Culture Shock?

Someone asked me for my thoughts on moving back to the "west". This was asked of me last year however the delay in getting round to writing it is not indicative of any malaise regarding the topic. Rather the issue is one of time. Anyone who has followed my travels and travails over the past 3 or so years will understand that my focus has been elsewhere. Nevertheless, I have committed myself to writing more opinion(ated) blog pieces than I have been doing. This has already been a successful venture considering last year I wrote two and this year I have already written three. But, I digress...

Presumably, the question is one of what is it like to move back to Australia  after having spent the best part (almost the whole part) of fifteen years living and working in Indonesia. In a lot of ways it is a story of reverse culture shock. To be honest I am not sure it is even a story of interest but for me and mine (family). Simply, it is the story of my life with my family and our adjustment from one day to another and making the best and most of what we have at the times we have it.

Yet, moving anywhere is a challenge and I guess moving from Jakarta to Sydney and then to Collarenebri is a challenge of considerable proportions, particularly when one factors in raising a son, pursuing a Masters degree, and embarking on a new career. And, all the while, I am still being a husband and father.

This is a post that could run for tens of thousands of words as I explore every possible facet of what happened, how it happened, and what those happenings then triggered. The simple reality is perhaps as basic as death and taxes. Indonesia afforded us many opportunities to live a particular lifestyle. For example, when I first went to live and work in Indonesia it took me a considerable amount of time to come to grips with maids and other servants at my beck and call 24 hours a day if I so wanted it to be. Yet, it took no time at all to get used to other people having responsibility for paying my taxes and doing all that side of the financial equation.

In many ways I was young and naive and therefore incredibly open to the adventure of a new way of life. Indonesia provided that opportunity for an unbelievable adventure. I was fascinated by the little things--public transport, roving food stalls, ojeks (motorcycle taxis), becaks (bicycle rickshaws), eating food with chillies that made you wonder whether you were eating food or just chillies, and the people.

One thing that lingers, and it lingers because I still get the question, what are Indonesians like compared to "us"? I have always found this an interesting question for no other reason than it often is asked to draw a positive / negative comparison. The "us" and "them" dilemma amuses me no end as I am a "we" person. We are all human, we all have our human frailties, and we all at the most base level want better things for our children and grandchildren. But, once again, I digress...

Moving back to Australia, and Sydney in particular, was something that we wanted to do. So, in that regard it was much easier for us than for, say, someone whose job ended and another opportunity did not open up for them. The fact that we chose the move, and looked forward to it, meant that the transition was easier. I am not going to say it was all smooth sailing, but the reality is that one does what they have to do.

The laundry can only pile up for so long before you have to pick it up and take it to the washing machine and wash it. There are only so many days you can get up looking for your breakfast before you realise that you have to make your own. Similarly, it does not take all that long to recognise that there are no roving food stalls to satisfy that bakso craving at 2.00am as you finish writing that final op.ed piece.

Nevertheless, it was only this week as we were walking through the Pitt Street Mall in Sydney that my wife and I simultaneously looked at each other, had a knowing little smile, and meandered on. The captivating scent of a clove cigarette has that strange power to transport one back to a place that has been left far in the past. The old kretek gets us every time.

The truth is pretty plain and boring really. Life goes on. The transition was one that had to happen; good, bad, and ugly. We really did not linger. ponder, or dwell on the process. As individuals, as members of a family, as people we got on with it and did what we had. Do I find myself spending time thinking about the need for a maid or a gardener or a driver, no. Do I miss those parts of my / our previous existence, no.

If the point of the question was to find out whether I / we are happier here or were happier there, then the answer to that question is...well, that is like comparing good red wine and milk ;)

Now, if the question had been "how do you find living in the teeming metropolis of Jakarta and its satellite suburbs to the hustle and bustle of the 250 or so people that live in Collarenebri?" then my answer may well have been slightly different...

The Answer to Teenage Sex: More Mosques...

Sexually active young people is hardly a new phenomenon. Maybe the 'scope' of what we read about in the news now is that teenagers themselves are more open about talking about their experiences than they have ever been in the past. So, this might be a case of teenagers being more truthful about their extra-curricular activities for statistical purposes.

Nevertheless, the moral and religious crusaders go to great lengths to tell us that this is indicative of a failing society and that the beginning of the 'end of days'. This leads to obvious "answers" to be put forward by these individuals. The answers always involve religious and moral instruction in places of worship.

So, there is no surprise when the Mayor of West Jakarta, Burhanuddin,  reckons that the best way to combat casual sex amongst teenagers is to build more mosques and indoctrinate them on all things religious and moral.  To each their own. In my mind, the best way to address this issue is to ensure that our teenagers are indeed educated. However, that education is not one of religion or morality. The education, or lesson, is one of responsibility. If you are a teenager and you are dead keen to have sex then it will be almost impossible for adults to prevent it from happening.

