I just got this link from one of my friend. It's so freaking hilarious. It's about some tourist trying to set up and open public eyes about the real "Police" in Indonesia. Enjoy the video !!!!
Credits goes to Halim, Millstone2006
The video:
Today i saw this disturbing but very funny article in the Dikmenti DKI's website (I have no idea what Dikmenti is). But it's really - really funny. My wild guess would be the system use some sort of translator that will translate the article from Indonesia to English.
Perbaikan nasib petani yang sering diwacanakan maupun peluncuran program pertanian ternyata tidak banyak menyentuh petani. Buktinya, dari sejumlah petani yang ditemui, sebagian besar menyatakan tak ada perbaikan nasib. Lalu, apa kiat mereka untuk bertahan hidup di tengah keterpurukan harga komoditi pertanian?
Bali Post/dok
ALIH PERAN - Buruh luar daerah kini mengambil alih peran tenaga lokal dalam memanen padi.
BERCOCOK tanam sayur dan bunga pacar, kini menjadi alternatif para petani di sejumlah kabupaten di Bali. Di Kabupaten Klungkung, banyak tanah sawah tidak lagi ditanami padi, tetapi bunga pacar. Petani beralasan, hal itu dilakukan lantaran biaya operasional yang dikeluarkan untuk menanam padi tidak sebanding dengan hasil panen. Bahkan, cenderung lebih tinggi biaya operasional.
Wayan Kerta, petani di Subak Mungguna, Tihingan, mengakui hasil bunga tak seberapa, tetapi melebihi biaya produksi yang juga tak banyak. Hal sama diakui petani Subak Mekoodan, Nang Kapuh, Pan Siring dan Nang Rudi. Mereka mengaku, hasilnya sebagai petani benar-benar tak layak. Makanya mereka tak heran kalau generasi muda sekarang makin menjauhi sektor ini.
Anggota DPRD Klungkung Ketut Ariyasa menuding banyaknya lahan sawah yang ditanami bunga akan menggagalkan upaya swasembada pangan. Hal ini dampak dari ketidakpedulian pemerintah dalam upaya peningkatan produksi. ''Mereka hanya melaksanakan program rutin yang tidak menunjukkan peningkatan hasil produksi. Akibatnya, petani hanya bisa berproduksi untuk memenuhi konsumsi sendiri.''
Petani di Tabanan juga mengeluhkan hal yang sama. I Wayan Budiarta dari Baturiti Kaja yang memiliki sawah di Subak Meliling dan Pan Putra asal Mandung menyatakan harga pupuk dan obat-obatan yang tinggi sangat memberatkannya. Kak Bayu yang memiliki sawah di Subak Mandung juga mengeluhkan harga pupuk dan obat-obatan. Kak Bayu menyatakan jika dihitung dengan biaya produksi dan hasil yang didapatkan, dipastikan akan minus.
Pendapat yang hampir senada juga disampaikan Pan Suka, Pan Sutarja dan I Ketut Bina yang memiliki sawah di Subak Wangaya, Penebel. Gangguan hama sering membuat petani ketar-ketir karena takut gagal panen. Dengan harga pupuk seperti saat ini, nasib petani akan membaik manakala harga gabah saat panen dapat dikontrol, bukan selalu anjlok ketika panen.
Maka tak salah dengan kondisi itu, banyak petani di Buleleng kini memperlakukan pekerjaan pertanian sebagai sampingan. Memang, jika melulu hanya mengandalkan hasil pertanian mereka masih bisa makan sehari-hari, namun tak akan bisa menyekolahkan anak-anak mereka sekaligus memenuhi kebutuhan peralatan rumah tangga.
Sebagaimana diakui Gede Yadnya, seorang petani dari Banjar Abasan Desa Panji Anom Kecamatan Sukasada. Dulu, ketika kebutuhan hidup belum sebesar sekarang, ia masih bisa hidup nyaman menjadi petani. Namun kini, selain kebutuhan hidup keluarganya terus meningkat, juga kebutuhan pupuk dan obat-obatan untuk meningkatkan hasil panen juga harganya semakin mahal. Untuk itu, sejak sekitar sepuluh tahun lalu ia sudah tak berharap banyak lagi dari hasil pertanian. Ia hanya ke sawah ketika musim sedang bagus, sementara pada hari-hari biasa ia terpaksa bekerja di bidang lain, seperti pertukangan. ''Jika hanya mengandalkan pertanian, kami tak bisa menyekolahkan anak-anak,'' katanya.
Hal yang sama dikatakan I Made Mustika dari Banjar Mandul Desa Panji Anom, Sukasada. Menurutnya, menjadi petani bukanlah pekerjaan gampang, bahkan lebih sulit dari pekerjaan lain. Apalagi harga pupuk dan obat-obatan terus meningkat dan kondisi irigasi makin amburadul. ''Air saja susah diperoleh, apalagi pupuk yang harganya mahal,'' katanya.
Kepala Dinas Pertanian dan Peternakan Buleleng Ir. Putu Ardika mengakui anggaran untuk pertanian tahun 2007 ini berjumlah sekitar Rp 9 milyar. Anggaran itu meningkat dari tahun 2006 lalu yang jumlahnya hanya Rp 7 milyar. Namun, ia mengakui jumlah anggaran itu masih kurang jika dibandingkan dengan berbagai program yang harus dilaksanakan untuk kembali memberdayakan pertanian di Buleleng.
Harga Rendah
Di Karangasem juga setali tiga uang. Pemberdayaan masyarakat petani masih sekadar wacana. Petani seringkali cuma disuruh menanam, tetapi setelah ada hasil harganya rendah akibat petani tak memiliki daya tawar.
