The Risky Journal

There was a time when martial arts movies or television series were very popular in Indonesia. At such time, I really loved watching Saur Sepuh movies on local television. I also really enjoyed watching popular TV series such as Si Buta dari Goa Hantu , Wiro Sableng or Misteri dari Gunung Merapi . Therefore, I was very excited when I heard that Mira Lesmana and Riri Reza would produce an Indonesian martial art movie called Pendekar Tongkat Emas (The Golden Cane Warrior). “About time,” I said to myself."Can't wait to see it!" Since its resurrection in 2000, Indonesian film industries have never paid much attention to martial arts movie. They have mostly produced crappy horror movies, or romantic comedy, which frankly deserved no place on the big screen. Thus, I thought that PTE could rekindle my lost joy of watching martial arts movie. I became more excited when I learned that Ifa Isfansyah, the man behind an acclaimed movie, Sang Penari , would direct PTE....

News Giant Battle Credit: Pulsk.com As the presidential election draws closer, observing some major media in Indonesia has become a very interesting activity to do. By doing such a thing, one can really learn how media actively engages in the nation’s political environment. This post was written as a simple result of observation in some online media. I observed the twitter accounts of television stations Metro TV and TVone. Metro TV belongs to the Media Group owned by businessman Surya Paloh, who happens to be the chairman of the National Democratic Party (NasDem). In this presidential election, the party sides with presidential and vice presidential candidate Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Jusuf Kalla, or known as JK. Meanwhile, TV One belongs to the Viva News group owned by businessman Aburizal Bakrie, who chairs the Golkar Party. The party chooses to support presidential and vice presidential candidate Prabowo and Hatta Rajasa. I once wrote in this blog about m...

I still remember not a day went by in September without news on various mass organizations staging protests on Miss World 2013 held in Indonesia. They demanded that the beauty pageant be cancelled, citing that it is not appropriate with Indonesian culture. Following the rains of demonstrations and protests, theorganizer cancelled the beauty pageant’s venues in Jakarta and held it solely inBali Island . But, apparently, Indonesia will host another international beauty pageant! Mister International 2012Ali Hammoud On my way home from my office, I always pass a billboard informing me about Mister International 2013 slated to be held in Jakarta on Wednesday, November 27, 2013. But something is missing. There is no news about people protesting the show. Where are they? Those who disagreed about Miss World held in Indonesia argued that it is not aligned with Indonesian culture. They mostly disagreed with the bikini contests, which is a part of the competition. The ev...

It has been a month since the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) revealed a high profile graft case involving the president of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq. The corruption case surrounding the procurement of imported beef also implicated businessmen, Juard Effendi and Arya Abdi Effendi, and a man known as Ahmad Fathanah, an aide to Luthfi. The four of them have been named suspects by the anti-graft body. In January 30, the KPK arrested Ahmad because he had allegedly received Rp 1 billion from the two businessmen. The money was allegedly supposed to be handed to Luthfi, then a lawmaker, so that he would award the beef procurement contract to the businessmen. The KPK nabbed Ahmad inside a hotel room in Central Jakarta along with a woman who was later identified as Maharany. She was released by the commission after being questioned. However, the stories about the arrest of Ahmad went wild as most media outlets in Indonesia produced irreleva...

Sesaat setelah Wanda Hamidah dilepaskan oleh BNN karena dia terbukti tidak mengkonsumsi narkoba, salah satu stasiun televisi swasta Metro TV, menayangkan suatu acara dialog yang bertemakan “Mengukur Etika Anggota Dewan.” Dalam diskusi tersebut hadir politsi PAN Bima Aria dan pengamat politik dari Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (LIPI) Siti Zuhro . Diskusi tersebut dipandu oleh Fifi Aleyda Yahya . Diskusi tersebut dilakukan tepat setelah BNN mengumumkan bahwa Wanda yang merupakan politisi PAN tidak terlibat dalam kasus narkoba Raffi Ahma d. (Baca: Refleksi kasus Raffi: Media dan pembunuhan karakter ) Diskusi tersebut diawali dengan pernyataan sang presenter bahwa Wanda memang tidak terbukti telah melanggar tindak pidana narkoba, namun dia mempertanyakan dimanakah etika Wanda ketika dia bertamu ke rumah Raffi pada dini hari. Diskusi tersebut ingin membahas: Apakah etis, Wanda, seorang politisi wanita bertamu ke rumah Raffi , seorang pria lajang, pada jam dimana kebanya...