Assuming that others are of a similar view, then the issue is one of ensuring that teenagers know the risks and consequences of engaging in pre-marital sexual activity. If the Indonesian Commission for Child Protection (KPAI) are to be believed, then there are some 32% of Indonesian youths in the 14-18 years of age in Indonesia's larger urban centres of Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Medan and Yogyakarta are engaging in sexual activity. Once again, the most critical component of any response to this is to ensure that youngsters understand the risks and consequences, and then act responsibly and from a position of being forewarned and forearmed.

It seems a little naive to think that the solution to this "issue" is one of building new mosques and mandating that youths attend special sessions on pre-marital sex. I wonder whether these are non-denominational sessions or Burhanuddin is only concerned about young Muslims and their sexual appetites? One would have imagined that pre-marital sex is a community issue and not one that is exclusive to Islam, Christianity, Buddhism or Hinduism.

I guess to be fair, one must give Burhanuddin a chance to show that his plan is capable of teaching these youths about safe sex, sexually transmitted diseases and infections, and responsibility amongst the expected God prohibits unmarried teenagers from having sex (and if you do so then you are going straight to hell!)

There goes another RAB Experience rant and rail.
Ho hum...

McDonald's vs. Toni Jack's...

There is probably a good legal article in this dispute somewhere. But, truth be told, I do not have the time to read everything I need to in order to find it. But, maybe I will, it seems the interest might be in why the name Toni Jack's was chosen.

However, it would seem that the one-time franchisee, Bambang Rachmadi, of the McDonald's restaurant in the Sarinah Building in the heart of Jalan Thamrin in Jakarta had a falling out with the franchisor. In essence, what was once a landmark site and attraction for tourists and locals alike ceased to be. The dispute started back in 2009 and was to all intents and purposes resolved today.

What better day than Valentine's Day to signal the restoration of love between franchisee and franchisor.

It is hard to imagine the Sarinah building without Mickey D's. For as long as I can remember it has always been there. To see something else there would have been unsettling. After all, it was perfectly situated for the late night munchies. Not only was it close to the office, it was also close to lots of entertainment venues in that part of town.

Now that the Golden Arches are back in Sarinah it is time to start planning a holiday to Jakarta. It just would not have been the same without the famed restaurant in the fold.

Maybe the burgers are better at Toni Jack's? Sounds like an ad...for "Hungry Jack's"!

Ho hum...

SBY Taking Credit For Hosni Mubarak's Resignation?

Perhaps it is the cynic in me, but how desperate is SBY and the Democrat Party? Marzuki Alie of the Democrat Party, and Head of the House of Representatives, has stated unequivocally that SBY sent a personal letter to Mubarak suggesting that he step aside. The letter was delivered by hand by Special Envoy Hassan Wirajuda.

Apparently, the substance of the letter went along the lines of "Hey Hosni, better take on the Indonesian example and step aside and let the hand-picked Veep take over." "And, it is time to start stashing those billions in hard to find places so as to live your life out in peace and comfort. Take our boy Soeharto, we protected him all the way to his grave." "Final point mate, the sooner you do this stepping aside thing, the sooner I can start doing the rounds and claiming credit for myself as the instigator of your smooth resignation and the movement of Egypt to greater democracy". "Peace Out! Your main man in Indonesia, SBY! Salam!"

Funnily enough, SBY also suggested that Egypt establish an independent election authority to administer free and fair elections. I would be guessing though that Mubarak and his cronies, including his family, would not be giving the proverbial "rat's" about what happens after they squirrel away their billions and bugger off to Monaco or wherever.

But, the biggest chuckle was reserved for the statement that these initiatives at brokering Egyptian peace are enshrined in the 1945 Constitution, and as such Indonesia, and SBY, has an obligation to participate. This maybe so, but the reality Mr. President and Mr. Alie is that Indonesia has some serious constitutional problems at home. For example, the increasing persecution of religious minorities and a president that continually fails to fulfill the mandate granted to him twice. Maybe cleaning up one's own backyard may in fact be more beneficial to a greater majority of Indonesians than claiming credit for cleaning up Egypt's backyard.

I would reckon that the Egyptians got this far without SBY, then they are probably more than capable of going the distance on this one by themselves. In any event, what Mr. Alie and others fail to realise is that 1998 Jakarta and 2011 Cairo are two very different sets of circumstances. Perhaps, it should be Mubarak sending a personal letter to SBY about how to manage his own departure from Indonesian politics!

The idea that Indonesia has transited to democracy is a little premature. Let's face it money politics and corruption are still prevalent. Even more concerning is that the Ministry for Home Affairs is leading the way, with the agreement of a democratically elected president, in winding back the opportunities for Indonesians to elect their leaders at a local level in favour of having those leaders appointed by others.