Sejumlah klian subak dan petani di Karangasem mengeluhkan hal itu saat berdialog dengan anggota Dewan Perwakilan Daerah (DPD) Dra. IA Agung Mas, Selasa (9/10) kemarin. Ketua Asosiasi Petani Cengkeh Karangasem Nyoman Merta mengatakan, harga cengkeh kering kini anjlok cuma Rp 28 ribu per kg. Demikian juga harga vanili. Jebloknya harga cengkeh akibat jalur pemasaran yang terlalu panjang.
Anggota DPRD Karangasem Nyoman Subaga, S.T. di Amlapura mengatakan para petani di Karangasem kerap mengeluh, karena jerih payahnya bekerja membanting tulang tak sepadan dengan hasilnya. Dia mengakui memang sudah ada proyek seperti perbaikan irigasi sawah, tetapi belum seberapa. Saluran irigasi masih lebih banyak yang rusak.
Ia juga menambahkan, bantuan pemerintah berupa 60.000 ton bibit padi enam bulan lalu, justru menyebabkan petani merasa dibodohi. Bibit padi yang diberikan diduga cuma pelemparan untuk kepentingan politik tertentu. Nyatanya, petani yang menggunakan bibit padi itu menyebabkan gagal panen total. Soalnya, bibit padi Ciherang itu sama sekali tak tahan tungro, sehingga tanaman padi total daunnya memerah diserang tungro ganas. Padahal penyakit tungro di Karangasem sejak dulu dikenal endemis.
Kadis Pertanian Tanaman Pangan Karangasem Subrata Yasa saat dihubungi beberapa waktu lalu mengatakan, belakangan ini sulit mencari bibit padi yang tahan tungro. Jenis padi yang tahan tungro seperti variets tukad Petanu atau Unda. Dikatakan, distribusi pupuk bersubsidi yang dulu sempat dikeluhkan petani kini sudah lancar. (tim BP)
Today I got this funny picture from my blogger friend. This is related to the cold war between
Nah sekarang menyesal kan menjatuhkan Bung Karno pada saat dia mau melancarkan "Ganyang Malaysia". Soeharto anjing kok didukung. Bego sih. Susah emang jadi orang bego ...
Subak jadi kebanggaan Bali. Subak juga sering ''dijual'' untuk memperkenalkan Bali di mancanegara. Tetapi pernahkah disinggung bahwa krama subak -- petani -- kini sudah tak berdaya di balik nama besar itu. Pernahkah pula ''diperkenalkan'' bahwa subak di Bali kini menghadapi krisis air. Mengapa dua hal itu sering disembunyikan demi kebanggaan semu di balik nama besar; subak!HIDUP petani memang sederhana, sesederhana pemikirannya. Mereka setia bertahan dengan segala keterbatasan. Meskipun seringkali penghasilan dari pekerjaan bertani kurang untuk menutupi biaya dapur.
Keluh kesah Wayan Dapur, Pekaseh Subak Canggu, barangkali bisa menyuarakan betapa getirnya hidup sebagai petani saat ini. Tingginya biaya pupuk, bibit, dan obat-obatan memang menjadi permasalahan klasik yang dihadapinya. Namun yang paling terasa menyusahkan para petani sekarang adalah tak lancarnya air irigasi.
Keinginan mereka yang utama, mendapat air yang cukup untuk irigasi sawah mereka. Setelah kebutuhan air tercukupi barulah mereka memikirkan bantuan lain dari pemerintah seperti subsidi benih padi dan pupuk.
Lelaki yang masih tampak energik di usia senjanya itu mengatakan kekurangan air irigasi merupakan persoalan cukup berat bagi petani, khususnya di Canggu.
Lantas, bagaimana keseharian para petani ini? Seolah menegaskan bahwa kesejahteraan para petani memang jauh di bawah standar. Wayan Dapur mengaku hidup sebagai petani memang sulit dan tidak dapat dibanggakan. Dia tidak memungkiri pendapatan petani seringkali tidak sebanding dengan biaya operasional yang harus dikeluarkan.
Wayan Dapur mengaku terang-terangan, hidup sebagai petani itu melarat. Banyak petani tidak mampu bertahan apabila hanya mengandalkan hidup sebagai petani. Karena itu banyak petani yang mengontrakkan tanahnya untuk dibangun vila. Banyak juga petani yang bekerja sebagai tukang bangunan, berjualan, menjadi nelayan dan peternak. ''Yang penting bisa bertahan hidup dan mendapat tambahan penghasilan,'' imbuhnya.
Hal serupa dikatakan Si Putu Widya (65) dan Nyoman Sudana (42), warga Banjar Pande, Sempidi, yang mengaku punya sawah tidak lebih dari 20 are. Mereka mengaku biaya operasional yang dikeluarkan cukup besar, sedangkan pendapatan sebagai petani tidak seberapa. ''Jangan mengharap dapat untung dari bertani. Hasilnya hanya cukup untuk biaya makan sehari-hari. Tidak bisa untuk membiayai anak sekolah dan memperbaiki rumah,'' ujarnya.
Alami Penurunan
Berdasarkan data Sensus Pertanian Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS) Propinsi Bali, luas lahan sawah di Bali periode tahun 1996-2006 mengalami penurunan yang cukup signifikan yaitu sebesar 0,92% per tahunnya. Jika pada tahun 1996 luas lahan sawah di Bali 88.830 ha, maka di tahun 2006 luas lahan berkurang menjadi sekitar 80.997 ha.
