This new anthology about Indonesia is a welcome addition to books (like "Culture Shock: Jakarta") for expats and others who want to improve their knowledge of the archipelago's history, culture and politics.

The editors have compiled a very wide range of articles and authors, including the current President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, former President Soeharto, Pramoedya Ananta Toer and sporadically controversial Metro TV journalist Desi Anwar.

A star studded line-up of authors

Like a long biography, (as the stories are published in chronological order) some of the earlier sections might be a bit heavy and hard going for the casual reader. As such, it is tempting to read the book from finish to start. However, there are several rare articles and some which are published in English for the first time, so there are a number of pleasant surprises, including:

• an early article by Alfred Wallace, British naturalist and later the creator of the Wallace Line
• a story of the 1883 eruption of Krakatau by a Dutch survivor, RA Van Sandick.
• a history of the very slow Dutch conquest (starting in 1873 and taking at least 30 years) of Aceh, an interesting pre-cursor to later events.

Later sections cover a number of comtemporary subjects including: Indonesian reactions to Danish cartoons of the prophet Mohammed, separatist violence in Ambon, anti-Western terrorism via an interview with Bali bomber Imam Samudera and the new pornography bill.

One man who possibly doesn't support the Pornography Bill

There are also some rare personal accounts of the 1965-1967 anti-communist massacres and being a "comfort woman" (i.e. sex slave) to Japanese soldiers during World War 2.

I would like to say that it is available at all good bookstores, but to my knowledge you cannot buy it within Indonesia. I got my copy in Australia. It doesn't retail at all good bookstores for $US25.95; you can buy it on Amazon here or direct from the publisher here.

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Save Dangdut! (TM)

Seksi Friend,

Neither Man – nor Woman – can live on Nasi alone: we need Dangdut.  But Seksi Friend, yet another great institution is under fire, one which gives hope and light to millions of struggling Indonesians every day it airs.

TPI Dangdut is facing closure.  No. More. TPI. Dangdut.

We must act together.  We must act to...

Save Dangdut! (TM)

Music, as my ex-girlfriend Madonna once sang, brings the people together.  Today, old IM sparring partners, Mr. Ross and Drs. Achmad stand together, united, in our call to you, dear readers, to help save TPI Dangdut and the spirit of freedom across Indonesia.

Ah, Dangdut. Its aching melodies, winding and gyrating through the tin shanties of the Kampung, the macet, the crackling radio, are sweeter than honey. The Indo-Arabic pulse of Dangdut tells of love, of loss, and sometimes silly things like staying up late with your friends or two people eating out of one plate.

Elvy Sukaesih. Evie Tamala. Rhoma Irama. Meggy Z.  There are many more, Seksi Friend. The likes of Diponegoro, Si Pitoeng, and Gen. Nasution may be heroes of combat and the physical revolution.

What of the revolution of the heart ?

Dangdut lets you goyang (swing your hips) and twiddle your thumbs without the pressure of being Keren (cool), or going to a fancy nightclub.

Dangdut speaks to your soul, the one that likes sop buntut or knows that nasi goreng from a Pedagang Kaki Lima (street vendor) tastes so much better than any 5 star chef could ever make.  And that’s you, mall goer, Blackberry user, iPhone user, Facebook member.

Embrace your inner Norakhood.

Look at what Dangdut has achieved. Ross and I, old enemies, now allies, joined by the spirit of the goyang. We once even engaged in an IM-sponsored insult fest. He called me abrasive, mean, mendacious and carnaptious; I called him a bacterial experiment from a petri dish. And yet now, Dangdut has united us as comrades.

We call on You, IM readers,

To join our campaign,

To help save the spirit of Freedom,

To help save TPI Dangdut.

Save Dangdut ! (TM)

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At a building site for a Lenmarc shopping centre in western Surabaya the fence that separates the site from the road is adorned with mural paintings celebrating the 64th anniversary of Indonesian independence day in August. The display is sponsored by Lenmarc and the pictures are still there as some attempt to relieve the ugliness of the scene.

The common themes in the paintings and how the artists view the Indonesian nation and their own patriotism, apart from the obvious red and white national flag:

• singer Mbah Surip
• anti-terrorism
• Lenmarc and shopping
• batik
• wayang
• pluralism and unity
• Vespa scooters
• dangdut music
• Superman

Among other things.