The whole idea that SBY had any significant role in resolving events in Egypt reeks of desperation, it reeks of a president trying to map out a future tilt at some role on the international stage as a statesman of some repute.  To make it on the big stage might require some success on the domestic stage, and those successes are few and far between, and of late have been non-existent.

Mr. President, rather than getting your point men to claim success on your behalf in Egypt why don't you focus on securing minority rights for Indonesians at home? Why don't you focus on ensuring that those facilitating corruption are punished? Why don't you focus on ensuring that the people of Sidoarjo get fair and full compensation for their losses? The list probably can go on and on and on, but you get the point. Because if you don't then maybe the next letter you receive will be a letter of condolence from Hosni Mubarak commiserating on your unfortunate removal from office with more than half of your second term to go!

Happy Sunday to y'all!

RIM Blocks Porn on BlackBerry Smartphones in Indonesia...

All hail to the Anti-Pornography King, TitS!

TitS (aka Tifatul Sembiring) has seemingly won the battle with RIM. RIM have not only agreed to block pornography from their BlackBerry Smartphones, but they have gone even further by simply adopting the filtering system developed by the Nawala Project.

This filtering system blocks out all content that is considered to be not only pornographic, but that content that is considered to be related to gambling, phishing / malware, and SARA (this is a term that relates to anything involving religion, ethnicity, race, or inter-group relations). The filter is very broad, which means that many Indonesians will not be able to access sites through their BlackBerry devices that are harmless.

It must be pointed out that the Nawala project is an Indonesia created open-source filtering service that has been in operation since 2009. It is the filtering service of choice for all of Indonesia's telecommunications providers, and it is the one that is being touted by the Ministry of Communication and Information.

The use of the Nawala Project filtering system by RIM is a cost-effective way of meeting the demands for a porn filter from the Minister for [Mis]Communication and [Mis]Information. It is cost effective because it is open-source and it is free. Although, it would seem that Irwin Day, Deputy Head of Public Relations at the Nawala Project, is contemplating that RIM might make some financial contribution to the ongoing development of the technology.

What's next? Well, the porn filter issue was really only a pre-cursor to a much larger battle in TitS' war against RIM. The Minister wants a server, or at least an aggregator, to be built in Indonesia. The rationale is a simple one; Indonesia is the biggest user of RIM BlackBerry devices in Southeast Asia and has earned the right to have the server / aggregator built in Indonesia. For Indonesian subscribers, the belief is that a server here will reduce BlackBerry tariffs. In contrast, the Minister wants the RIM server here because he believes that it will make it easier for his Ministry to track corruption and terrorism suspects and their communications.

If RIM stands true to form then it would be reasonable to expect them to fold on that demand as well. I wonder how long it will be before RIM and its Managing Director for this part of the world, Gregory Wade, are announcing their plans to build a server in Jakarta?

If TitS is giving all his praise to Allah for allowing him a victory in the filter battles, then one can only imagine how much beside himself he will be when RIM announces that it is building a server in Indonesia. It might just be enough to send him into the arms of Vicky Vette and another happy ending!

Then again, one day, and perhaps one day soon, TitS will realise that for all his small victories in battles on the war on porn that he is fighting a losing fight. Internet pornography will always be there as will those with an appetite for it and the desire to develop mechanisms to access it. The porn industry is very much like Medusa's head in that for every snake you cut off, another one grows back in its place (I am sure someone is going to want to argue the point about severing Medusa's head altogether, right?).

Suicide in Indonesia...

Suicide is a tragedy. It is not only a tragedy for those that make the ultimate choice to end it all, it is also a tragedy for those that are left behind and who must deal with the shattered lives that remain. Two things had me thinking about death and the way it is portrayed and discussed this morning: the first was an article in The Jakarta Globe and the second was seeing that "RIP Justin Bieber" was trending on Twitter (just about anything that has a Justin Bieber link trends or goes viral on Twitter, just ask Conan O'Brien. And, I am wondering whether or not "Justine Bieber: Suicide Death" within this post will result in any additional traffic to this blog post? If there is, then this might be a good thing from an awareness perspective).

This short post is an opinion piece on suicide in Indonesia.

According to The Jakarta Globe, the Ministry of Health's 'suicide hotline' has been ringing off the hook with a sharp increase in the number of calls during the first three months of operation. The hotline number for those that need it is 500-454 (although I recall Jakarta phone numbers having more digits than that...the number is correct, I checked!). The hotline was launched as part of World Mental Health Day in October 2010. Dr. Bella Patriajaya, Head of the Suharto Heerjan Mental Health Hospital, said that the reason was that more people were seeking help for their problems.