Penurunan luas lahan sawah bahkan mengalami indikasi penurunan yang cukup tajam di wilayah Kota Denpasar, yaitu sebesar 2,64% per tahun. Pada tahun 1996, Denpasar memiliki lahan sawah seluas 3.552 ha, sementara pada tahun 2006 sebesar 2.717 ha. Dalam hal ini Denpasar mengalami penurunan luas lahan paling parah di Bali, disusul Jembrana (2,35%).
Hal itu dikatakan Kepala Bidang Statistik Produksi BPS Propinsi Bali Agung Raharjo, Senin (8/10) kemarin. Terkait tentang jumlah petani gurem atau petani yang menguasai lahan kurang dari 0,5 ha, Agung mengatakan justru terjadi kecenderungan peningkatan tiap tahunnya. Tanpa menyebut jumlah yang pasti, ia menyebutkan kecenderungan peningkatan itu ada kaitannya dengan penurunan luas lahan sawah itu sendiri.
Sementara itu, Ketua Himpunan Kerukunan Tani Indonesia (HKTI) Bali Prof. Dr. Nyoman Supartha, M.S. Senin kemarin mengatakan, persoalan dalam usaha pertanian bukan hanya menyangkut produksi, juga pascapanen. Namun karena modal yang terbatas, saat ini petani hanya mampu berproduksi sehingga kehidupannya tak maju-maju.
Lalu bagaimana kebijakan yang diambil pemerintah daerah untuk memajukan sektor pertanian. Adakah upaya itu hanya pemanis bibir? Bisa jadi hal itu benar adanya, kalau kita lihat anggaran untuk sektor pertanian masih sangat kecil. Bagaimana kondisi yang sebenarnya, akan dibahas pada laporan Rabu besok pada halaman yang sama. (tim BP)
Ah sepertinya daku lagi mengalami hari - hari buruk dengan komunikasi. Setelah beberapa minggu yang lalu ada masalah dengan sim card, sekarang muncul lagi masalah dengan henpun. Ah kapan berentinya ni masalah ya.
Satu lagi aib yang mencoreng pariwisata Bali. Dua karyawan hotel Kamini Legian, Kuta, Badung yakni I Wayan Yudiantara (24) dan I Nyoman Suartana (22) terpaksa berurusan dengan polisi. Mereka dilaporkan ke Poltabes Denpasar karena terlibat kasus pemerkosaan.
Kedua pemuda ini, diduga telah memperkosa MO (23) asal Jepang, Senin (1/10). Perbuatan bejat itu dilakukan di kamar nomor 7 B, hotel setempat. Pukul 00.30 wita, korban dalam keadaan teler berat. Melihat kondisi korban yang teler, membuat libido kedua pelaku naik. Pikiran jahat pun timbul secara spontanitas.
Kedua pelaku langsung menggerayangi tubuh korban dan akhirnya terjadi perbuatan layak sensor. Kedok pelaku terbongkar setelah teman korban mengetahuinya. Perbuatan bejat pelaku dibeber dan korban melaporkan kasus tersebut ke Poltabes Denpasar.
September 17th, 2007
Attention Mr Budiarman Bahar. I am writing you with great concern, and a heavy heart, following an incident on September 16th at Denpasser Airport.
My wife and I are very regular visitors to the Island of Bali, and have not been afraid to visit on several occasions since the awful bombing disasters of recent years, we continue to support your Country, both by visiting Bali, and by our other actions, at home in Australia.
On September 16tth, we arrived to enjoy a 12 day holiday, at 3 different Villa’s, in Jeroboam, Seminyak and finally at Jimbarren Bay.
On our arrival, off Jet star JQ37, we proceeded to Immigration, where I was cleared without any problem, however, when my wife Dorothy proceeded, she was advised that as her Passport expired on March 5th, 2008, she only had 5 months an 2 weeks remaining!
We then produced evidence to show we held return Business Class Tickets, for September 28th, and, evidence of our 3 confirmed booking at the Villas above.
Following that we were taken to an Immigration office, where we were “interviewed” by Mr Nanang Yunanto, who suggested that, in order to clear Dorothy, we should pay a special fee. When we asked Mr Yunanto how much this fee was, he led us outside his office and told us US$4000.00.
When we objected strongly, he asked us what we each did for a job, and what was our Income per year and when I told him we were basically retired, he asked for US$2000.
As I was bringing my wife back to Bali to assist in her cancer recovery, I offered him US$500.00 as the “special” fee; however, he said this was an insult.
I then pleaded with him to allow Dorothy to stay, I told him of her cancer struggle, however, he just walked away, and refused to discuss it any further, simply shouting, “go back where you come from” and ordered that we be sent back on the next ‘plane. He took offence at me as I asked for his name, and he refused to give it to me, however, several of the younger customs and Immigration Staff were happy to give me his name, as they claim he regularly behaves this way, and asks for Bribes. They told me he was an embarrassment to the Balinese people with his behaviour. It was only because of them that we learnt his name.
My Wife and I will be happy to return, at our own cost, to act as witnesses should you wish to take the appropriate action against this person and show that your Country is no longer dependant on the people that act this way.
I do not wish to harm the fantastic Balinese people, but, if necessary, I will go to any lengths to expose this behaviour, and warn people about the odd bad person in the system.
Kind Regards,
Geoff and Dorothy Longhurst
Well, I found another article from the same writer and I think it very important to understand the situation in our country from foreigner perspective.
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Indonesian motorists stuck in a traffic jam in Central Jakarta. (Photo: Bay Ismoyo / AFP-Getty Images) |
Today, high-rises dot the skyline, hundreds of thousands of vehicles belch fumes on congested traffic arteries and super-malls have become the cultural centers of gravity in Jakarta, the fourth largest city in the world. In between towering super-structures, humble kampongs house the majority of the city dwellers, who often have no access to basic sanitation, running water or waste management.
