Ponari The Little Shaman

Ponari the little Shaman carried by a relative to heal his patients
Picture from : www.kompas.com

Hi everyone, this is my first posting in "in-indo" after 2007, well the phenomena of Ponari the little shaman from Jombang (a regency in east Java, Indonesia) has catch my attention and make me want to start to write a post again.
For anyone who has not know about Ponari phenomena here is a short review about him :

Ponari was just a regular third grade elementary student from Jombang who accidentally stroke by a lightning and find a magical stone that fell from the sky after the lightning. His cousin was sick from a fever and Ponari put the magical stone to his cousin drinking water and miraculously his cousin soon recover from his fever and healthy again.

The news then spread out mouth to mouth to everyone in Jombang and suddenly Ponari became the famous little shaman with his miraculous stone.
From a few days ago until now hundred or maybe a thousand more people comes to Ponari house and asking him to cure their illness. Ponari cured them by dropping his stone to a glass of his patient drinking water. Unfortunately until now there has not been any research about the stone content or is it really have the healing effect or just gave a great feeling of believers that make it can heal people. But Ponari is still just a little child who needs time to play, go to school and do all the regular things children do, and this phenomenon has take it all away from him.

From this morning news (16 February 2009) I heard that the Ponari shaman medical practice has close down in order to gave him time to do his regular children activity, but still hundred of people stay at his home to be healed by him. Several people who can not meet Ponari even take a hand of dirt from Ponari home or a glass of Ponari sewer water and hoping to get a healing miracle from it... WHERE HAS THE RATIONALITY GO???

Hemm... personally I feel sorry for them, maybe it is because the proper medical cost in Indonesia are still to high for poor people so this illogical phenomena becomes the only way for poor people to ge a medical care?? I don't know but again the question still run through my mind "Come on people please use your mind for a moment, the water is not even sterile enough to drink, how you can use it as a medicine???"

"Rasa sayange" song proven to be originally from Indonesia

This is good news for the people in Indonesia. Finally a proof that tells about the “Rasa Sayange” song as Indonesian original song comes out from “tempo” newspaper dated 10 October 2007. I feel that this news must be spread widely so everybody in the world could now it.

A national printing company “Lokananta” in Solo found an archive of recorded “Rasa sayange” song. Roektiningsih the head of Lokannta said that the song was recorded on 15 August 1962 as a souvenir for Asian Games (SEA GAMES) IV on Jakarta. At the cover of the record there is a line saying “Souvenir from Indonesia, for ‘the fourth Asian Games”. The song was sang by more than one people in a disk with others songs such as Sorak-sorak Bergembira, O Ina ni Keke and Sengko Sengko Dainang. The song duration was 2 min 40 second. And according to Roektiningsih the song was recorded and copied by the order of Indonesian President which was Ir.Soekarno to the minister of information R.Maladi. And still according to Roektiningsih the master reel recording is still save in there with the registration number 253.

A staff from the minister of tourism, art and culture Jordi Pariaman meet with the head of Lokananta to ask for this evidence, and he said that with this evidence the ministry will make some legal action to Malaysia who uses the “Rasa sayange” song as their tourism jingle.

Well I think this is very good, all the truth finally will come up. If you are a country who said to have a big variety of culture why don’t you use your own art and culture to get the attention of the world tourism then using Indonesian culture? Please remember that we all do love peace but if someone trying to steal from us we won’t be quiet about it. Still this info is open to anyone who have another info about this. It is not for a fight. but it is to know the important truth in order to keep the relation between both country in a good way.Peace everyone :)

Gang Kelinci singer

Indonesia is in grief again. Lilies Suryani a singer from the era of 60 which famous with the song of gang kelinci has past away on Sunday (7/10) at 21.30 WIB, in her house on Jalan Haji Naman Pondok Kelapa, East Jakarta. She past away because of uterus cancer which she got since 4 years ago.

Lilies Suryani start her career in 1963 when she was only 15 years old. She was in the entertainment singing world for over frothy years. Beside “Gang Kelinci” there were another popular song from Lilies such as “Asmara” and “Ulang Tahunku” which was created by another famous Indonesian artist Titiek Puspa.

She also wrote over than 50 songs such as 'Lenggang Kangkung', 'Ratapan Sang Bayi', 'Air Mata', 'Tepuk Tangan', and “Ujung Pandang' . She even create a song for president Soekarno with the title of “Paduka yang mulia” and “Muhibah”. And another song she write with the title of “Si Baju Loreng” was a song base on her admiration to one of the member of Indonesian army (ABRI); this was a song that was famous in middle of 60 as a heroism song.

This is the lyric of Lilies Suryani most famous song “Gang Kelinci”:

Jakarta kota ku indah dan megah

di situlah aku di lahirkan

rumahku di salah satu gang

namanya gang kelinci

entah apa sampai namanya kelinci

mungkin dulu kerajaan kelinci

karena manusia bertambah banyak 

kasihan kelinci terdesak 

*

sekarang rumahnya berjubel

oh...padat penghuninya

anak-anak segudang 

krudak... kruduk...

kayak kelinci

kami semua hidup rukun dan damai

hanya satu yang aku herankan

badanku bulat tak bisa tinggi

persis kayak anak kelinci

Rasa Sayange song

(Picture taken from : www.seasite.niu.edu)

The issue about the Malaysia who use the folklore song “Rasa sayange” as their theme song for tourism in Malaysia is being a hot topic in Indonesia this few weeks. Many of Indonesian people feel that their right of the song has been hijack by the Malaysian because they use the Maluku’s folklore song without permission.