The data to-date is showing that not everyone who calls the hotline is intending to commit suicide. There are also significant numbers of people calling who are depressed or suffering other mental disorders. Even though, there is no confession of intent to kill themselves, the suicide hotline is still an excellent starting point for a sympathetic ear and perhaps some direction to services that can provide longer-term support.

Interestingly, the World Health Organization 2001 data states that the suicide rate in Indonesia is 1.6-1.8 suicides per 100,000 people. Nevertheless, a more recent study conducted by Ahmad Prayitno of Trisakti University in Jakarta supports more recent WHO data for Southeast Asia that claims that the suicide rate is closer to 24 incidents per 100,000. This is a staggering number as it would equate to about 50,000 suicides per year or 1,500 suicides per day. The reality is that even this study suspects that the actual rate and numbers are much higher.

The more recent studies are showing a trend in the reasons for suicide becoming more economic related. This includes losing a job, being demoted, or even living beyond one's means and getting into a spiral of uncontrollable debt. Nevertheless, the study also shows that more 'traditional' reasons relating to an inability to deal with emotional trauma remains a significant factor.

One of the biggest difficulties in determining exact numbers is the taboo nature of the subject. In most religions, and communities, suicide is frowned upon. Therefore, it is not uncommon that many suicides go unreported or are misreported as natural or accidental deaths.

It is important to remember that suicide is not a problem unique to one country. So, speak up and reach out! You might just save a life.

A New Year & A New Minimum Wage for Jakarta...

Every year the minimum wage for Jakarta is increased. This is done through the issue of a gubernatorial regulation. The most recent of those was issued in November of 2010. The regulation, No. 196 of 2010, came into immediate force on 15 November 2010. However, the reality is that it came into effect on 1 January 2011.

The new minimum wage for Jakarta is IDR 1.29 million per month. In Australian dollar terms, having had a look at the exchange rate at the hole in the wall money changer yesterday, it is give or take AUD 100 per month. Admittedly, it is cheaper to "live" in some parts of Jakarta than others. It is also, perhaps, cheaper to live in Jakarta than, say, Sydney (or Australia, generally). Therefore, the best way to look at the minimum wage is whether it is considered sufficient to cover the basic living costs of Jakartans where they live, Jakarta.

The data that exists says that the minimum basic wage required to sufficiently cover one's costs in Jakarta is slightly above IDR 1.4 million per month. So, despite an increase of 15%+ over the 2010 minimum wage of IDR 1.18 million per month, the 2011 minimum wage still falls short,a nd considerably so, of what is needed to live at an acceptable level of comfort.

Nevertheless, it is important to remember that the minimum wage provisions only apply to those with less than one year of permanent employment. Those with more than one year of permanent employment are expected to be earning more than the minimum wage. It must be remembered that unemployment is still high in Indonesia, and especially in Jakarta as rural Indonesians migrate to the capital in search of permanent employment. For those who do not have permanent employment or whose employment can be best described as occasional then the minimum wage provisions contained in the regulation appear like a mirage in the distance that one will never meet.

Looking at the regulation in isolation hides the fact that it is still estimated that at least 50% of the population exist on less than USD 2 per day.

If you want "proper" analysis of the regulation and a copy if it, then head over to Hukumonline (that's where I go to get copies of legislation, the analysis I do myself :D).

Narcotics and Facebook: Twin Dangers in Depok...

This is a happy snappy, a personal one I think, that appeared in my Facebook account. I happy to credit the photo if the author so desires.

It seems that the Depok City government has their priorities straight; narcotics and then Facebook.

Trans-Jakarta Busway vs. New York Subway: The Flashers...

The Trans-Jakarta Busway as had a few recent "groping" incidents. These were essentially men grabbing and touching women in places women would not be expecting to be touched in a public bus. The police tended to encourage the women not to pursue their allegations any further as they are too difficult to prove. This resulted in some CCTV equipment being installed as a deterrent.

In contrast, the groping went to a much more extreme level in New York recently with the groper actually being a flasher who thought he would rub his penis up against his victim. Interestingly, no CCTV footage here, but some mobile phone video camera footage of the aftermath.

Perhaps, with the technology available to us in 2010 citizen journalism may capture a whole lot more video evidence than we might have had access to in the past, particularly real-time evidence at the scene of the crime.

DJ Mamy Rock...

I was thinking of posting about Ruth Flowers (aka DJ Mamy Rock) a couple of days ago, but got busy doing other things. DJ Mamy Rock is 69-years-old. Her past life was in Bristol in England. Her new life as a DJ is taking her all over the world. She has done Europe and is a real star there. She has recently taken Los Angeles by storm and will by all accounts sweep the rest of the US up in that perfect storm.