While almost all major capitals in the Southeast Asian region are investing heavily in public transportation, parks, playgrounds, sidewalks and cultural institutions like museums, concert halls and convention centers, Jakarta remains brutally and determinately 'pro-market' — profit-driven and openly indifferent to the plight of a majority of its citizens who are poor.
Most Jakartans have never left Indonesia, so they cannot compare their capital with Kuala Lumpur or Singapore; with Hanoi or Bangkok. Comparative statistics and reports hardly make it into the local media. Despite the fact that the Indonesian capital is for many foreign visitors a 'hell on earth,' the local media describes Jakarta as "modern," "cosmopolitan," and "a sprawling metropolis."
Newcomers are often puzzled by Jakarta's lack of public amenities. Bangkok, not exactly known as a user-friendly city, still has several beautiful parks. Even cash-strapped Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea, boasts wide promenades, playgrounds, long stretches of beach and sea walks.
Singapore and Kuala Lumpur compete with each other in building wide sidewalks, green areas as well as cultural establishments. Manila, another city without a glowing reputation for its public amenities, has succeeded in constructing an impressive sea promenade dotted with countless cafes and entertainment venues while preserving its World Heritage Site at Intramuros. Hanoi repaved its wide sidewalks and turned a park around Huan-Kiem Lake into an open-air sculpture museum.
But in Jakarta, there is a fee for everything. Many green spaces have been converted to golf courses for the exclusive use of the rich. The approximately one square kilometer of Monas seems to be the only real public area in a city of more than 10 million. Despite being a maritime city, Jakarta has been separated from the sea, with the only focal point being Ancol, with a tiny, mostly decrepit walkway along the dirty beach dotted with private businesses.
Even to take a walk in Ancol, a family of four has to spend approximately $4.50 (40,000 Indonesian Rupiahs) in entrance fees, something unthinkable anywhere else in the world. The few tiny public parks which survived privatization are in desperate condition and mostly unsafe to use.
There are no sidewalks in the entire city, if one applies international standards to the word "sidewalk." Almost anywhere in the world (with the striking exception of some cities in the United States, like Houston and Los Angeles) the cities themselves belong to pedestrians. Cars are increasingly discouraged from traveling in the city centers. Wide sidewalks are understood to be the most ecological, healthy and efficient forms of short-distance public transportation in areas with high concentrations of people.
In Jakarta, there are hardly any benches for people to sit and relax, and no free drinking water fountains or public toilets. It is these small, but important, 'details' that are symbols of urban life anywhere else in the world.
Most world cities, including those in the region, want to be visited and remembered for their culture. Singapore is managing to change its 'shop-till-you-drop' image to that of the center of Southeast Asian arts. The monumental Esplanade Theatre has reshaped the skyline, offering first-rate international concerts in classical music, opera, ballet, and also featuring performances from some of the leading contemporary artists from the region. Many performances are subsidized and are either free or cheap, relative to the high incomes in the city-state.
Kuala Lumpur spent $100 million on its philharmonic concert hall, which is located right under the Petronas Towers, among the tallest buildings in the world. This impressive and prestigious concert hall hosts local orchestra companies as well top international performers. The city is currently spending further millions to refurbish its museums and galleries, from the National Museum to the National Art Gallery.
Hanoi is proud of its culture and arts, which are promoted as its major attraction — millions of visitors flock into the city to visit countless galleries stocked with canvases, which can be easily described as some of the best in Southeast Asia. Its beautifully restored Opera House regularly offers Western and Asian music treats.
Bangkok's colossal temples and palaces coexist with extremely cosmopolitan fare — international theater and film festivals, countless performances, jazz clubs with local and foreign artists on the bill, as well as authentic culinary delights from all corners of the world. When it comes to music, live performances and nightlife, there is no city in Southeast Asia as vibrant as Manila.
Now back to Jakarta. Those who have ever visited the city's 'public libraries' or National Archives building will know the difference. No wonder; in Indonesia education, culture and arts are not considered to be 'profitable' (with the exception of pop music), and are therefore made absolutely irrelevant. The country spends the third lowest amount in the world on education (according to The Economist, only1.2 percent of its GDP) after Equatorial Guinea and Ecuador (there the situation is now rapidly improving with the new progressive government).
Museums in Jakarta are in appalling condition, offering absolutely no important international exhibitions. They look like they fell on the city from a different era and no wonder — the Dutch built almost all of them. Not only are their collections poorly kept, but they lack elements of modernity — there are no elegant cafes, museum shops, bookstores or even public archives. It appears that the individuals running them are without vision and creativity. However, even if they did have inspired ideas, there would be no funding to carry them out.
It seems that Jakarta has no city planners, only private developers that have no respect for the majority of its inhabitants who are poor (the great majority, no matter what the understated and manipulated government statistics say). The city abandoned itself to the private sector, which now controls almost everything, from residential housing to what were once public areas.
While Singapore decades ago, and Kuala Lumpur recently, managed to fully eradicate poor, unsanitary and depressing kampongs from their urban areas, Jakarta is unable or unwilling to offer its citizens subsidized, affordable housing equipped with running water, electricity, a sewage system, wastewater treatment facilities, playgrounds, parks, sidewalks and a mass public transportation system.