There is a skeptical feeling that growth in Indonesian people maybe the Malaysian is trying to steal the rights of “Rasa sayange” song, they has tried it for batik, and angklung so what stopping them to get the “Rasa sayange” song too. So to prevent it many artists and the people of Indonesia in their own way try to fight for the right of “Rasa sayange” song.

It is true that in Indonesia the awareness for the claims of copyrights is still very low. It is very regrettable and it make it easy for another country (especially the one who said to have many similar culture and art with Indonesia) to claims the copyright and authority of many Indonesian culture and art as their own and discard Indonesia rights.

Semy Toisutta as the head of Maluku’s culture, aware that the writer of the song identity is unknown (NN à No Name) again it is because the low rate of Indonesian awareness to the importance of copyright claim. But he also said that the Rasa sayange song has been a Maluku’s folklore songs since centuries. The evidence is in the lyric it self the “e” letter behind “Rasa Sayange” is a characteristic of Maluku’s dialect not a Malay dialect. The song used by Maluku’s people in their community party since long time ago.

Hatta Rahardja as Indonesia nation secretary minister said “That we should not make it as a problem” about Malaysia who use Rasa sayange song. But for many people in Indonesia it is a problem, because they are trying to use something that is part of our culture to attract people to go tourism to their country (which I sure will make a lot of devise money for them) without our permission. Although they only use the melody with a small change lyric but it is still the “Rasa Sayange” melody song. And this in my point of view is equals to stealing. A foreign country is stealing from our country and Hatta Rahardja said that this is not a problem!! How come??

Fortunately this issue brings a great awareness to artist and some people in the government of Indonesia about the important things of copyrights claiming authority. Jero Wacik the minister of culture and tourism of Indonesia even said that he will be ready to help Indonesian artist to make the claims of copyright for Indonesian artist invention so in the future this kind of things won’t be happening again. I do hope that Indonesian people will continue to be aware of the importance of copyright so there won’t be another country who tries to steal the cultural richness of Indonesia. We have to be aware that our culture is priceless and we have to protect it so no one can steal our rights again.

Jakarta Traffic Jam

(Picture taken from :www.liputan6.com)

Jakarta’s traffic has always been a big problem for the government. If you mention about the traffic in Jakarta then the image is a big and complex traffic jam all around the street. Especially in around 5.00 pm to 20.00 pm (the ending of office hours).

United Nation Environment Program (UNEP) has place Jakarta as the third most pollutant city in the world after Mexico City and Bangkok. The UNEP also said that 67 percent of the pollution comes form automobile emissions. And according to Kojima and Lovei in 2001 traffic is the biggest donator to particle emissions which contribute to the increasing of 80-90 percent lead or PB. And as we all know that PB is a very dangerous substance for human health.

Data from transportation department in Jakarta Shows that there is an increase on the amount of vehicle in Jakarta about 11 percent per years. The amounts of total vehicle in Jakarta now are about 4.9 million, 2.8 million is two wheals vehicles and 2.2 million is four wheal vehicles. According to a research from CIRUS in 1999 DKI Jakarta inhabitants who have daily activity traffic movement are 15.7 million people per year. And from that amount only 2.9 million people who use bus public transportation.

Another thing that make Jakarta traffic jam so big and complex is the unequal increase rate of street width and the increasing of vehicle significantly on the private vehicle. Data from transportation department said that the capacity of Jakarta to add the length and width of the street is less than 1 percent per years, meanwhile the increase of automobile is about 10 percent per years. So of course if we look through the data the street in Jakarta can not accommodate the increase of the vehicle per years.

If we observe the traffic jam in Jakarta we can see the rhythmic of the traffic jam. The most heavy traffic jam is always in the ending time of office hour especially in the primer street point to outer city area (BOTABEK à Bogor, Tangerang, Bekasi and Depok). Such as in the Mampang-Buncit street (vehicle form south of Jakarta, Jakarta, Cinere, and Depok). A research in 2002 said that not less than 139.700 traffic take place in south of Jakarta with 716.000 total movements in traffic average speed only about 34.5 km/hours. Can you imagine how bad the traffic is??

Actually the government of DKI Jakarta has also think about the traffic jam problem and they come out with PRODASIH (clean air program). One of the example is “three in one” which means there should be three people or more in one car, but in the reality lots of the car owner use jockey to avoid the regulation. So it comes back to the people of Jakarta consciousness to make the traffic in Jakarta more enjoyable. If they can not do this then may be in the next year there will be all traffic jam in the street of Jakarta that make the people harder to go through even to go out of their home. I realize that now the traffic jam seems to be more crowded and long. Even in the place where usually never been any traffic jam now there is a jam and it is quite long and heavy.