I watched an interview with her the other day on Sunrise (Channel 7) here in Australia. Apparently, her crisis post middle-age crisis was not really a crisis but rather a tag along with a grandson to a disco. It was here she decided that she could do as good a job, if not better, as the DJ working her grandson's party. The rest is history so they say. However, that history included some help from a French fellow, Aurelien Simon, who wanted to launch a granny DJ. It would seem that this was the perfect convergence of vision and person.

Having conquered Europe and seemingly the US, DJ Mamy Rock is going to be playing gigs in China and Japan. So, I am wondering whether there are any interested Indonesian club owners who might entice DJ Mamy Rock to make a trip to Jakarta for a show or two. Maybe she could do a gig at X2 or Red Square, but there are a stack of options for DJ Mamy Rock in Indonesia.

Perhaps, DJ Mamy Rock can keep heading south and do a few gigs in Australia. I might even be tempted to head out and have a look if she were to make it to Sydney.

Hopefully at 69 I will still be standing up more often than sitting down.

Here are some YouTube clips of DJ Mamy Rock in action.

SBY Having Another Buffalo Moment...

It would appear that the very considerable resources of the National Police Force of the Republic of Indonesia are being brought together to keep people's legitimate rights to protest at bay. Funnily enough in the democracy that Indonesia claims to be, there are those that don't see eye-to-eye with the president on his performance.

In order to make the president see that he is doing a below average job they plan to protest on 20 October 2010 to commiserate the first 12 months of the second Yudhoyono term.

A previous protest was notable for the reaction of the ever and over-sensitive president. One of the protesters thought the best visual way to articulate his dissatisfaction about the job the president was not doing, namely: being president, was to bring along his buffalo and paint SiBuYo on the side of it.

There is little doubting what this protesters intention was. However, this, in my opinion, is a poor rap for the buffalo. After all, the buffalo is worth something and actually pulls their weight and does some work.In fact, the buffalo earns its keep. Whereas, in contrast SBY, is just big, fat and lazy, except when it comes to making albums and inserting inappropriate questions into the civil service exams!

But, to ensure that the super-thin-skinned president is not the subject of ridicule and offense. The National Police have reminded protesters they are not to bring animals to the protest, particularly animals that will cause offense. This is presumably for public safety and law and order concerns. As I said, bad rap for the buffalo.

Maybe the RMS should just start bringing buffaloes to the airport...it seems that Pak Presiden is just as scared of buffaloes as he is court cases.

KPK to PDI-P, Bugger Off!

Unfortunately, it would never happen! But, that is probably because I am not a member of the KPK. If it was me, then as soon as the PDI-P delegation turned up they would be turned away with a: "On ya bikes, and get the hell out of my office!" Closely followed with, "I am trying to do some serious work, you people down the DPR building in Senayan should consider trying it some day...work that is!"

Seriously, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) names some PDI-P legislators, former and current, as suspects in a bribery case, and the PDI-P thinks that as a party it has a right to interrogate the KPK and demand some answers (and presumably a copy of the current case brief).

It would seem that the PDI-P beef with the KPK is why the KPK made a public announcement that named the PDI-P legislators as suspects. The rationale being that this is not all above board and that the KPK is being pressured, politically, to rush to judgment. This rationale is premised loosely on prevailing laws and regulations, at least the PDI-P interpretation of them, namely: that the receivers of bribes are secondary level suspects and the main suspects have to be those giving the bribe.

The best part of the PSI-P argument for not naming the former and current PDI-P legislators as suspects is that state officials who have received bribes but pay that money back cannot be guilty of a crime. I am sure that their will be plenty of Indonesians who find this truly offensive to their sense of right and wrong, and to the idea of justice. The whole idea that corruption is only corruption if you get caught, and then if you are caught you can absolve the original crime by paying back any monies or assets you received. Simply, if you are a state official what have you got to lose. You take the bribe, if you get caught you pay it back. If you do not get caught, then you just live it up with your new found wealth.

Too sad for words. It is no wonder that Megawati and the PDI-P have fared so badly in recent elections and lost the popularity of the "little people" or wong cilik that the party once so dominated.

Another classic PDI-P quotable moment was provided by Trimedya Panjaitan. Panjaitan suggested that the KPK was being politicised and that the KPK had only named the PDI-P lawmakers because the PDI-P was a successful opposition party, and the KPK was being used to undermine the PDI-P. He then goes on to suggest that the visit was not intended to interfere with the investigation of KPK's affairs. Uh huh! Whatever he is smoking, I need some of that!

PDI-P really needs to rethink its game if it is to walk the walk as an opposition party instead of doing a poor job on trying to talk the talk, and make that enough to sway voters to their party.

Ho hum...

More Blasphemy -- The Buddha Bar...

You have to give it to the Central Jakarta District Court, they certainly get some interesting cases. Perhaps not nearly as interesting as the celebrity cases that tend to go through the South Jakarta District Courts, but interesting all the same. Anyway, the Central Jakarta District Court had the opportunity to hear the recent case involving a petition to close down the Buddha Bar in the old Jakarta tourism building.