Rich Singapore aside, Kuala Lumpur with only 2 million inhabitants boasts one metro line (Putra Line), one monorail, several efficient Star LRT lines, suburban train links and high-speed rail system connecting the city with its new capital Putrajaya. The "Rapid" system counts on hundreds of modern, clean and air-conditioned buses. Transit is subsidized; a bus ticket on "Rapid" costs only $.60 (2 Malaysian Ringgits) for unlimited day use on the same line. Heavily discounted daily and monthly passes are also available.
Bangkok contracted German firm Siemens to build two long "Sky Train" lines and one metro line. It is also utilizing its river and channels as both public transportation and as a tourist attraction. Despite this enormous progress, the Bangkok city administration claims that it is building an additional 50 miles (80 kilometers) of tracks for these systems in order to convince citizens to leave their cars at home and use public transportation.
Polluting pre-historic buses are being banned from Hanoi, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and gradually from Bangkok. Jakarta, thanks to corruption and phlegmatic officials, is in its own league even in this field.
Mercer Human Resource Consulting, in its reports covering quality of life, places Jakarta repeatedly on the level of poor African and South Asian cities, below metropolises like Nairobi and Medellin.
Considering that it is in the league with some of the poorest capitals of the world, Jakarta is not cheap. According to the Mercer Human Resource Consulting 2006 Survey, Jakarta ranked as the 48th most expensive city in the world for expatriate employees, well above Berlin (72nd), Melbourne (74th) and Washington D.C. (83rd). And if it is expensive for expatriates, how is it for local people with a GDP per capita below $1,000?
Curiously, Jakartans are silent. They have become inured to appalling air quality just as they have gotten used to the sight of children begging, even selling themselves at the major intersections; to entire communities living under elevated highways and in slums on the shores of canals turned into toxic waste dumps; to the hours-long commutes; to floods and rats.
But if there is to be any hope, the truth has to eventually be told, and the sooner the better. Only a realistic and brutal diagnosis can lead to treatment and a cure. As painful as the truth can be, it is always better than self-deceptions and lies.
Jakarta has fallen decades behind capitals in the neighboring countries — in esthetics, housing, urban planning, standard of living, quality of life, health, education, culture, transportation, food quality and hygiene. It has to swallow its pride and learn from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Brisbane and even in some instances from its poorer neighbors like Port Moresby, Manila and Hanoi.
Comparative statistics have to be transparent and widely available. Citizens have to learn how to ask questions again, and how to demand answers and accountability. Only if they understand to what depths their city has sunk can there be any hope of change.
"We have to watch out," said a concerned Malaysian filmmaker during New Year's Eve celebrations in Kuala Lumpur. "Malaysia suddenly has too many problems. If we are not careful, Kuala Lumpur could end up in 20 or 30 years like Jakarta!"
Could this statement be reversed? Can Jakarta find the strength and solidarity to mobilize in time catch up with Kuala Lumpur? Can decency overcome greed? Can corruption be eradicated and replaced by creativity? Can private villas shrink in size and green spaces, public housing, playgrounds, libraries, schools and hospitals expand?
An outsider like me can observe, tell the story and ask questions. Only the people of Jakarta can offer the answers and solutions.
I got this article from my friend. It's really interesting. Please read it and you will know why I hate Jakarta so much. I hope I will never have to work there forever. Some people say that I should go and work in Jakarta. Well, yeah right, and I will get old in the roads. Not in a million years man ... I would rather going home to Bali than working in Jakarta.
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A man scavenges through a polluted river in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo: Bay Ismoyo / AFP-Getty Images) |
Many visitors also develop stomach ailments due to the appalling quality of Jakarta's water supply and food. Some simply collapse psychologically under the weight of the sheer ugliness of the place, where traffic jams are the main landmarks of the capital city and where one has to drive to the shopping malls in order to "take a walk." Almost nothing "public" has survived decades of the pro-business turbo-capitalism practiced in the Suharto and post-Suharto eras.
The city's first gubernatorial election took place on Aug. 8. Previously, the governor of Jakarta had been appointed by the president, or, as in 2002, by local legislature. Former deputy governor Fauzi Bowo, a life-long bureaucrat and "urban planning specialist" (as he likes to be described) backed by a medley of 19 mainstream political parties received around 58 percent of the votes, comfortably winning over Adang Daradjatun from the conservative Islamic Prosperous Justice Party (P.K.S.).
The governing abilities of the "urban specialist" Bowo are highly questionable. If anything, he and his outgoing boss, governor Sutiyoso, brought the capital city closer to collapse. Jakarta is dotted with modern skyscrapers alongside smelly, garbage-filled canals with muddy water — the only "playground" for hundreds of thousands of children.
According to some unofficial statistics (it seems that pollution is yet another "sensitive issue," with almost no reliable official data available), Jakarta is the third most polluted city in the world after Katmandu (Nepal) and New Delhi (India). This unflattering position is shared with the Chinese city of Chongqing.
According to an article titled "Cities of the Future" in online science and technology magazine RedOrbit: "The U.N. reports that the city's drinking water system is ineffective, leading 80 percent of Jakarta's inhabitants to use underground water, which has become steadily depleted. In low-lying North Jakarta, groundwater depletion has caused serious land subsidence, making the area more vulnerable to flooding and allowing seawater from the Java Sea to seep into the coastal aquifers. According to Suyono Dikun, deputy minister for Infrastructure at the National Development Planning Board, more than 100 million people in Indonesia are living without proper access to clean water."
None of this is surprising, as drinking water is privatized and run as pro-profit enterprise by French and British companies, "increasing prices and decreasing quality," according to The Economist magazine.
