. Not to say how low the traffic to his blog could be.

Flood in Aceh

Exactly two years after the Tsunami, one of the biggest natural disaster ever happened, Aceh again has to face another natural calamity. Although it's not as big as Tsunami, the loss and severe it afflicts to the Acehnese is unbearable.

70,000 people has been evacuated or are fleeing home taking refuge in neighboring area. About 60 people dead.

So much to “celebrate” a New Year 2007 for Indonesian in general and Indonesian bloggers in particular.

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December 8th, 2006

Indonesia: Polygamous Holy Man and MP's Sex Scandal

A. Fatih Syuhud · 07:10 · East Asia

lingua → zht · zhs

There is nothing more ovelwheming than the conversations among Indonesian blogosphere these past few weeks. The talk involves two occurences that looks similar but are actually unrelated - Aa Gym's second wife and an Indonesian MP of Golkar party's sex scandal.

First off, for non-Indonesian, here's an intro by TIME magazine about Aa Gym dubbed by as “Indonesia's hottest Muslim preaches a slick mix of piety and prosperity.

So, the hottest Holy Man is now living with two wives. And that sparked the controversy among the Indonesian blogosphere as to the propriety of such an act. Having more than one wife is permitted in Islam but it's highly discouraged. It's only permitted when (1) you can do justice to them (wives) and/or (2) to avoid extramarital relationship (zina, in Islamic term) which is one of major sins in Islam.

That said, ordinary Muslims think that a respected Muslim preacher of his stature with millions of followers should take a high standard example to his followers more than anyone else, including in this case, to avoid having two wives.

Ridho Putradi, quoting a verse from the Quran which is often used by pro-polygamous husband, says that “for whatever reasons I dont agree with polygamous life.” There are 49 comments (and counting) in his post on Aa Gym's polygamy most of which fully support his opinion with various reasons. Similar opinions are posted by many bloggers including Rohprimardho, Tata Danamihardja, Morning Dew, Ida Abidin, Agus Setiawan, Rani, and many more.

Muhammad Solihuddin, however, has no problem with it and wish Aa Gym a good luck and happily ever after with both of them.
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8 comments · »»

November 23rd, 2006

Bush and Indonesia Islam

A. Fatih Syuhud · 11:20 · East Asia

lingua → zht · zhs

If you watched CNN or BBC before and during Bush's visit to Indonesia, you would see a sea of protersters in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta with slogan of anti-Bush and to some extent, anti-American foreign policy. But with most female protesters were wearing Islamic clothes i.e. jilbab (Indonesian term for Islamic veil), it is easy for people on other parts of the world to think that's it's only those Muslim fundamentalists who were against Bush. As a matter of fact, it's not.

Barring a few–mostly conservative Christian minority, Indonesians are united in condemning Bush/US foreign policy, especially its post-9/11 pre-emptive policy that led to US wars in Afghanistan and especially Iraq which is regarded as sheer breach of a nation sovereignty and blatant show of arrogance.

Both conservative and moderate or even the so-called liberal Muslims intellectuals wrote critically against the US invasion in Iraq. Ulil Abshar-Abdalla, the founder of Jaringan Islam Liberal (JIL) (Liberal Islam Network), for example, wrote at that time (the archive link is no longer available, unfortunately) that the invasion was sheer barbarity and telling example of US double-standard. Important to note here, that JIL, an organisation that focuses on Islamic issues from liberal/moderate Muslim point of view, is funded mostly by US money. Mr Ulil himself now is studying a PhD at Boston.

Andreas H Pareira, a Christian and MP from former president Megawati's PDIP party reported by Indonesia News Agency Antara as saying: “Do not behave softly to the US, so as to not create an impression that we are a US puppet country.”

Berita Sore daily, an evening newspaper from Medan, North Sumatra, quoting an east Indonesia political analyst Professor Muin Salim who said that Bush visit “in no way benefitting Indonesia.”