Click image below to watch a video slideshow of them:

Or view them singly:

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"Rare", an American based conservation charity, in partnership with local orangutan conservation foundations is running several "Pride" projects to preserve the habitat of orangutans in Borneo and Sumatra. There are about 50,000 orangutans remaining in the wild in Borneo, and 7000 in Sumatra. The project locations:

• Gunung Leuser National Park, North Sumatra/Aceh, with the Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS)
• Batang Toru Barat, North Sumatra, with Pekat Indonesia
• Lamandau River Wildlife Reserve, Central Kalimantan, with Yayasan Orangutan Indonesia (YAYORIN)

On Borneo Rare has focused on the 76,000 hectare Sungai Lamandau forest reserve, part home to about 15 nearby villages and 15,000 people apart from its Bornean Orangutan inhabitants, as one of the most viable, long term habitats for the Pongo pygmaeus species. The Sungai Lamandau area was set aside as a sanctuary for orangutangs and national park in 1998 when two logging concessions expired, and since then more than a hundred orangutans have been successfully released into the wild.

The work of Rare in Kalimantan and elsewhere is of the "community outreach" and "awareness raising" type, such as educating farmers on how to make a living without cutting down the rainforest, and helping villagers in the area generally to live more sustainably and without over-exploitation of the forest.

In practical terms the program makes use of creative tools like radio songs, billboards and school visits to get the message out.

The project's success is dependent on donations from concerned people, with the money raised going towards such things as

• purchase of fuel to enable the project leader to visit remote villages (est. $30 per tank)
• production of campaign posters (est. $100 per 100)
• creation of bumper stickers, puppet shows and mascot costumes (est. $250)

Donating

The project's funding stats thus far:

• Total Funding Received: $4,497
• Remaining Goal Needed: $5,503
• Total Funding Goal: $10,000

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Dangdut Faces Disaster - TPI Down the Tube?

Having stayed up late last night to watch the tribute to Meggy Z on TPI, I am moved to comment on the merits of this seemingly doomed TV channel.

I recently had the pleasure of teaching a young lady who works for Global TV and was interested to learn from her that Global, TPI and RCTI are linked to each other within one commercial package. Each caters to a different audience, roughly categorised on social class, she said, and thus I was all the more astonished to read in the Jakarta Globe on 27/10 that TPI had been declared bankrupt.

A decision by the Central Jakarta Commercial Court to declare TPI bankrupt is cause for concern for both the television station’s employees and the country’s dangdut musicians, who receive strong support from the broadcaster. The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) said in a press release on Tuesday that the bankruptcy verdict on October 14th put TPI’s 1,083 employees in limbo.

It must have a huge audience.

Despite the silly cinetrons it shows, we watch it avidly because it offers dangdut in abundance. Other channels may not ignore Indonesia's most popular music, but they certainly don't give it a fair share.

TPI's 'KDI', the contest to find new dangdut stars, has been good, but frequently displayed far too much dimwit comment from alleged celebrity comperes, notably a fat woman with a big mouth who appeared determined to be as contemptuous of the feelings of the young contestants as that oik Simon Cowell does on the similar programmes in the West (I try to avoid seeing the latter buffoon, but stumble on the Idol shows by accident occasionally) - Fatso's sarky observations are overwhelmingly directed against the prettiest young lady singers, clearly motivated by jealousy, so we use her interventions as an excuse to refill the cups of kopi Jawa.

Past winner of KDI, lovely Vita

Aside from the non-singing participants, however, KDI offered a good variety of up-and-coming songsters. And the Meggie Z tribute was an excellent show, a well-deserved ode to a fine performer.

Now alas TPI is on the way out. and I'm saddened that its other partner stations have not been able to rally round and keep it afloat.

'Goyang Sampai Basah' on KDI

Nevertheless, according to the Globe report, "Dangdut Stars Sing the Blues Over Bankrupt TPI", there may be hope. TPI will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. And that lovely lady Iis Dahlia says she hopes for the best in the station’s Supreme Court appeal.

I hope TPI will not go bankrupt and that the jobs of its employees can be saved. It is such a shame because TPI has such a loyal audience.

Iis added:

We are not dependent on TPI, but we are sad because TPI has accommodated dangdut and taken part in promoting dangdut in Indonesia. I wish them all the best.

I don't pretend to understand the ins and outs of the business conflict that has brought TPI to its knees, but according to the Globe it arises from a company called Crown Capital Global Ltd, which claimed it was owed $53 million from a loan issued to the station in December 1996. The loan was due to be repaid by December 2006, but Crown took TPI to court after saying it had not received any payments.

Does anybody know any more?

KDI TPI & Dangdut Mania is brought to you by Indonesia Matters, which also features listings of Indonesian hotels, special discounts on Bali hotels, Legian beach hotels, hotels in central Jakarta, and more.

Premiering at the New York International Film Festival, October 22 to 29, is the Australian documentary Timor Tour of Duty which is said to "explosively" reveal the Indonesian military's secret war against Australian and international soldiers in East Timor, after the new country voted to secede from Indonesia in 1999.