Deforestation, over-development and poor city planning has led to repeated, devastating floods. The most recent one, on Feb. 2, displaced more than 350,000 people, and destroyed more than 50 percent of Jakarta's dwellings, as approximately 70 to 75 percent of the city area was flooded with water up to 13 feet deep. Infrastructure damage and lost property amounted to almost $600 million. The great majority of the population has no insurance.
The city is choked by traffic jams. Specialists are warning that it is approaching permanent gridlock, unless there are some dramatic changes in the very near future. Jakarta has almost no public transportation system, considering its size. Sutiyoso's brainchild, the so-called "bus ways" (an idea adopted from much smaller cities in South America) never managed to fly. Buses are (ridiculously) equipped with only one door for loading and unloading passengers, and special ramps for disabled people never arrived. A one-way fare is going to climb to over $.50 in a country where the average monthly income is approximately $65 a month, and where more than half of the population lives on less than $2 a day.
There is almost no transparency and accountability in government. A much-advertised monorail system was supposed to have its first line opened this year. Some of the main avenues were blocked due to construction, causing traffic increases. Citizens were asked to be patient as the city government attempted to develop acutely needed transportation alternatives. But at some point, construction of the monorail simply stopped. Trees in the middle of the roads were already cut down; ugly concrete pillars had been driven into the earth, with metal bars sticking several yards high. No official explanation was given. There was no hotline to call, and no information about the funds that allegedly disappeared.
Once again, the government showed profound disregard for its own citizens. The local press, unfamiliar with anything even distantly resembling investigative journalism, decided not to ask uncomfortable questions — hardly a surprise in a country where the media is owned, without exception, by big business.
Instead of the monorail, outgoing governor Sutiyoso introduced a "water transportation service," probably in order to guarantee himself a place in the history of the city. Two pathetic little "public" boats navigate approximately one mile of polluted canal water, looking like miniscule icebreakers cutting through the endless rubbish. Service is available only for a few hours, on weekends — hardly a solution to almost permanent gridlock.
After being ruled for years by Sutiyoso, a former general, Jakarta truly resembles a mythical purgatory with its dark sky, endless chain of vehicles, and children begging and offering themselves at several major intersections. Some beggars have faces that are burned beyond recognition; others display what is left of their amputated hands and legs, for a fee. And, unlike in other Muslim countries that broadcast only calls for prayer, citizens of Jakarta are bombarded for at least six hours a day by prayers and religious recitations at unbearable volumes, like in the worst Orwellian nightmare.
There is almost nothing "public" left in the capital. Jakarta has only a handful of small parks, of which some are even charging an entrance fee. The city has almost no passable sidewalks. Jakarta seems to be fragmented, brutal and compassionless; commercialized to the extreme. No wonder: it was shaped after the 1965 military coup that killed between two and three million people, from those belonging to the leftist parties and movements to ethnic and religious minorities.
Indonesia is still governed to a large extent by the old military clique. The president, Susilo Banbang Yudhoyono, is a retired four-star general. Outgoing Jakarta governor Sutiyoso is also a member of the retired top army brass — a lieutenant general who served in the Indonesian military for three decades, and was involved in Indonesia's occupation of East Timor. It has been alleged that Sutiyoso was once a member of Team Susi, one of the military units that were involved in the savagely brutal advancement on Balibo, East Timor in 1975, when five foreign journalists were killed.
Not surprisingly, Bowo's deputy will be another military man, this time retired Major General Prijanto, described by the Jakarta Post as a "longtime army officer." He was deployed to East Timor as chief over the squad of air defense infantry for Operasi Seroja (Lotus Operation) in 1978.
Operasi Seroja began on Dec. 7, 1975. With American approval, Indonesian forces launched a massive air and sea invasion, utilizing almost entirely United States-supplied weapons and equipment. By mid February, around 60,000 men, women and children of tiny East Timor were dead. This operation, which lasted from 1975 to 1979, was aimed at curbing efforts from Fretilin, a movement comprised of indigenous Timorese who wanted to separate from Indonesia.
In the recent campaign for governor of Jakarta, the opposition candidate was also part of the military apparatus. Adang Daradjatun once served as the deputy national police chief; in the past, the police and the army were part of essentially the same organization.
Most of the citizens of Jakarta did not go to the polls to vote for the candidate of their choice, as there were none willing to address the grievances of the majority. They instead voted to prevent calamity, which for the most of them meant an Islamic party taking over the city's governance. Several areas of Java are now facing discriminatory restrictions imposed by Islamic Sharia Law. In theory, these bylaws are unconstitutional, but an extremely weak and indecisive local administration is unwilling or unable to confront the increasingly strong Islamist movements and organizations. Many citizens of Indonesia worry that secular essence of the State is in danger.
Primarily, the election campaign consisted of colorful pop music concerts and "stars" expressing support for one of two candidates. Eventually, both candidates appeared on television screens hugging the elderly, children and the poor. Neither of them offered any serious analyses of the devastating future Jakarta is facing. The media, always compliant, refrained from asking hard questions. As a result, only a handful of residents believe that the election will have a deep impact on their lives. Cynicism is growing, but the opposition is fragmented and weak, not surprising in a country where the military and religion play decisive roles.
In the meantime, rotting garbage contaminates poor neighborhoods and clogs canals. Corruption is so institutionalized that police do not investigate car theft or burglary, unless offered considerable sums of money in advance. "When one of our correspondents is robbed, we call the police and complain," said an editor from a national news magazine who didn't want to be identified. "They often apologize and bring the loot back in just a few hours. What does it mean? That police are working with the thieves. How can you fight corruption with such police force?"
