A day after the Malaysian government conveyed its concerns over the “Sweeping Malaysian” vigilante campaign in Indonesia, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono yesterday described his citizens’ action as “excessive”. Susilo said the campaign was against the law and would put ties between Indonesia and Malaysia at risk.

On Tuesday, Indonesian activists of Relawan Ganyang Malaysia had conducted a raid on a street in Central Jakarta, hunting for Malaysians. They did not find any.

The Jakarta Post quoted Susilo as saying that the Indonesian government had done its part by sending protest notes and taking diplomatic action.

“We are working, and the Eminent Persons Group (a group established to improve Indonesia-Malaysia ties) is working. Why does there have to be such excessive action?” he had said while opening a plenary cabinet meeting at the Presidential Office yesterday.

He also reminded the nation that about 1.8 million Indonesian citizens were currently working, living or studying in Malaysia, and that “sweeping” the streets for Malaysians could harm their presence.

“Let’s think about how to manage problems more wisely. On principal issues like territorial boundary, we have to be firm.

“On the Ambalat dispute, on things related to national sovereignty, we’re being firm.

“On other issues, I believe there is still a better way out — good solutions that don’t need to involve violent actions that are against the law, moreover during Ramadan,” the president said.

Although the Malaysian government has not issued any ban on travel to Indonesia following the campaign there, Malaysians are taking precautions by cancelling their holidays to the republic.

Tour agencies are reporting “thousands of ringgit” in losses.

The agencies have been recording cancellations over the past week.

QS Travel Services Sdn Bhd executive director Noraida Othman said her company had been receiving phone calls from clients day and night.

She also received messages asking whether it was safe to go there. Noraida said some 100 clients had cancelled their trips to Jakarta, Bandung and Bali, which had resulted in losses of up to RM30,000.



These three Indonesian cities are among top destinations for Malaysians. Travellers are opting not to take risks with their safety as threats against Malaysians in the republic have escalated over the past few weeks.

Yesterday, Jakarta Post reported nine rallies in the Indonesian capital. One of them was held in front of the Malaysian embassy there, a foreign ministry official here said.

Noraida said those who had already paid for their trips had no other choice but to continue with their plans to holiday in the republic.

“About 30 people are going to different parts of Indonesia in the next few weeks but they need to be assured of their safety. Who can provide them this assurance?”

A Sinisini.com spokesman said Malaysians were afraid of the demonstrations held in Indonesia.

The company, which operates online, has noted a drastic number of cancellations, especially for tour packages to Jakarta.

“There have been more than 50 per cent cancellations as of today.
“People pay for holidays to unwind and enjoy themselves, not to worry about their safety.”

He said besides the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, the current situation had added to the losses the tourism industry was suffering.

However, checks with local carriers AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines found there were no cancellations so far by passengers flying to Indonesia.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry and the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta will continue to monitor the situation closely and issue regular reports.

An operations room has been set up to receive reports of any related incidents from members of the public, especially Malaysian citizens currently in Indonesia.- NST Online

The recent furor caused by the Discovery Channel's mistaken insertion of the Balinese Pendet dance into a TV spot for Malaysia has reopened an old wound of Indonesians, who believe Malaysian has repeatedly stolen Indonesian cultural heritage, including the song "Rasa Sayange", the angklung, and the Reog Ponorogo dance, among others.

For most Indonesians, that the Malaysian government can claim these things is bewildering. Regular Indonesians would undoubtedly associate these three intangible cultural items with three different origins: "Rasa Sayange" is Ambonese/Maluku, the angklung is Sundanese, and the Reog Ponorogo is Javanese.
Most Malaysians, including the government of Malaysia, however, fail to see these as being of different cultural lineage. They lump them as belonging to Malay (Melayu) culture.

Malay culture is considered by Indonesians in reference to the dances of Lilin, Randai and Serampang Dua Belas, and has no direct connection to the Javanese gamelan, the Reog or the angklung. It is directly associated with the traditions and customs of the ethnic group within the boundary of the Malay peninsula. Malaysians seem to see a different boundary for Malay culture. Why is this?

Knowledge and narratives of local culture in Indonesia are developed in association with ethnic-based regional boundaries. They are endorsed by the state and they are part of nation building.
From elementary school, Indonesian kids learn about national heritage by memorizing the names of dances, folk songs and visual representations of traditional costumes.