Dozens of kindergarten students, accompanied by their parents, lined up in front of a wooden building at Jl. H. Kamang No. 38, Pondok Labu, South Jakarta, on a cloudy Friday morning. Then, the students entered the building, orderly following their teacher’s instructions.   “Mommy, that kite is so weird. I have never seen one like that. Can it even fly?” four-year-old Ali asked his mother, Erlina, 37. Ali was surprised at the Pegasus-shaped kite installed on the ceiling of the Indonesian Kite Museum. Other students were also mesmerized by the various forms of kites displayed there.  Established in 2003 by beautician turned kite-preservation activist Endang W. Puspoyo, the museum houses dozens of kites. “I established the museum solely because I love kites. It is heartbreaking to see how rarely kites are flown in big cities like Jakarta,” she said at the museum, which is also her home.  About 20 years ago, Endang decided to gradually opt out of her former profession...

Below is the article prepared by twelve cub reporters 2012 in the Jakarta Post, including me :) Enjoy our work! Chinese Paint Jakarta Red Photo by JP/Yuliasri Perdani A worker makes lotus-shaped origami at Boen Tek Bio Temple, Tangerang.  The Chinese New Year is here and Jakartans of all ethnic backgrounds, not just Chinese, celebrate the event openly, in marked contrast to when the holiday was largely a closed-door private affair 15 years ago. This and the articles on page 22 look at what has changed, based on reports prepared by Amahl S. Azwar, Anggi M. Lubis, Corry Elyda, Dhenok Pratiwi, Fikri Z. Muhammadi, Hans Nicholas Jong, Muhammad Rizqi A., Nadya Natahadibrata, Pras Gustanto, Satria Sambijantoro, Tassia Sipahutar and Yuliasri Perdani. Members of the Tan family lined up on Chinese New Year’s Day (Imlek) before their patriarch, 93-year-old Tan Kho Tjiang. First, they wrapped their hands before their noses and said “Gong Xi Fa Cai” (Congratulations and Prosperi...

 Every December 22, we Indonesians celebrate Mother’s Day (Hari Ibu). We honor our mother for everything what she did. In this day, Indonesians usually celebrate Mother’s Day by letting our mothers “free of their domestic duties”. In this day, mothers all across Indonesia have the privilege for not serving meals, washing dishes or just to clean out the house. However, frankly, I never knew why December 22 is decided as Mother’s Day. I never had a history class in which I learned as to why we celebrate Mother’s Day every December 22. A couple of months ago, I read a book entitled Gender, Islam and Democracy in Indonesia. After reading it , now I know that the true spirit of Mother’s Day is neglected for years. December 22 is chosen to honor the historic event of the very first all Indonesian Women’s Congress happening in 1928, several months after the historic Youth Congress. This information is something I never knew, and I think this piece of information needs to be expose...

Sumber: kampungtki.com Siang kira-kira pukul 11.00, Indonesia digemparkan dengan peristiwa meledaknya bom bunuh diri di Gereja Bethel Injil Sepenuh, Kepunton . Seorang pria yang diduga sebagai pelaku tewas ditempat. Sejauh ini, dikabarkan ada seorang jemaah gereja yang meninggal dirumah sakit. Bom yang meledak saat misa berlangsung ini berisi serpihan mur baut dan paku juga melukai belasan jemaah Gereja Kepunton . Saat artikel ini ditulis, polisi masih melakukan olah TKP yang dihadiri secara langsung oleh Kapolri Timur Pradopo. Berita tentang meledaknya bom di tempat ibadah memang isu yang sangat sensitif di Indonesia. Hal ini berkaitan dengan kondisi sosial bangsa ini yang terdiri dari berbagai macam agama. Atau dengan kata lain, Indonesia adalah negara yang plural dalam hal agama. Meledaknya bom di suatu tempat ibadah biasanya akan langsung dikaitkan dengan isu-isu SARA. Sudah menjadi rahasia umum, yang akan menjadi tersangka utama adalah para teroris yang biasanya akan meng...

Happy fasting everyone! It’s the twelfth day of Ramadhan and the twelfth day of fasting for us Muslims. But let’s don’t make fasting become a reason for us not to think critically. Before I studied about gender representation in media, I probably won’t be able to say this. I dare to say that during Ramadhan various forms of media (from advertising to news) perpetuate the ideology of women as housekeeper ideology resembling the ideology of women as mother as instilled by Indonesian government during Soeharto era. Try to look at television commercials during sahur (eating before dawn arrives marking the start of fasting) or buka (eating after the sun sets to break the fast). Count how many television commercial that depicts a beautiful-slim-long-haired women who is cooking, preparing meals, washing dishes etc. While their children both girls and boys only wait for their mother. The father surely does not take this domestic issue as he is the breadwinner. Father figure in some adv...