Now it seems that the Central Jakarta District Court has ruled in favour of the petitioners who were arguing that Nireta Vista Creative, the owners of the Buddha Bar franchise in Indonesia, violated state laws that protect religious plurality by mandating that people do not cause offense to state-sanctioned religions or blaspheme other religions. The Court held that the Buddha Bar offends and blasphemes. Therefore, the company who owns it must close it immediately. Furthermore, the Court handed out a fine of IDR 1 billion for mental distress to the petitioners, the Anti-Buddha Bar Forum.

The fine is to be paid by the owners of the Buddha Bar and by Fauzi Bowo (and the Jakarta Government). It would appear that the Court is punishing Bowo and the government for not being pro-active enough in shutting down the Buddha Bar when objections to it first arose.

I really do want to laugh at the decision to make the claim in the first place, but even more so at the idea that the Court not only entertained the case but found in favour of the petitioners. The cynic in me says that there must be bigger political and business interests at play here.

There is little doubt that there will be an appeal to the High Court.

However, perhaps now is a good a time as any to think about what the Buddha might have done had he been confronted with such a situation. My uneducated guess would be that he would have suggest his followers take a chill pill, find a big shady tree, and meditate for a while. The Buddha would undoubtedly have been philosophical about his approach. But, I am pretty sure that he would not have suffered IDR 1 billion worth of mental suffering and distress.

Perhaps those that have issues with the defenders of all things Islam, the FPI, might want to take them to caught and get a judgment for mental distress. It goes without saying that the FPI thugs are clearly violating the principles of showing respect and tolerance towards state-sanctioned religions. Now, if the courts will not take up the baton for all religions as it ha done for Buddhism in this instance, then the government needs to exhibit some testicular fortitude in ensuring that plurality is a reality and not just lip-service provided only when it suits.

All Women Train Carriages -- Jakarta...

PT Kereta Api (State Rail Company) has commenced an "all women" service. This service sees a couple of carriages set aside exclusively for women to travel in. These carriages have security guards who are presumably policing who enters the relevant carriages.

This is not such a bad idea. It is not such a bad idea because recently Jakartan public transportation system has been subject to a number of sexual assaults. These have taken the form of men groping women and in some cases getting their hands inside shirts and down skirts. This has been attributed to men finding themselves in close proximity to women and not being able to control their urges to touch what is not theirs.

This has led to arguments suggesting that all women services are required. If women still wish to travel in the ordinary carriages of the train, then they can. However, if they feel the need to squeeze into an all female carriage then they probably will be able to do that. Nevertheless, this might be a supply and demand problem. It would seem that demand from women to sit in the relative safe environment of an all female carriage might outstrip the number of carriages available.

Shariah Law in Aceh, Indonesia...

This post deserves much more than what it is about to get!

I make it only to highlight a few things that are percolating in the grey matter inside my skull. If I had more time, then I probably would delve more deeply into the legal realm and analyse the implications of allowing Shariah law to be implemented in a secular state, even one with a large majority of Muslims as resident citizens.

Sometimes, I miss not having more time to write about the laws of Indonesia.

The photo attached here made me chuckle, I apologise if this seems flippant as caning generally does not lend itself to flippancy. Yet, check out the garb of the caner. It reminds me of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I think it is the white stripe that cuts across the eyes in what is an otherwise all black ensemble befitting of an executioner.

The idea that Aceh has a right to implement Shariah law because it is "more" Muslim, in a devout sense, than the rest of Indonesia is absurd. It is also offensive to Muslims residing in other parts of the archipelago that the government does not think them Muslim enough to force Shariah upon them as well. This raises an important question, one that gets bandied around every now and then, but never really answered: "do the Acehnese really want Shariah law?"

There has always been this public spin machine that played up the idea that Aceh was so much more devoutly Muslim than anywhere else, so this must mean they want Shariah. After all, what "good" Muslim would not want it? Yet, it has never really been clear whether the people of Aceh wanted Shariah or just to be free from the interference and oppression of the Indonesian state. My guess would be that there are still plenty of Acehnese who would gladly trade Shariah law for some real "autonomy" from Jakarta (aka Indonesia) and even freedom in the form of independence.

Having a quick squiz at the legal foundations from Shariah law in Aceh. It is interesting that the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, and the five guiding principles encapsulated in Pancasila, make it pretty clear that Indonesia is a secular state. In the most simple terms, there is no preference to be afforded to one religion in preference to another. Or, all people are allowed to practice their faith according to the tenets of that faith (except of course if you belong to the Ahmadiyya sect).