The practice of documenting and selecting material artifacts of local cultures is part of the larger political process of inclusion that stresses nationalism and the national unity of Indonesia. Selective preservation of regional and/or local art forms, in constructing the national culture, is therefore part of the politics of exclusion.
Recognizing this pitfall, however, the ways in which local culture is framed in Indonesia are much less crude than in Malaysia. It is still assigned and identified with a certain cultural context/geographical (of origin). While being partial and reductionist, multifarious contexts and diverse locales still have some space in the narrative of Indonesian national culture.

Malaysia adopts a different route in approaching its national and local cultures. The modern nation-state of Malaysia frames national culture by clustering cultural artifacts into the Malay, Chinese, Indian and indigenous tribe (orang asli) cultures. The term Malay here differs from that of Indonesia, and refers to and is influenced by several concepts.

First, as enacted in the term "Malay is Muslim, Muslim is Malay", it is a form of ethno-religion. It is entwined with the concept of ethnic nationalism that has become today's Malaysia's dominant state-religion relations in which the state is fused to a particular ethnic group and religion functions as a signifier of ethnic identity.
Any Javanese, Acehnese or other Indonesian who migrated to Malaysia will be classified as Malay and are expected to be Muslim. Chinese-Indonesians, though, can box themselves as Chinese, thus do not have to be Muslim.

Second, it is used in association with the Malay race (bangsa Melayu) instead of the Malay ethnicity (suku Melayu).

This concept originated in Blumenbach's racial classification system, which divides the world's races into the Caucasian/white race, the Mongolian/yellow race, the Malayan/brown race, the American/red race and the Negroid/black race. His skull-based concept has been rejected by many anthropologists who recognize the enormous complexity of classifying races.

He considered the inhabitants of Southeast Asia, including the Marianas, the Philippines, the Malukus, Sundas and Pacific Islands as Malayan. Blumenbach wrote, "Malay variety. Tawny-colored; hair black, soft, curly, thick and plentiful; head moderately narrowed; forehead slightly swelling; nose full..."

The concept of the Malay race is also a historical heritage of colonialism. European planters and British officials in Malaysia were keen to obtain laborers from the Dutch East Indies because they were regarded as being better suited to the climate and would assimilate more easily with the local Malays.

Indonesian migrants were viewed as originating from the same racial stock as the Malays, regardless of ethnicity. In early colonial Malaysia, the Straits Settlements censuses of 1871 and 1881 both listed "Malay, Achinese, Andamanese, Boyanese, Bugis and Javanese" separately.

In the 1891 census, however, there were major structural changes in the classification of ethnicities. The 48 different ethnicities were sorted under the major (hierarchical) classifications of "European and American, Eurasian, Chinese, Malays and other Natives of the Archipelago, Tamils and other Natives of India, and Other Races".

The creation of the category "Malay and other Natives of the Archipelago" and the inclusions of the various ethnicities in it contributed toward formalizing the boundaries of Malay-ness. The modern nation-state Malaysia cultivates this heavily politicized classification by clustering Malaysians into Malays, Chinese, Indians and indigenous tribes.

Tracing the origin of the term Malay as used in Malaysian context, we thus can understand that the Malaysian version of Malay is more a product of political reconstruction (of colonialism and a modern ethnic nationalism) and is rooted in the politics of race and identity rather than the geographical boundary of origin.

As people move around globally, cultures flow in all directions. Tracing the histories and origins of culture is thus always a complicated task. Lumping together various artifacts into one Malay culture whose boundary is heavily politicized is certainly not the most plausible method to complete the task. It fails to recognize the complexity of the cultures of the archipelago, thus removing them from their multifarious contexts and locales and uprooting these cultures from the people who shape and are reshaped by them.

As for Indonesia, it is time to recognize and appreciate local cultures not by treating them as symbols to justify unity and diversity, but by supporting and caring for the people who work tirelessly in preserving and maintaining these cultures. - TheJakartaPost

At first I thought it was a slow news day. When a news program was broadcasting an item titled “Indonesian culture robbed by Malaysia”, I watched it in mute mode, admiring scenes of Chinese girls eating laksa and going shopping, in another Malaysia tourism video.

The next day, the stealing claim seemed justified. The stolen culture in question was the Pendet dance from Bali, which in no way would reach Malaysia through shared Malayan culture or through Javanese and Bugis migrants.

