Blogger Indonesia Criticism

On my previous posting, a commenter named Raiyen warned me that criticising your country could be meant as a sign of weakness, of inferiority complex. After I explained my points, he then clarifies his comment adding that his previous statement was based on his “fact-findings” on some his friends in Australia who feel so down seeing the state-of-the-art infrastructure in the country, compared it with our own with a head-and-shoulder-lying-low kind of attitude.
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An Indonesian Blogger Investigated by Police

An Indonesian blogger of Yogyakarta has been investigated by police because he has posted the Indonesian President SBY picture along with the picture of the currently hottest controversial scandal of Bambang Trihatmojo (son of former President Suharto) & Mayangsari, a popular pop singer as reported by Detik.Com today.
Photo: Engineered picture by Herman Saksono, Yogya Blogger

The police calls Herman Saksono the blog owner who manipulates the Bambang-Mayangsari picture into Bambang-SBY.
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Blogger, President and his People

Photo: SBY need to learn from Bush in dealing with his people criticism
What do you think of President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono’s first response the time he knew that his picture has been manipulated by a blogger Indonesia, one of his own fellow citizen? Was he angry? Or was he just smiling or even giggling to see his people still have a good sense of humour amid the ordeal life caused by his BBM (oil & gas)-price-hike policy? You can guess whatever you want in accordance with your perception to the current president. I, myself, was not sure then. But I’m crystal clear now that he must’ve been angry. Why?
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Investigative Journalism Indian Style

Today’s major newspapers headlines almost in unison covering in a big way the question-for-cash scandal done by few Indian MPs (member of parliaments)or DPRs in Indonesia. The thing that needs to be highlighted here is the swift measures and action taken by the committee formed by the parliament minister.

To give you a bit clue over the course of events here’s the chronology:
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The Billionaire Google Style

Rich, Educated & Humble

Since time immemorial up till now either in the West or in the East, the so-called rich man always being attributed with many glamorous things: extravagant life-style, flamboyant, “un-educated”, “bad-guy”, womaniser, bossy, arrogant and many more, you name it. While the term ‘nice guy’ always been attached to those who are not fortunate to make a big fortune, even though they are very successful in terms of other things of virtues: education, attitude, humility, helping, etc.
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Azim Premji: King of Indian IT and Humility

Indian economic growth always being associated with IT technology and outsourcing. And as far as Indian IT sillicon valley goes, it’s Bangalore, a one time host for Miss Universe contest several years back. And whenever outsiders want to symbolize Indian IT hype into a form of person, it’s Azim Premji who deserves most as the biggest icon personality in India.

But I dont want to talk about Azim Premji’s “IT-ness” here. I just wanna share another angle of his personality which draw no less attention than his successful career.
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Racism within Our Soul

Picture: Marianti, an Indonesian maid (TKW) tortured by her Malaysian employer.

A few days ago, a friend of mine complained to me about some bad treatment of Malaysian ‘landlords’ against their Indonesian workers, mostly maids (TKW – tenaga kerja wanita), and sadly most of such bad treatment are perpetrated by the indegenous ethnic Melayu (Malay); not by the Chinese-Malaysian. Racism of some sort is also felt on the streets, he added.

It’s not my purpose to condemn or deplore such kind of bad treatment here which’s mostly very unfortunate if it were true. I just wanna talk about the existence of racism itself deep within our own soul.
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Civil Servant (PNS) Booming & Collective Corruption

In many democratic countries, civil servant or PNS (pegawai negeri sipil) never been a booming “industry”. Rather, it’s the second choice for the young potential & dynamic citizens, even in India. Not in Indonesia. Here, the demand to be a PNS has always been beyond the existing supply. So, for the corrupts Indonesian officials (who are not, anyway?) who got direct or indirect authority to select the new breed of corrupt ‘potentials’, any PNS recruitment day is a harvest season. Time to buy a new luxury car.

For PNS in relatively low level (high school teacher), you need to pay at least Rs 20 million ($2,000), so some of my PNS friends told me their own experience. Mostly through loan. Therefore, corruption practices and corrupt mindset are actually born the time you apply to be a PNS. When your monthly salary are just around $100, how you pay the debt back with your hand still clean? Just a case in point, see special report from Jakarta Post here.
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Between A Leader and Manager

Picture: Baharuddin Lopa the few good men in Indonesia politics

What differentiate between a person with leadership personality and a mere manager? The answer is plenty and will be in a very long list. I’ll just wanna pick up few of those. The order might not necessarily on priority basis.

(1) While the former thinks more on common cause and interest, the latter is busy to sharpen his skill for his own cause;
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Why Religious Hatred?

The most embarassing things in life are inter-religious hatred among religious followers. And it’s even more embarassing to see that this phenomenon prevail among the so-called ‘the three most-sacred and most-influential’ religion: Islam, Christian and Jews. I dont know, and it’s not important as well, who hate whom first. The damaged has been done, is still developing and deteriorating by the day.

It’s not the right place for me to analyse it from politico-historical point of view here in this page, although if you are curious enough to know you can click through the links –at the end of this posting– to my previous op-ed pieces (in Bahasa Indonesia) scattered in several Indonesian newspapers regarding this i ssue.

Everyone, every religious followers should go back towards the basic purpose on why he/she sticks to and choose certain religion during his/her lifetime: as life guidance. To guide your mental stability whenever you are in desperate situation; to look for solace in time of agony; to strengthen your mind at the time when your heart cannot be strengthen by a glass of beer, etc. In other words, the sole aim of religion and the purpose of being religious are to have inner peace.