The first steps towards Shariah occurred in 1999 with Aceh being given super special status, and presumably the 'right' to implement Shariah Law. In an attempt to clarify what that meant, the government stipulated some more basic terms as to how autonomy would work. The clarifications, in essence, allowed the locally elected government of Aceh to start the Shariah-nization of Aceh by establishing Shariah Laws (Regional Regulations known as Qanun) and Shariah Courts to hear cases that involved the breach of those laws.

This is problematic for a number of reasons. However, most important is that the implementation of Shariah Law in Aceh creates a two-tiered legal system where Muslims and non-Muslims are treated differently. This, above all else, means that the laws discriminate against some Indonesian citizens. The Constitution clearly prohibits this from happening. In many ways, the provisions of the Constitution are crafted to provide equal protection for all citizens. Simply, being Muslim should not expose you to harsher penalties than are otherwise available to non-Muslim Indonesian citizens.

Nevertheless, the granting of special autonomy in Aceh with the ability to ram through local regulations on Shariah has emboldened other less special provinces to embark on the Shariah-nization of their respective regions through the implementation of Shariah laws. Some have argued that this is Islamisation or the Wahabbi-nisation of Indonesia by stealth. I would argue that there is nothing stealthy about it. In fact, it is overt rather than covert, and politicians seem to think that the Shariah-nization of their regions is a real vote getter. After all, good Muslim politicians do not want to be viewed as being insufficiently devout, and what could be more devout than arguing for the stoning of adulterers and the cutting off of the hands of thieves, right?

The logic is all wrong.

Anyways, enough of the ranting and railing...back to work, there are assessment tasks due!

Cut Tari and Ariel Peterporn...

The proof of the deed is in the "watches". Or, more specifically in the "watch" of Nazriel "Ariel" Irham, amateur pornographer and wannabe porn star.

The attached image is supposedly proof positive that the fellow wearing the watch and making a rear entry into the scene is none other than Ariel. The photo really is a little to grainy for my liking. It would be so much easier if there was a much more obvious distinguishing feature' like a tattoo or a mole on the end of his penis or something (not that I would be looking, of course), just something that the police could grab on to might help in resolving this case...

In any event, if the case is this easy, why is it taking the police so long to lay the charges, complete the case file, and hand this thing off to the prosecutors?

Ho hum...

Cut Tari -- Devastated...

Oh dear!

Cut Tari is devastated not because she is a married mother of one who has been terribly embarrassed by the fact that a sex tape allegedly of her and Nazriel "Ariel" Irham going at it like two rabbits in heat, but because of the fact that she admits to the tape being of her and young Ariel maintains that it is not him in the tape.

The mind boggles at the possibilities here, like for example: some fella who looks like Ariel of Peterpan fame convinced Cut Tari that he was in fact Ariel and that they should get down to business and she agreed. Or, Ariel is simply persisting because he is in denial and he believes that if he denies it enough then people will finally believe him.

Yet, what was really weird for me was that the 'devastation' that Cut Tari supposedly feels stems from the suggestion that Ariel's continued denial means that he did not love her at the time of the deed. My initial reaction is, "Cut, wake up and smell the coffee!" Ariel is certainly not the first bloke and neither will he be the last that will say anything to get laid. Look, if it takes the whispering of sweet nothings like, "of course, I will still love you after we do it" or "yes, I respect you...you mean the world to me" or my personal favourite of "we are soul mates, this is just so right, there is no one else for me but you!"

Apparently, during the early investigative phase of this case, the police sat Cut Tari and Ariel down in a room and showed them the tape. Cut is said to have fessed up that it was indeed her mug in the tape. However, Ariel's contribution went along the lines of "it is not me!" "I do not even like the chick, so why would I be sticking anything in her, let alone going to the trouble of filming it?"

At this point it became too much for Cut and she broke down in tears, and told her lawyer, the one and only, Hotman Paris, that Ariel's statement broke her heart. If I am not mistaken Cut Tari has supposedly moved on, got married, and started a family. I am having trouble understanding why the 'broken heart'? Is she suggesting that she has not moved on?

Or are we seeing that old stereotype played out that suggests that sex for women is a serious game that is difficult to separate from the emotional attachment. Whereas, for men it is a biological urge as simple, and as crude, as getting your end wet! I was recently watching a debate about the pros and cons of the women vs. men sex outside of marriage and commitment to and fro. Interesting.

Ho hum...

Begging -- Employment Opportunity...

This is another one to file away in the "already know that file". The idea that begging is an employment opportunity, and a lucrative one, is an idea that has been around for as long as any of us care to remember.

And, Ramadan always sees an increase of people begging on every street corner. Ramadan generally sees more people hungry, but also sees them in a more generous and giving mood. So, this time of the year is a "lucrative" one in that there are more people giving.