Yet, Bush PR officers should not be too disappointed as Indonesia Ulama Council or MUI (Majelis Ulama Indonesia), infamous for its conservative opinions, is welcoming Bush with bear hug and regard his visit as “positive and beneficial.”

So, from that background in mind, it's no wonder if Bush visit to Indonesia is facing many unflattered responses from various corners including from the Indonesian blogosphere.

For starter, Senopati Wirang at Intelijen Indonesia (Indonesian Intelligence) makes a lengthy posting on Bush's visit from different angles, particularly from intelligence perspective and intransparency of security officials statement, especially on the justifications behind the excessive use of security guards which he thinks too much exaggerated.
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3 comments · »»

November 1st, 2006

Celebrating Eid ul-Fitr the Blogger Way

Some Indonesian bloggers still talk about Eid ul-Fitr, or something to do with it, days after it passed for various reasons. Agus Setiawan at Blogonesia, for example, discusses the recent fatwa (religious decree) made recently by Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Indonesian Muslim organisation, in which it stated that watching gossip program on TV is considered haram or ‘unlawful'.

Agus Setiawan agrees to such fatwa on the ground that (a) 80 percent of Indonesians are Muslim and (b) that doing or listening to gossip news are clearly forbidden or highly discouraged in Islam. Besides, he observes, that watching such program is highly time-wasting and unproductive.

Most commenters in the particular post agree with his statement but Hartanto who thinks that gossip culture is as old as human existence; so let it be as human are made of angel and evil:

Biarkanlah gosip, yang sudah ada sejak manusia ada… Kalo gosip dilarang, kasian mahluk yg berasal dari api, susah cari celah…

Muhammad Ali, an Indonesian student in Honolulu, Hawaii in the meanwhile, enjoys the Eid celebration in what he calls as a ‘Multifaith Lebaran Feast', as he celebrates Eid this year along with his brothers and sisters from other faiths. Says he:

For Muslims in Hawaii, a multifaith, multiethnic and multinational lebaran feast (concluding the fasting month of Ramadhan) is not something unusual. As you can see in the pictures, they are mostly Muslims, but some probably Catholics, Protestants, Hindus, Buddhist, Confucians, Agnostics, spiritualists, and possibly atheists too, joined the Indonesia's lebaran feast on Saturday, October 28th, 2006, organized by PERMIAS-H.

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September 9th, 2006

Another Indonesian Minister Blog and a Mourning Week

A. Fatih Syuhud · 15:58 · East Asia

As I wrote here, Indonesian Housing Minister Yusuf Asy'ari becomes the second Minister to start blogging after Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono went blogging a few months back. His blog post is written bilingually in English and Bahasa Indonesia.

Harry Sufehmi, one of Indonesian blogger, is fortunate enough to be invited by the Minister to his office for “consultation” on anything to do with blogging world.

Harry utilises the rare opportunity–imagine, a blogger in a Ministerial office for blogtalk!–to also sort of interview the Housing Minister about the motivation behind his interest to blog. For example whether the President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) himself who ask the Minister to blog. In which he said: No. The President only asked his ministers to be more close to their people, to be more care to and interact with them and to know directly their grievances. And blogging is how Mr. Asy'ari thinks as one step to that direction.

Harry Sufehmi who had been in England and worked for e-Government project of Birmingham Municipality during his stay there also advised the Minister to make use of blog as an interactive tool between the ministry office and the people.

The Indonesian blogger-Minister meeting has got much warm welcome comment from other bloggers; congratulating Harry and appreciating the down-to-earth Minister.

Mourning Week
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September 1st, 2006

Indonesian Blogger Confronts US Media View on Indonesian Muslims

A. Fatih Syuhud · 14:57 · Americas , East Asia

Here is a stark example on how people from different cultures see the same thing differently. And how bias and pre-occupied notion on certain issue and on certain people or community can lead you to see thing only from the negative side of the picture.