Trailer

The documentary features a re-creation of a firearm and grenade attack on Australian forces near the border with Indonesia on 14th June 2001, which many have suspected was carried out by TNI Special Forces, Kopassus, dressed up as East Timorese pro-integrationist militia. [1]

Timor Tour of Duty is directed and produced by Melbournian Sasha Uzunov, said to be a freelance photo journalist, blogger, and amateur film maker, and who himself served in the Australian army, doing two tours in East Timor (1999 and 2001). [2]

Some of the, sometimes curious, press releases about the film:

Pete’s comrade, Scott Sherwin reveals they [returning Australian soldiers] were treated as outcasts by the Australian government because the true details about the firefight could have disrupted sensitive diplomatic relations with Indonesia.

Indonesia still remains a hotbed of anti-western sentiment as witnessed by terrorist bombings in recent times.

And

Sasha Uzunov, an Australian film maker and former soldier who served in East Timor believes that the United States was the “good guy” back in 1999 when it intervened in the tiny southeast Asian land of East Timor to avert genocide at the hands of the Indonesian military.

The film recently won a special commendation Platinum Reel Award from the 2009 Nevada Film Festival.

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President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono announced his second United Indonesia Cabinet on 21st October, the portfolios and ministers divided into relevant sections:

Coordinating

• Security: Marshal (ret) Djoko Suyanto
• Economy: Hatta Rajasa
• People's Welfare: Agung Laksono
• State Secretary: Sudi Silalahi

Departmental

• Domestic Affairs: Gamawan Fauzi
• Foreign Affairs: Marty Natalegawa
• Defence: Purnomo Yusgiantoro
• Justice and Human Rights: Patrialis Akbar
• Finance: Sri Mulyani
• Mines & Energy: Darwin Saleh
• Industry: MS Hidayat
• Trade: Mari E. Pangestu
• Agriculture: Suswono
• Forestry: Zulkifli Hasan
• Transportation: Freddy Numberi
• Fisheries: Fadel Muhammad
• Manpower & Transmigration: Muhaimin Iskandar
• Public Works: Djoko Kirmanto
• Health: Endang Rahayu Setianingsih
• Education: Mohammad Nuh
• Social Services: Salim Segaf Al Jufri
• Religion: Suryadharma Ali
• Culture & Tourism: Jero Wacik
• Communications & Information: Tifatul Sembiring

State

• Research & Technology: Suharna Suryapranata
• Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises: Syarifudin Hasan
• Environment: Gusti Muhammad Hatta
• Womens' Empowerment & Child Protection: Linda Amalia Sari
• Administrative Reform: Evert Ernest Mangindaan
• Disadvantaged Regions: Ahmad Helmy Faishal Zaini
• National Development Planning: Armida Alisjahbana
• State Enterprises: Mustafa Abubakar
• Youth & Sport: Andi Mallarangeng
• Public Housing: Suharso Manoarfa

Other

• State Intelligence (BIN): General (ret) Sutanto
• Head of Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM): Gita Wirjawan
• Presidential Unit for the Management of Reform Programs (UKP3R): Kuntoro Mangkusubroto

Three other roles which saw no change and were not announced formally: Attorney General (Hendarman Supandji), Chief of Staff (Djoko Santoso) and Police Chief (General Bambang Hendarso Danuri).

For harmony and balance the list includes one Papuan (Freddie Numberi), one ethnic Chinese (Mari Elka Pangestu), one Balinese (Jero Wacik), one Minahasan (E.E. Mangindaan), with these names also making up the bulk of the non-Muslim contingent, which also includes the Javanese Catholic Purnomo Yusgiantoro. [1]

Purnomo Yusgiantoro

Broken down by island the composition is Java 22, Sumatra 11 (5 Minang), Sulawesi 4, Bali, Papua and Kalimantan one each.

Politically twenty among the appointments are from coalition parties (the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the United Development Party (PPP), National Awakening Party (PKB) and Golkar).

Some foreign observers expressed disappointment in the choices, that they were conventional and lacklustre, and included too few reformers and too many political/factional appointments without any real experience in their portfolio areas.

The Economist praised the retaining of technocrats such as Sri Mulyani Indrawati in Finance and Mari Pangestu in Trade, while deploring the selection of Purnomo Yusgiantoro in Defence, the latter said to have had a poor reputation in his past Energy portfolio. [2]

Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih

While a local observer, Agung Nugroho from 'Dewan Kesehatan Rakyat', received much media attention when he complained that Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih won the Health portfolio at the insistence of foreign governments, because unlike her predecessor Siti Fadilah Supari she would not struggle to develop public health services, and that she was on record as approving of the American government owned Namru laboratory in Jakarta. [3]

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Lead guitarist of rock group Dewa19, Ahmad Dhani weighed into the polygamy debate recently, saying

Men who [claim they] are satisfied with just one woman are hypocrites.