Until today, voices condemning Malaysia are still being aired, with professors and political scientists saying Malaysia has no indigenous culture and thus has some sort of inferiority complex, and thus is stealing Indonesian culture. Furthermore, many learned Indonesians sneer at Malaysia’s tourism slogan, “Truly Asia”, saying that it’s nonsense and proves that Malaysia has no true identity.

This newspaper, however, pointed out that “Truly Asia” means that Malaysia is a one-stop destination for tourists wishing to see Southeast Asian, Chinese and Indian cultures. Some Indonesian condemners may still be unaware of Malaysia’s multiple-ethnicities, while others may deliberately ignore it and feel more comfortable with the view that Malaysia is a Malay nation. As for the Pendet case, it turns out the video was made by a private production house that just copied and pasted several fun tourism images, without any intention of malice.

I found proof about the “Truly Asia” slogan on my arrival at Kuala Lumpur: The taxi got lost and I couldn’t get through to my friend’s phone — at sunrise on an empty suburban road. I tried to ask for directions from several strangers. The first one were an elderly Chinese couple who didn’t speak English or Malay. The second were a couple of Indian garbage men who spoke broken English. The Malay taxi driver preferred to talk in English as our Malay dialects were incomprehensible to each other.

Finally he got the address from a Malay youth. I found the house in time for breakfast, ready to feast on wonderful Malaysian food, especially Chinese peranakan dishes, such as laksa and nasi lemak, and Indian drinks like teh tarik and susu bandung.

Many Indonesians in Malaysia must consume an unfunny old joke. In the courtyard before the Petronas Tower one night, my host said we should avoid the dark spots otherwise we could be robbed by “your countrymen”.

This newspaper had received some complaints from Malaysians that said the Indonesian media and people never talked about the violent crimes carried out by Indonesians in Malaysia. We retaliated by pointing out that Noordin M. Top is a Malaysian national, and some have even gone so far to suggest that he was planted by the Malaysian government to ruin the Indonesian tourism industry.

In fact, there is no culture war and no tourism war between Malaysia and Indonesia. Malaysia’s biggest rival in attracting tourists is Singapore, and thus Malaysia’s promos offer similar things that Singapore offers – vibrant nightlife, glorious food, Formula 1 racing and great shopping experiences. Do our tourism promos cover those things? Malaysians count Singapore as their dreadful rival, and hardly think of Indonesia, which is on a different class.

Indonesia’s hatred for Malaysia has been around since the 1960s, probably earlier. Malaysia is the political opposite of Indonesia. It had good relations with its British colonizer, it is a federation, a parliamentary monarchy, and it is never interested in  socialism. After peace returned with the creation of the ASEAN bloc, both governments tried to convince the people that Indonesians and Malaysians were brothers of the same stock.

This effort held until the 21st century, when Malaysian economic progress left Indonesian behind, and more learned Indonesians are embracing Sukarno-style zero-sum nationalism. The real story is still the same after 40 years — distract one’s woes by creating and hating a foreign enemy.
As often stressed by other writers, some cultural items that we have claimed were “robbed” by Malaysia are not exclusively Indonesian. Batik is a common throughout Southeast Asia, and a top batik brand wrote in its coffee table book that batik had been influenced for centuries by Chinese, Indian, Arabic, European and Japanese designs.

Musical instruments like the angklung and gamelan are also common throughout Southeast Asia.
Wayang is hardly Indonesian — the hide puppets originated from mainland SE Asia, and there are similar storytelling arts in China, Japan and Europe. When Miss Indonesia dressed as Srikandi, she dressed as a Hindu — and Indian — character still revered religiously in India and Malaysia.

As for the disputed isles, I think it’s ridiculous if white collar men in Jakarta could get upset reading the news about Ambalat, and yet the next minute they are making backstabbing remarks about fellow Indonesians from outside Java. Disputed territories are hardly unique — Japanese and Koreans fight over a rock and on the naming of the sea between their nation and Cambodia had an anti-Thai riot because of a temple located nearby the modern borderlines.

We claim Malaysia has an inferiority complex, and yet the problem is our own. Of course, Malaysia is guilty of ignorance and laziness in making its tourism commercials, but it’s pointless and confusing to dwell on one objectionable frame and continue to fuss about it.