The fact that some individual has worked out that by coordinating the efforts of individual beggars into a collective and then taking a percentage of the daily take can make them a tidy sum, really is not rocket science. Anyone with a rudimentary understanding of economics could probably work it out.

It is estimated that some 31 million Indonesians live just on or under the poverty line. The arbitrary poverty line for Jakarta is IDR 211,726 per month. I am not sure why it is IDR 211,726 and not just rounded up or down to IDR 211,500 or IDR 212,000. IDR 200 does not buy very much in Indonesia nowadays. Now, this is the kicker, and also why begging is seen as a legitimate employment alternative. It it further estimated that a beggar of average skills can make up to IDR 280,000 per day on average in Jakarta by doing nothing more than sticking the hand out with the hope of some small change.

It is true that beggars can amass considerable incomes and do relatively well. It must also be noted that they are not paying tax on this cash income (unless of course they are declaring it). I once new this bloke who used to beg at the traffic lights not far from the place I was living. He used to use a skateboard to get around. He had polio legs, and being poor meant that a skateboard was the choice he had when he was younger. Anyways, one day I took it upon myself to ask him about "his story". I am glad I did, it was enlightening to say the least.

The fella was born into what many of us would call "dirt poor" circumstances, which resulted in childhood polio and little school-based education, but a broad education know as "life" or the "school of hard knocks".

Yet, here was this fella who could have been twisted and bitter about the hand that he was dealt, but he chose not to be. His begging ways had started early and continued now into his early 50s. He had moved from a slum area in North Jakarta to a home in Bandung. He was now a part-time beggar in that he worked a roster of a "week on" and a "week off". He had himself and his family some small digs in East Jakarta.

Yes folks, a beggar with two houses! He had earned considerable sums of money. His children were well looked after and better educated in a formal sense than he was. Hence the reason this story in The Jakarta Globe recently that begging was a lucrative employment opportunity has been filed away in the "already knew that" file.

The point though is not to perpetuate the myth that beggars are doing it easy and that begging is a lucrative past time that doubles as real employment. It is a furphy to suggest such. It is government double speak designed to turn the public tide against beggars and the difficulties that they face in order to survive. In trying to turn public opinion against the poor and marginalised the hope is that the government can gradually remove these people through criminalising their activities. In this case, activities must be translated as doing whatever they can to survive.

The cold, hard reality that the government would sweep under the rug of truth is that for every "beggar coordinator" success story there are many, many, many beggars who are used and abused by the system that should be protecting them and not criminalising them.

Do not be fooled by the Government of Jakarta's talk of begging being employment. It is not employment! And, speaking of it like it is employment is irresponsible and misrepresents the desperation that many beggars face each and every day.

Government of Jakarta, huh?

I have read some stupid things today, but this takes the cake. What is the Government of Jakarta thinking when it states that it thinks working cooperatively with the Islamic Defenders' Front (FPI) during the holy month of Ramadan to "secure" entertainment venues. Secure in this context must mean compliance as opposed to safeguard. Unfortunately, this news story I read in Indonesian (here, so if you can read it...if not, then you will have to take my word for it).

At this stage it is supposedly only a plan, but the fact that it has been suggested shows some serious lack of foresight by the government and a real lack of understanding. The Government of Jakarta has sufficient law enforcement resources at its disposal that it just does not need to make use of the thugs at the FPI to do quasi police work.

As I said, this is the stupidest thing I read today. The FPI is the same bunch of goons that go round each Ramadan and forcibly close entertainment venues irrespective of whether the venue is operating pursuant to the rules and regulations.

These closures are done using extreme violence and are designed to damage as much property as possible, they are designed to inflict physical harm on patrons at these venues, and they are designed to strike fear into the general populace. So, I ask again, what is the government thinking by seemingly granting the FPI legitimacy to break the law and harm the citizens of Jakarta?

The Governor of Jakarta, Fauzi Bowo, really needs to think again on this one. If he stays this course it only serves to provide ammunition to his critics who have already nicknamed him Fuzzy Bodoh (bodoh in Indonesian means stupid).

The plan to use the FPI is just a stupid, stupid, stupid idea!

You Get What You Vote For...

The beauty of a democracy is you get what you vote for.

And, if you get taken in by the charm offensive of candidates about how, once they are elected, they are going to serve your interests because you are the constituents and they serve only at your pleasure, blah, blah, blah (how cynical am I tonight?), then you could end up with this view on a regular number of plenary session days in the Indonesian Parliament.

If you want to read about the lazy Indonesian legislators, and their excuses for excessive absenteeism, then head over to The Jakarta Globe. The best excuses to date have been that parliamentarians work too hard and that they have permission letters from their parties to be absent. It sort of reminds me of the permission notes I write for my students when they want to leave class to go to the toilet.

But, if you just want to have a chuckle about the empty "people's house" then the picture is for you!