This was because all men wished to have more than one wife in reality, no man could be satisfied with the same woman forever, but some men lived in such fear of their wives that they didn't dare seek permission to acquire another. [1]

Deserve each other

Meanwhile after divorcing, or being divorced by, his famous wife Maia, and now having a relationship of uncertain legal status with another pop star, Mulan Jameela, Dhani says he is on the lookout for a second first wife, but that

She has to have a good ass.

Apart from a shapely rear a budding Ahmad Dhani wife must also have long hair, be fair skinned, not too tall, and under 25.

When asked whether current partner Mulan Jameela lived up to these expectations: [2]

She isn't white

Dhani, Mulan & Nice Young Ass is brought to you by Indonesia Matters, which also features listings of Indonesian hotels, special discounts on Bali hotels, Legian beach hotels, hotels in central Jakarta, and more.

The second annual "Global Broadband Quality Study" conducted by the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford and the University of Oviedo’s Department of Applied Economics, analysed 66 countries for the level and quality of their broadband internet connectivity and speed.

Those countries which scored in the top ten, determined by a combination of speed tests and the rate of household penetration of broadband internet:

Broadband Leadership 2009 - Countries

1. South Korea
2. Japan
3. Hong Kong
4. Sweden
5. Switzerland
6. Netherlands
7. Singapore
8. Luxembourg
9. Denmark
10. Norway

The bottom ten:

• 57.  Thailand
• 58.  Vietnam
• 59. Morocco
• 60. Pakistan
• 61. South Africa
• 62. India
• 63. Indonesia
• 64. Egypt
• 65. Kenya
• 66. Nigeria

Indonesia's household broadband internet penetration figure was a meagre 1%, equal with Pakistan, Kenya, and Nigeria. Year on year no improvement had been recorded in percentage of households with access to broadband.

Click image.

Indonesia's broadband quality level was given as 21%. The country had the fourth lowest download speed recorded and the third worst upload speed. Latency levels were 10th worst, at just over 200 milliseconds.

Relative to GDP

The Indonesian economy was classed as moving from Stage 1 (Factor-Driven) to Stage 2 (Efficiency-Driven), with Stage 3 (Innovation-Driven) remaining in the distance.

BQS=Broadband Quality Score

Broadband Leadership 2009 - Cities

242 cities were tested, with the top ten world cities for fastest and most widely available broadband:

1. Yokohama, Japan
2. Nagoya, Japan
3. Kaunas, Lithuania
4. Sapporo, Japan
5. Seoul, South Korea
6. Malmo, Sweden
7. Osaka, Japan
8. Wuhan, China
9. Uppsala, Sweden
10. Sofia, Bulgaria

Two Indonesian cities were tested, Jakarta, ranking 230th, and Surabaya, 233rd.

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Some areas in the country that are deliberating laws to require knowledge of the Quran and ability to read it.

Bangkalan & Sumenep, Madura

Two towns in Madura, East Java, are considering whether to require primary and junior high school students to not only be able to read the Quran but also to memorise.

A local parliamentarian in Bangkalan, Safiuddin Asmoro, however says requiring memorisation is going too far, and that simply being able to read the book is the best option.

Not all children in the city attend madrassas, says Safiuddin Asmoro, and it is unreasonable to expect them to memorise the Quran. [1]

We appreciate the suggestions regarding memorisation but now is not the right time.

Lubuklinggau, South Sumatra

The local parliament of Lubuklinggau is preparing a similar law, but one that will apply to all residents of the town from school age children up, a "free of ignorance of the Quran" bill, says a local government official.

Citizens will, theoretically at least, be required to be able to read the Quran from childhood until old age, so that social ills can be combated through increased awareness of religious values, especially considering the fact that teenagers these days were given to drug use, free sex, disobedience, and truancy, all proof that religious values needed to be reinforced by law. [2]

Gorontalo

While in the city of Gorontalo, Sulawesi, an existing law that requires all Muslim city public servants to attend Quranic study sessions on Fridays, is said by mayor Adhan Dambea to have not been a huge success:

There are still Muslim employees who can't read the Quran.

The law would be applied with renewed vigour said the mayor, and no-one would be allowed to get out of their Quran reading obligations on Friday afternoons. If necessary teachers would be called in to give special instruction for those who still struggled with the Arabic tongue, he said. [3]

A similar law in Depok, near Jakarta, requires reading and writing ability in Arabic, also.

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