We accuse Malaysia of disrespecting us because deep inside we feel that our supposed “brother” has left us behind with its decent standard of living, global brands (e.g. Air Asia, Maxis, Petronas and Michelle Yeoh) and good investment reputation. Russians have had similar problems with former USSR states, and Chinese netizens have grudges with the Japanese and Americans. In all three cases, past history is always offered for justification of hatred, as we’re closing in to 2010.

But Malaysia is also having similar internal strife. As its Chinese and Indian populations become more politically involved, harassment and foul plays also increase. Malaysian politicians have become increasingly comical and ridiculous in acting as defenders of Muslims and Malays, and its political and religious freedoms are far below Indonesia.

Flying the Indonesian flag on your product and wallpaper, while condemning Malaysia on your Twitter and T-shirt, won’t solve anything. Malaysia never thinks about those tourism commercials and they know that Noordin M. Top is a Malaysian hiding in Indonesia because he couldn’t survive in Malaysia.

We can accept that the crime rate in Indonesia is high — so it makes sense that many Indonesians in Malaysia are involved in violent crimes.

If you want more tourists to visit Indonesia, stop sending the message that you dislike foreigners. If you want Pertamina to become a global brand like Petronas, and to have Formula One held in Indonesia, study and follow their steps. If you find an item on the Internet demeaning Indonesia, ignore it and move on with your own priorities.  Stop getting so angry about trivial things so easily when we have potential to do great things for ourselves. - TheJakartaPost

This is 5 Vacation spots in my country, Indonesia. I've been there several times. This is very great place you have to visit.

1. BALI

Most people in the World might familiar with this place. Bali have lot of beautiful beaches such as Kuta Beach, Legian, Seminyak, Nusa Dua, Sanur, Jimbaran, Dreamland, Tanah Lot, Lovina, Amed, Candidasa, Ukuwatu, Tanjung Benoa, Tulamben . You would not be regret to come to Bali. The exotic culture and places will make you love it.

2. LOMBOK

The island of Lombok is located east of Bali island and can be easily accessed by air o by the sea. This is the simple pleasure of sunshine, white sandy beaches in quieter settings, unique culture and eco tours makes Lombok a perfect gateway for honeymooners, families or those who look for a total relaxing holiday.

3. YOGYAKARTA

Yogyakarta is the main tour destination of the island of Java in Indonesia. Yogyakarta is known as the student city. Because in this place there is lot of school and colleges. Yogya is a city with outstanding historical and cultural heritage. Yogyakarta was the centre of the Mataram Dynasty (1575-1640), and until now the kraton (the sultan's palace) exists in its real functions. Also, Yogyakarta has numerous thousand-year-old temples as inheritances of the great ancient kingdoms, such as Borobudur temple established in the ninth century by the dynasty of Syailendra. More than the cultural heritages, Yogyakarta has beautiful natural panorama. The green rice fields cover the suburban areas with a background of the Merapi Mountain. The natural beaches can be easily found to the south of Yogyakarta.
Here the society lives in peace and has typical Javanese hospitality. Just try to go around the city by bike, pedicab, or horse cart; and you will find sincere smiles and warm greeting in every corner of the city.
An artistic atmosphere is deeply felt in Yogyakarta. Malioboro, as the center of Yogyakarta, is overwhelmed by handicraft from all around the city. Street musicians always ready entertain the visitors of the lesehan food stalls.

4. TMII

Taman Mini Indonesia Indah or Beautiful Indonesia Miniature Park is the best place to know all about Indonesia if you have a short visit to Jakarta. It would take someone a lifetime to visit every regions of the far-flung Indonesian archipelago (There are more than 17,000 islands). But at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in Jakarta you can visit the entire country in only a day or two. The park represents all Indonesia's 33 provinces and their real cultures and characteristics, reflected most strikingly in the exact regional architecture of the province.

You'll be surprised to know that this Indonesia miniature park is not small after all, as Taman Mini Indonesia Indah is HUGE, covering more than 165 hectares in size. This place takes all day and a fair bit of effort to visit. Take a car, otherwise you will be in for a long hot walk and be prepared for massive crowds. It is all too many for one day indeed. But it's also a nice peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of overcrowded Jakarta. Definitely one of the best attractions in Jakarta!
Indonesia Miniature Park also has its own orchid garden, a bird park with a walk-in viary, a fauna museum and recreational grounds, as well as an Indonesian art and handicraft market. At the Keong Mas (golden snail) theater the Indonesia promotion film "Beautiful Indonesia" is projected on a gigantic screen using the latest Imax (super realistic in image and sound) technology. Be sure not to miss this extraordinary experience.