Millions of uninsured and unprotected people are living in shacks. Even those surviving under the bridges in makeshift carton dwellings face extortion, as they are forced to pay "rent" to local thugs and "officials." Social services have already collapsed, and so has the infrastructure. Next to the luxury hotels, people eat in dirty stalls, often washing dishes with the water from open sewage.
If the situation doesn't change dramatically, citizens of Jakarta may be tempted to turn to conservative Islam, considering it the only force willing to "protect" them. However, in these latest elections they still opted for a "secular" candidate — the "city planner" and his deputy who had "proven himself" by bombing a helpless East Timorese civilian population more than 30 years ago.
Di blog saya sebelumnya saya pernah membahas tentang kasus pemerkosaan yang dilakukan oleh oknum mantan bupati di salah satu kabupaten di bali. Dan hari ini keputusannya sudah keluar ... dan tralalalala ... keputusannya adalah bebas murni ...
Well, susah memang kalo mau mengadili terdakwa dimana semua terdakwa sudah kong kali kong ... Mau gimana lagi ya ...
Hidup Hukum Kita ...
Balipost
Cicing ... bangsat ... kampret ... emoa urang ningali Hukum di Indonesia ...
Hari ini pemerintah US berjanji akan memberikan bantuan dana (lagi) kepada Indonesia. Itulah hasil "pertemuan dan pembicaraan" (mengemis) presiden SBY dan Bush. Dana tersebut (rencananya) akan digunakan untuk pengelolaan hutan Indonesia, yang menurut Bush adalah sebagian besar dari hutan dunia. Tapi, yakinkanlah diri anda semua, dana tersebut akan menguap dengan sukses. Kemana menguapnya dana itu, tidak akan ada yang tahu. Mungkin saja hutan yang terbakar itu membuat uang itu menguap. Entahlah ...
Hal yang menarik lagi adalah istilah yang digunakan untuk menyatakan hutang itu. Semua orang menggunakan istilah bantuan bukan hutang. Well, kalo di Indonesia istilah - istilah memang suka diperhalus untuk menutup - nutupi makna sebenarnya.
Saya sebenarnya sudah pernah membahas hal ini di blog saya sebelumnya. Tapi kita memang lebih menyukai istilah bantuan daripada hutangan. Sebenarnya masalah yang ditimbulkan oleh penggunaan istilah ini hanya di sisi psikologis (menurut saya). Kita jadinya tidak merasa berhutang, tidak punya kewajiban, tidak punya beban. Silahkan dipikirkan baik - baik, pernahkah kita tahu berapa hutang negara kita sekarang ini? Mungkin kita ga pernah menyadari pertambahan hutang ini karena istilah yang digunakan adalah bantuan x, bantuan y, dan bantuan z. Padahal sebenarnya bantuan - bantuan inilah yang memberatkan bangsa kita.
Kalo jaman Bung Karno ada istilah "Go to hell with your aid" yang akhirnya membawa Indonesia ke posisi hutang luar negeri hanyak 2 juta dollar (entah berapa harga dollar waktu itu), sekarang yang ada adalah "Bring it on".
winardi
-masih tidak suka pemerintah and never will-
Wah tidak terbayangkan deh kesalnya saya beberapa hari ini. Ini semua gara - gara kartu simPATI yang saya bawa tiba - tiba tidak bisa menerima sms dari Bali. Saya kemudian minta tolong kepada teman - teman saya untuk mencoba mengirim sms kepada saya dan hasilnya adalah sebagai berikut:
- Fery "Botak" Sinambela [+628119176xx] -> diterima
- Wawan "Wewe" Dipoetra [+6285630729xx] -> diterima
- Hery "Shark" Susanto [+628178956xx] -> diterima
Sampai disini saya ber-hipotesis bahwa kartu simPATI saya tidak bisa menerima SMS dari sesama Telkomsel tapi bisa menerima SMS dari operator lain. Tapi hipotesis ini dimentahkan oleh data pertama. Saya kemudian memasang status di Yahoo Messenger untuk minta tolong supaya saya di-SMS jika mereka menggunakan kartu dari Telkomsel. Hasilnya adalah sebagai berikut:
- Andreas "Andre" Aulia [+628117845xx] -> diterima
- Arie "Inul" Minandar [+6281224880xx] -> diterima
- Putu "Kukang" Yanti [+62813201458xx] -> diterima
- Sandy "Suna/Naruto" Martedi [+62813201124xx] -> diterima
- Adnyana "Bro/Teddy" Sudewa [+6281797180xx] -> diterima
- Ibu "Bro/Teddy" [unknown - simPATI - Bali] -> tidak diterima
- Clyra "Dara" Hayuning [+62852377777xx] -> tidak diterima
Nah lo. Dari data diatas ternyata saya masih bisa menerima SMS dari simPATI dan Halo. Saya kemudian berhipotesis bahwa terjadi suatu masalah pada jaringan Telkomsel yang ada di Bali karena semua SMS yang tidak saya terima itu asalnya hanya dari kartu Telkomsel yang ada di Bali saja. Sedangkan kartu Telkomsel lain, yang SMS-nya berhasil saya terima, semuanya berada di luar Bali. So Ada Apa Dengan simPATI [Bali]????
Terima kasih kepada orang - orang diatas yang telah bersedia mengirim SMS kepada saya.
Adakah yang bisa memberikan penjelasan kepada saya?
Adakah yang bisa membantu saya?
Prens yang di Telkomsel bagaimana?
-winardi-
-lagi kesal dengan simPATi-nya-
Sunderlan 2 - 0 Liverpool
Liverpool cruise to another victory today, thanks to the goal from Momo Sissoko and Andriy Voronin. Who would have thought that Momo will score today and the goal he score today is Liverpool goal number 7000? What a way to give your first goal to Liverpool. All Liverpudlians will remember that goal.