Maybe the government can be stricter about the regulation that they have already made. And I suggest to the government if the want to build street infrastructure such as the busway for Trans Jakarta they should make a better planning in it. Because what I see now is that they make it all in one time which make all the street suffering worse in traffic jam because all the street are under construction. Can’t you make it just one by one Mr.Goverment? because if you make it one by one it will be easier for others to find alternative way in order to avoid the street construction.

Fight for the claims of Angklung rights

(Picture taken from :web.sitcom.pl)

Last night (16 September 2007) I watched Metro TV news and found out that Malaysia is trying to get the paten rights for Angklung. And I said “WHAT???” Since I was a very little child and may be since our ancestor, we have already played angklung, to prove it just see some Sudanese traditional ceremony they use angklung as one of their music instrument. And through out the world Indonesian people have already well known for their Angklung as traditional music instrument from West Java. Isn’t it weird that now Malaysia claims angklung as their music instrument by giving it the new name “Bamboo Malay” meanwhile the reality is that Bamboo Malay does not have any difference from angklung?

Malaysia even claims that Angklung was not come from Indonesia. They even put angklung as an important substance in Malaysian education curriculum. If Malaysia wins the patent rights then it will be a threat for Indonesian Artist and entrepreneurs that involving in Angklung worlds. Beside that it will also be a disgrace for Indonesian authority because our Angklung will belong to other country and we lost the rights to claim it as our traditional music instrument. How scary it will be. Does Malaysia do it in purpose to threat Indonesia authority? We have lost once in Batik rights should we lost again in angklung battle?

Jero Wacik as Indonesian cultural and tourism minister said that they have register angklung in UNESCO so it will be known as Indonesian traditional music but now it is still in process because our country is not the only one who register angklung, and now they still trying to find which country who establish angklung for the first time.

I found out from wikipedia that if we look back through our history in Hindu period and Padjajaran kingdom era, Sudanese people used the angklung to sign the time for prayer. Later, Padjajaran kingdom uses this instrument as corps music in Bubat War (Perang Bubat).

Angklung functioned as building the peoples community spirit. It was still used by the Sudanese until the colonial era. But because of that the Dutch East Indies government tried to forbid people playing the angklung instrument. Because it was forbidden to play angklung during this time, the popularity of the instrument decreased and it came to be played only by children in this era.

In 1938 Daeng Soetigna expanded the angklung notations not only to play traditional pelog or slendro scales, but also diatonic. Since then, angklung is often played together with other western music instruments in an orchestra. One of the first well-known performances of angklung in an orchestra was during the Bandung Conference in 1955.

And who does not know about Udjo Ngalagena a student of Daeng Soetigna who opens the “Saung Udjo” (House of Angklung) in 1966 as a center of angklung development for angklung. Which make more variation in Angklung world. And the origin of Angklung has also been told in Angklung padaeng in National Seminar of Angklung ITB, 26 October 1989 (from: http://angklung-web-institute.com/content/view/87/74/lang,en/).

Angklung is Indonesian origin traditional instrument and we have to fight to prove it so there won’t be any other countries who try to steal it from us. Come on Indonesian people lets fight for it. If you have any info about angklung tell it to the world lets make it possible for us to get the authority of angklung in front of the world.

20 million rupiah penalty for buying goods from street trader

(Picture taken from : community.kompas.com)

From 10 September 2007 there is a new regional regulation in Jakarta. That is prohibition to buy anything from street trader (asongan) or for giving money to the beggar and also to the street musician. And if you dare to break it by giving your donation to them, you will be fined 100 thousand until up to 20 million rupiah or put in jailed for 10 until up to 60 days. Quote from Jakarta Post, Arie Budhiman a city spokesman said that the regulation aims to clear Jakarta of beggars and street hawkers.

This regulation got much rejection from the Jakarta society such as: Agus Pambagyo (a well known politic observer) who said that this regulation contradictive to Religion believes, and from Wardah Hafidz (chairman of Urban Poor Consortium) who said that the regulation is nonsense because the fault is not from the Jakarta people but from the government who can not gave them proper occupation to support their life.

According to BPS (Indonesian statistic surveyor) 13, 56 million of people in the city on 2007 are categorize poor society. So if this regulation affective, the possibility of increasing the poverty in Jakarta society will probably happen. Because lots’s of Jakarta poor society support their live as street musician or street trader, and prohibit them to do their life occupation will make them more poor then they already are. Have the government think about it?

I myself agree if they make the regulation only for the beggar because I really think that they can do something else, but for the street traders and for the street musician I think that this regulation is not propriety If the city government wants to make Jakarta a clear city, what they have to do is provide more job vacancy for the people, an occupation that can support their live properly. And if they can not do this so they do not have the right to banned a person from their occupation that they do to support their life.

Governor Sutiyoso (quote from detik.com) said that all work effort to support life is acceptable unless they disturb other people. Well if that so then you should provide them some place else or other work so they wont disturb others, if you banned them then it will only make their life harder with out any other chance to make it a better.