5. LAKE TOBA

It is located in North Sumatra Province, Indonesia. Lake Toba lies in the northern part of Barisan Mountain Range, which is volcanic and traverses Sumatra Island from northwest to southeast as its backbone.
The laketrough is surrounded by precipitous cliffs 400-1,200 m high. Based on the topographic feature and the wide distribution of volcanic ejecta around the lake, some geologists and valcanologists have considered it to be a giant caldera or cauldron.
The water surface of L. Toba is 905 m above sea level and about 1,100 km2 wide. The total area of the lake, including the areas of Samosir and Paradapur Islands, amounts to 1,780 km2. The mountains around the lake are called Batak Highlands. The only draining river from L. Toba, the Asahan, flows southeastwards dissecting the gentle slopes of the pyroclastic plateau.

Nasrudin died on March 15, 2009, in a hospital from fatal wounds sustained in a shooting at him as he was leaving the Modernland Golf Course in Tangerang. Nasrudin died at the Gatot Subroto Army Hospital in Central Jakarta. The motive for the shooting remained a mystery for more than a month, when National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri announced the police had arrested nine suspects in the murder case.

A source with the National Police said a high-ranking police officer had been arrested in Bandung in relation to the murder case.

In response to Antasari's alleged involvement in the crime, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed support to an investigation on the murder case that may implicate the key figure in the country's battle against corruption, the Corruption Eradication Commission chairman.

Commenting on the alleged involvement of Antasari in the murder, a political analyst Dr Sofyan Siregar, a roving lecturer at the Islamic University of North Sumatra, said actually this was an act of those who wanted to make Antasari trapped in a crime. As a clean figure who has the courage to capture whoever was allegedly involved in murder indiscriminately would be facing many rivals, he said.

Suspected Singaporean terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari has been arrested by Malaysian police.

It is learnt the fugitive, who escaped from a Singapore maximum security detention centre on Feb 27, 2008 was arrested in Johor together with two others by Special Branch officers following intelligence sharing with the police forces of Indonesia and Singapore.

Sources said police here who had been on high alert for the suspected terrorist since his escape had gathered intelligence from their counterparts that Mas Selamat was hiding in Johor and was planning to create unrest in several countries in the region.

A massive operation was launched by the Special Branch with the help of other police departments here. The month-long operation paid off when Mas Selamat who is said to be the leader of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) in Singapore was arrested. Police also seized documents and other paraphernalia that allegedly revealed their planned operation.

Mas Selamat was arrested in February 2006 and was sent to Singapore for investigations before he escaped in February last year. The facts are plainly Indonesia caught Mas Selamat handed him over to Singapore, Singapore lost him and couldn't find him, and Malaysian authorities caught him in April in Johor. Yesterday's Straits Times had these headlines about "Singapore's role arrest" and "Lead came from Singapore" . It was as if Malaysian authorities were guided by Singapore to capture Mas Selamat. Strange isn't it....because Singapore home affairs ministry seemed to believe that he had escaped to Indonesia.

On April 22 we will celebrate earth Day. It has been almost four decades since the first earth Day was celebrated, but many of us are still unaware of the fragility of the earth. We still behave as if the earth's resources are unlimited. The human population is still growing. Many of us are still dreaming of having luxurious lives. Governments always pursue economic growth and we have apparently forgotten that we have only one earth to live on.

It is the only planet in the universe which provides all the resources we need, and which recycles or keeps the waste we produce - and its capacity is limited. Our survival depends on the health of our earth. Whenever the earth fails to function properly, our survival is put in jeopardy.

Human activities have two kinds of impact on the earth.

First, as we draw resources to meet our biological needs and to run our social activities, we deplete natural resources. Some resources, such as oil, are not renewable. Other resources are renewable, so they will regenerate again after having been harvested. Often, however, we consume renewable resources faster than the earth can replenish them. For example, we cut down forests faster than we replant them or let them grow naturally.

Second, we produce waste. Some wastes, such as food leftovers, are easily biodegradable. For example, if we throw putrid food out into our backyard, some creatures will happily consume it. However, our production of biodegradable waste often exceeds the capacity of natural ecosystems to recycle it, and this creates a big problem in every big city. Some wastes are not easily recyclable but not toxic, and others are highly toxic or have radioactive properties. When there is too much waste to be recycled or contained in safe places, then our environment will be unsuitable for us to live in.