The other goal was scored by Andriy Voronin which also happens to be his first league goal for Liverpool. So today mark the beginning for both of them and I hope more goal will come from them to take Liverpool to glorious years.
The match itself could end up with more goal but Sunderland's goalkeeper have been superb today by making so many important saves with all part of his body. Fernando Torres becomes a consistent threat to Sunderland today with his movement and pace. He also has a good understanding with Voronin which we can see in the second goal. Torres laid a perfect pass to Voronin who finished it with a placed ball in left corner of the goal. In the final minute of the game, Voronin try to repay Torres in a two against one situation, but the last defender of Sunderland manage to read the pass and recover the ball. Voronin should have finished it alone but he seems to be a non selfish type of striker.
We lost Sammi Hyypia and Jamie Carragher today but I hope they can play in the next fixtures especially Jamie Carragher because he is the main players in Liverpool defensive line. Let’s hope that the injury is not too serious.
Well done lads.
The Future Is Bright And The Future Is Reds. You’ll Never Walk Alone.
[picture taken from Yahoo]
Liverpool 1 - 1 Chelsea
Well, there’s nothing I can say about today’s match that end up in a draw.
But the most disappointing thing from today's match is the ref. The ref incorrectly gives a penalty for what seems to be a non dangering move from Florent Malouda. He's just rushing to the penalty area without any intention to receive a cross from Wright-Phillips. There he collides with Steve Finnan and then to surprise everybody, the ref pointed at the spot. Chelsea have been given a penalty for nothing. There was no dangerous move from Chelsea at the time, so it's truly a gift from the ref.
The next interesting fact is that actually, Chelsea should have received a red card on the match. The red card should go either to Michael Assasin or Talal Ben Haim because they have received one yellow card before. But it’s seems that the ref didn’t realize it. You can read the full coverage of the match in this Yahoo link.
This will broke the Liverpool player who have worked so hard today. They will remember today’s match for the rest of the season, a match when poor ref decisions have cost us 2 valuable points.
But in Rafa, we trust. And the future will be bright for us because the future will be Reds.
You'll Never Walk Alone ...
[picture taken from Yahoo]
Selamat Ulang Tahun Bangsaku ...
Selamat Ulang Tahun Negeriku ...
Selamat Ulang Tahun Tanah Airku ...
Aku sangat mencintaimu ...
Aku sangat menyayangimu ...
Tapi tidak untuk para petinggimu ...
Tapi tidak untuk para pejabatmu ...
Presiden, DPR, DPRD dan semuanya ...
Fuck them all ...
[Exclude pegawe yang baik - baik]
Tadi nonton MetroTV dan liat ada salah satu veteran perang yang sudah meminta tunjangan veteran dari tahun 1982 tapi sampai sekarang belum mendapatkan apa - apa. What the fuck, rasanya masalah ini selalu saja ada dari tahun ke tahun. Kenapa mereka bisa bernasib seperti itu. For God sake, mereka itu yang memerdekakan bangsa ini. Kapan masalah seperti ini bisa hilang ya? Susahnya apa seh kalo ngurus masalah seperti ini? Kerjanya mereka "diatas" sana itu ngapain aja seh? Saya pengen tau jadinya kerja mereka kayak gimana.
Semoga dengan bertambahnya umur bangsa ini, orang - orang yang ada "diatas" sana bisa lebih memahami cara untuk membawa bangsa ini menuju ke gerbang kemakmuran dan kesejahteraan, instead of gerbang kehancuran.
Makanya Pak, jangan hanya bisa menuh - menuhin kekayaan sendiri. Ingat tu rakyat masih pada kelaparan.
-winardi-
-08172007-
Sesuai permintaan dari Suna No Sandy dan Sammy, maka saya akan menulis topik bahagia :)
Piss ah Sand dan Sam ...
Wah akhirnya bright start buat the Reds dengan kemenangan 3-1. Bahagia sekali rasanya bisa melihat gol - gol yang terjadi walaupun hanya rekaman saja. Buat teman - teman pendukung Liverpool, saya berikan klip - klip gol yang terjadi yang saya dapatkan dari salah satu penggemar Liverpool di luar sana. Sayang premiere league tidak disiarkan lagi di tipi lokal di Indonesia :(
The Future is Bright, The Future is Definitely Reds ...
Seorang teman saya bertanya kepada saya, kenapa isi blognya berat banget? Yah gimana ya, mungkin ini satu - satunya cara buat saya untuk menunjukkan kepedulian saya pada Bali yang sangat saya cintai dan berharap orang - orang bisa melihat secara nyata apa yang terjadi di Bali dibalik topeng - topeng keindahan yang ditunjukkan di brosur - brosur.
Bahwa sebenarnya saat ini Bali sedang mengalami pergeseran - pergeseran yang mungkin akan mengubah wajah Bali dalam 10 tahun ke depan. Saya sebenarnya berharap perubahan yang akan terjadi membawa Bali ke arah yang lebih baik, tapi sepertinya perubahan yang terjadi akan membawa Bali menuju ke jurang kehancuran. Orang - orang Bali sudah terlalu terbuai dalam sanjungan - sanjungan serta pujian - pujian atas keindahan Bali. Orang - orang Bali sudah mulai lupa pada jati dirinya. Tanah pelaba pura dijual, pesisir pantai dijual, tanah warisan keluarga dijual, semuanya dijual tanpa menyadari dampak yang akan terjadi dibelakangnya.
Semoga kita bisa sadar dan mengubah perilaku kita.