Rasyad A. Parinduri at Sarapan Ekonomi - Indonesia's Economy criticises strongly the editorial view of Washington Times (WT) on the result of LSI survey where. WT said (emphasis is mine):

More than two-thirds of Indonesians favor the country's current secular system of law, according to a privately funded nationwide survey by the Indonesian Survey Circle, a pollster. If that seems like good news, read it this way: This means there are “only” about 82 million Indonesians who favor Shariah. Approximately 216 million out of Indonesia's approximately 246 million inhabitants, or nearly nine-tenths of the population, are Muslims. And while Indonesia's religious and cultural climate is justifiably regarded as moderate in comparison to much of the rest of the Muslim world — and its government is a very useful ally against terrorism — the numbers still leave plenty of room for concern.

… When the aggregate numbers of people are factored in, the study looks considerably more disturbing. If one-quarter of Indonesians favor cutting off the hands of thieves, it suggests that upwards of 60 million Indonesians favor the practice. If roughly 164 million Indonesians oppose stoning adulterers, it means that more than 80 million favor doing so.

Parinduri thinks that such kind of logic–making good thing from “others” look ugly and bad thing uglier– is misleading and by no means it would help people across cultural boundaries getting closer understanding. He asks the WT editor to think at the same token for themselves:

I guess, by similar token, since about 45 millions Americans (15 percent)1 do not think that “democracy is better than any other form of government”, the future of democracy in US is, really, considerably worrisome.

This kind of analysis — it's just beautiful, isn't it?

He explains further trying to put thing in right perspective:

LSI reports that 69.6 percent of Indonesians favor Pancasila, 11.5 percent favor Islamic country like those in the the Middle East, 3.5 percent favor Western style system of law, and the rest, about 15 percent of them, do not respond or do not have any preference.

The Times's editor should have written that “there are about 28 millions Indonesians (out of 246 millions) who favor Shariah”.

By the way, the survey's finding that “more than two-thirds of Indonesians favor the country's current secular system of law” does not mean that “there are ‘only' about 82 million Indonesians who favor Shariah”. The Washington Times editors are simply wrong.

He advises the WT's editor to write his op-ed in more prudent way in the future for the benefit of peaceful co-existence and greater understanding:

The Times's editor should have written that “there are about 28 millions Indonesians (out of 246 millions) who favor Shariah”.

Commenting on the above post, Calson said:

And even among those 28 million who favor Sharia a considerable number of people will not be in favor of the harsh Saudi interpretation.

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August 20th, 2006

61st Anniversary of Indonesia's Independence Day

A. Fatih Syuhud · 15:21 · East Asia

lingua → zhs · zht

In commemorating the 61st anniversary of independence day, Indonesian bloggers have many ways to celebrate it.

Agusti Anwar highlights the meaning of flag as a symbol of nation and nationalism:

Flag is indeed a formal expression of recognition. To that effect, if a people dispose or pull out recognition of others, accepting or protesting, the flag would do service either way. Protesters of different nationals would burn the flag of the opposed and that has been a full statement at best.

Remember when our founding fathers and patriots fought against the colonial power of Dutch, those brave young heroes ran to the front against the shooting bullets to pull down the red-white-blue colonial flag just to rip out the blue part and put it high again. The red and white was on the air. The red and white is on the air. And that time, patriots fell down in smile.

He reminds us, however, that the same national flag could mean both ways, good or bad:

Yet, when everyday you read news on corruption, that so many of the rich are in fact embezzlers or pirates of national budgets, you may worry that the extravagant red-and-white exhibition simply equals theatrical gambits of falseness. You may then worry that short after the celebration of 17 August, the house owners would be seen in TV with handcuff and sadly bowing heads, being brought to court for corruption trial. However, you may also worry too much.

Sid Bachtiar, an Indonesian software engineer stays in New Zealand, writes an interesting finding about some names of softwares which seems incidentally similar to familiar names in Indonesia:

The name of one of Apache subprojects, Jakarta, is the name of Indonesia’s capital city.

Java is one of Indonesia’s islands.

Java man is not someone who does Java programming.

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3 comments · »»