Both resource depletion and environmental pollution jeopardize our survival. We must, therefore, prevent both from happening. The key is to keep resources consumption and waste production at minimum levels, without jeopardizing our quality of life.

If we follow the familiar slogan "reduce, reuse, recycle", we can do a lot to help save the earth. To reduce the consumption of electricity in the house we can design houses with plenty of sunlight and good air circulation.

The new group, bike to work, is another good example of how we can reduce energy consumption. Cycling does create carbon dioxide, but much less than that produced by a vehicle burning gasoline. Many diseases associated with sedentary lifestyles and problems of global warming could be avoided if we use to the bicycle as our primary mode of transportation.

We can further alleviate the pollution problem by reusing utensils several times. Using reusable plates and cups is much better for the environment than using disposable ones. Of course, disposable dishes are more practical, but they will pollute our environment. Recent studies also show that Styrofoam, used widely for disposable fast food containers, is also bad for our health. If we must use disposable utensils, then we should recycle them.

Many items, such as metal and plastic, can be recycled. Some people even make profits by recycling waste. We can also recycle organic wastes and use them for compost.

It is not an easy task to ask people to behave environmentally correctly. We have long known about environmental pollution and resource depletion, but we have not adjusted our behavior to prevent these problems. This is partly psychological and partly ignorance. Our mind is not sensitive to gradual changes and most ecological phenomena do not occur immediately.

Global warming, for example, has been known about by scientists for several decades, but has only recently gained global attention. Even today, many people have not done enough to prevent global warming because we have not felt its effects. Those who have made efforts to reduce global warming must be convinced of the danger of global warming.

Education is therefore key to keeping the earth habitable for humans. Our knowledge can guide us to decide on what we should do to prevent ecological disasters, although our physical perceptions have apparently failed to detect the danger so far.

Not only school children, but also politicians must be educated, because they have the power to control the exploitation of natural resources. The Environment Ministry, scientists and environmental activists must make concerted efforts to get politicians well informed in ecology. If they have a good knowledge of ecology, members of parliament and heads of regions will not issue regulations that are detrimental to the environment.

In addition to teaching ecology we also need to promote environmental ethics to government officials and the general public. An ethic would serve as a standard, which government policies or people could refer to and be accountable to.

Tribal and local wisdom regarding environmental management needs to be revived and protected. Religious teaching needs to include environmental ethics too. Religious foundations can become strong driving forces to motivate people. Even if people have not practiced religious teachings, at least they know what they should have done and would feel guilty for not having done so.

We have only one earth to live on. We must do our best to keep it habitable, otherwise we will disappear.

Contribute by head of the Forestry Department at the University of Bengkulu

The Worldwide Fund for Nature's (WWF) so-called 9 to Watch in 2009 includes three species that are indigenous to this country. According to the international environmental group, the Javan rhinoceros, the Sumatran tiger and the Borneo pygmy elephant are among the animals closest to extinction.
WWF scientists say these, and many other species, are at greater risk than ever before because of poaching, habitat loss and climate change-related threats.

At the top of the list is the Javan rhinoceros, of which there are apparently less than 60 still surviving in the wild. This is probably the rarest large mammal species in the world and is critically endangered. Poaching and pressure from a growing human population pose the greatest risk to the two protected areas where they live.


In  Indonesia to find the creature that's fourth most likely to disappear forever: The much-reported Sumatran tiger, of which it is estimated that less than 500 are in existence today.Accelerating deforestation and rampant poaching could push the Sumatran tiger to the same fate as its now-extinct Javan and Balinese relatives in other parts of Indonesia. Tigers are poached for their body parts, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine; skins also are highly prized. Environmentalists are researching the Sumatran tiger population using camera traps, conducting anti-poaching patrols and working to reduce human-tiger conflict as the cat's habitat shrinks. Through the efforts of WWF and its partners, the Indonesian government in 2008 doubled the size of Tesso Nilo National Park, which is a critical tiger habitat.

Few species have edged so close to extinction as the black-footed ferret and recovered, but through captive breeding and reintroduction, there are signs the species is slowly recovering. Borneo's pygmy elephant is the seventh most likely to die out with less than 1,000 left.These smallest of all elephants must compete with logging and agriculture for space in the lowland forests of Borneo. Projects are underway to try to ensure their protection, which includes tracking the elephants through the use of satellite collars to learn more about these little-understood creatures.

~Thank You~

Kisahberuang.com

One of Indonesia’s closest neighbors, Malaysia, has just witnessed the inauguration of Najib Razak as the country’s sixth prime minister. Speaking in an interview with  Indonesian journalists, including  The Jakarta Post’s Primastuti Handayani, at his office in Putrajaya, outside Kuala Lumpur, Razak highlighted the importance of improving the love-hate ties between the two countries. The following are excerpts from the interview.

Question: How do you see the economic relationship between Indonesia and Malaysia, especially during a global economic crisis like this?

Answer: We are currently focusing on the investment and integration of the two countries’ economies. We will advance bilateral ties both ways. We welcome Indonesian investment in Malaysia, such as in the hotel industry like the Sheraton Imperial and Westin Langkawi, while Indonesia has also welcomed Malaysian investment, especially in oil palm plantations.

We also have a strategic investment, especially in power plants. For example, the Bakun [hydroelectric] power plant [on the Balui River, Sarawak, Malaysia]: The power plant is expected to supply power to the Malaysia peninsula and also to Kalimantan. It will have a large impact [on the economy]...There has been a feasibility study on building a bridge connecting Sumatra  and Malacca by the
private sector.The global economic crisis has also hit both Malaysia and Indonesia. The Malaysian government plans to inject a financial stimulus [worth US$16.2 billion] to stimulate domestic demand.

How bad is the impact of the crisis on Indonesian migrant workers?

Malaysia is willing to discuss migrant workers with Indonesia because it’s an important issue for both countries. Many Malaysian employers are no longer able to afford Indonesian workers. Many in the private sector have expressed hope that they will not have to lay the workers off. We hope the incentives given by the government will help the private sector not to lay off the Indonesian workers. I talked to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono two nights ago about the condition and he understood [the issue] well.We will not tolerate Malaysian employers who abuse their Indonesian maids. We must respect workers’ rights.

How about the security cooperation between Malaysia and its neighbors?

On the external front, we don’t really have threats. Internally, there are some militant groups, but we have managed to curb them. If there is a militant leader from Indonesia, we can also monitor him well. The last case was Abu Bakar Baashir, who recruited Malaysians like Noordin Moh. Top and Azahari. But that’s not a good example.There should also be a better arrangement among countries in the Malacca Strait to deal with rampant piracy in the area.

The transition of power from Abdullah Badawi to yourself went smoothly, although you face tough challenges such as internal ethnic conflicts and an economic recession. How do you deal with it?

My priority is to implement

“One Malaysia, people first, performance now”.“One Malaysia” emphasizes mutual respect and trust. The feeling of trust with one another should be built consciously, to create national unity. There should be no group that feels left behind in the process. It doesn’t mean we will erase the affirmative action overnight.“People first” means we are not an elitist government. The government should not be pro big corporations. There should be less formality and no red carpet.“Performance now” means the people want to see our immediate actions.

Has democratization in Indonesia been a major influence on Malaysia?

Both countries have different political systems. In the long run, there should be a political discourse, a dialogue to see development in Malaysia and Indonesia.Democracy in Indonesia has leaped far from the previously controlled system to a free, or too free, system and there has been a move to bring it back under control.
Democracy in Malaysia is shown by freedom with responsibility… [or else] it can become anarchy.For example, the move to supervise the ISA [Internal Security Act] to create civil liberty … I have released 13 detainees charged with the ISA, to show the government has put forward civil liberty.

How would  you deal with the relationship of our two countries, a relationship that is like that of siblings often embroiled in dispute?

We must improve the level of comfort between Indonesia and Malaysia.It doesn’t apply only on the top level between the two countries’ leaders, between Pak SBY and me, or back then between Pak JK [Vice President Jusuf Kalla] and me, but also with other groups, including the media, to support me as a
Malaysian leader.I hope the message can be accepted by different groups in Indonesia. Sometimes the media have been provocative in covering issues between the two countries.We should not be in negative competition. We must see the glory of Malaysia means.Indonesia’s glory too, and vice versa. By assisting each other, both countries will get positive aspects from the relationship.

Malaysian leaders have good ties with Indonesian leaders like SBY, JK and former president Megawati Soekarnoputri. What would the relationship be like if Indonesia had a new leader?

There should be a continuation in the relationship between both countries.We must understand that Indonesia plays a very important role for Malaysia, and it is not just because of strategic considerations. Indonesia and Malaysia have similarities in culture, religion and emotions.

It’s difficult to separate the two countries.

Get ready to vote tomorrow : Kampanye Damai Pemilu Indonesia 2009

Resource : TheJakartaPost

The open election campaign period has come to an end, and now we enter the cooling-off period. It’s time for voters to think and make an informed decision. The voters have to decide their choice on 9 April 2009.

The past three weeks of open campaigning proceeded peacefully. No blood was shed, and no skirmishes between supporters of political parties were reported. Reports have it that open campaigning this time was less festive and drew fewer crowds than in the previous elections. Many people came to the campaign rallies for the free ride, free meals and, most importantly, free entertainment by famous musicians and bands that they could otherwise not afford to attend.

These positive facts indicate that our people have gained a better political awareness than before, and are becoming more rational in their allegiance to political parties and leaders. The three weeks of open campaigning also showed us that only a handful of political parties – out of 38 parties (44 in Aceh) – made any significant impression on the people and made their voices heard. According to some surveys, less than 10 parties will pass the 2.5 percent legislative threshold to be able to send their representatives to the House of Representatives in Senayan. It’s good for our democracy, to streamline the number of parties and to make the governing more effective.

On this positive note, we use this opportunity to take stock of what remains to be done in the next few days to make our legislative elections another success story. The most pressing issue is the shoddy preparation for the April 9 balloting day. Elections commissions in some regencies and municipalities have asked for more ballots to replace what they claim are damaged ballots. Worse, some regencies have not received ballots altogether, including some in Maluku.

We hope the General Elections Commission (KPU) will prepare emergency measures in case the ballots do not reach certain areas on time. It should be flexible enough to move back the date of balloting day for those areas.

The voter lists are also problematic. While some parties have pointed to lists that feature “ghost” voters, some have also pointed out that many of their constituents are not on the official lists. We recognize the KPU has made several changes to the voter lists. However, as we don’t have a reliable national registry for our citizens, the existing voter lists can still create problems in the future, especially from the losing parties. The best way for the KPU to handle this issue of tampered voter lists is to report the results of the elections as transparently as possible, and show the public in a credible way that its system does not allow for any “ghost” voters to cast ballots.

The next issue is security. Although the three weeks of open campaigning were relatively peaceful – thanks to the police and political parties and their supporters – we need to raise the issue of the worsening security situation in Aceh.

Aceh needs special attention. A number of people have been shot dead, with most of the shootings reportedly related to the elections. Hatred and prejudice still run deep between members of the Indonesian Military and former rebels now governing the territory and contesting the elections through local parties.

We hope the police can improve the security situation ahead of the elections and on polling day, especially in Aceh, so that people can cast their ballots without any pressure or fear.

Good Luck to my brother who is one of the candidate for legislative elections and I always support Kampanye Damai Pemilu Indonesia 2009.

In October last year, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed the highly controversial porn bill into law amid protests by Bali, other provinces and scores of civil society groups. The porn law itself remains a sensitive issue among Balinese and the provincial government who continue to voice their objections to the law. Opposition parties took jabs, ensuring the pornography law issue will become a central theme in legislative election. Hope they can really campaign in peace to support our Kampanye Damai Pemilu Indonesia 2009.

Be proportional. Since the early debate of the pornography law in 2006, I was already of the view that such legislation was needed, as pornographic blog, DVDs and magazines were easily accessible to teenagers. This was dangerous, as it might have stimulated them to be sexually active.

However, it should be clarified and affirmed that the definition of “pornography” cannot be translated to include our local traditions that have existed for hundred of years – even before the establishment of the Republic of Indonesia with its motto “unity in diversity”, nor, for example, should it include women wearing bikinis or ballet clothes. If we deem such cases pornography, it is because our own minds are pornographic.

Only irresponsible men deny moral law formation. They only think about their own freedom, and do not think about the safety of the common people.

I don't know whether sexy artist blog also consider as pornographic blog but I love to vist few Indonesian Sexy artist blog such as 10 Top Artis Indonesia Terseksi, Indonesia Sexy Celebrity Blog and Artis Cantik Indonesia.

~THANK YOU~