Indonesia: Poised for Rapid Growth?

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/oct2007/gb20071031_467423.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_global+business

Democracy plus low labor costs make the world’s largest Muslim country a potential
economic powerhouse. One problem: a restrictive legal system

by Frederik Balfour

Here’s a quick quiz: What country produces 60% of Mattel’s (MAT) Barbie Dolls, limited edition false eyelashes worn by J.Lo and Madonna, and nearly two thirds of all the world’s
zippers? No, the correct answer is not China, but Indonesia. The world’s largest Muslim country and its third-largest democracy, Indonesia has become a model of religious tolerance that is admired by the Bush Administration. The country has also been able to prevent the escalation of terrorist attacks since the Bali bombings of 2003 and an explosion at the Australian embassy in 2004. After the end of the 30-year authoritarian rule of President Suharto in 1998, Indonesia has established democratic elections. It has even achieved peace in rebel Aceh province, devastated by the tsunami in 2004.

Trade Minister Mari Pangestu is eager to convert that political success into economic growth. “Indonesia is the world’s biggest untold story,” she boasts. Since taking her post with the election of President Sisilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2004, Pangestu has been campaigning to boost Indonesian exports beyond traditional resource sectors involving mining, oil and gas, and forest and agricultural products. “We are trying very hard to diversify our product mix, including the services sector,” says Pangestu, an ethnic Chinese Christian who holds a PhD in economics from the University of California at Davis.

It won’t be easy. Foreign investors enamored of the growth stories in China, India, and Vietnam can easily overlook Indonesia. Foreign direct investment was just $5.9 billion last
year, down 33% over 2005. That compares with $69.5 billion for China. The country’s economy still relies heavily on its rich hoard of natural resources. Its vast reserves of gold, nickel, bauxite, coal, and timber, not to mention oil and gas, have enabled the country to benefit enormously from strong commodity prices of recent years. Last year exports grew 17.5%, to $100.8 billion. The economy grew 5.6% last year and is on track to expand by 6.3% in 2007, according to a forecast by Bank Indonesia, the central bank. That’s respectable by standards of developed countries but not so impressive compared to the double-digit growth rates in China or the 8%-plus growth in India and Vietnam.  Risk of Being Steamrolled by China

And while Indonesian exports have continued to climb, reaching a 15% year on year
growth during the first eight months of 2007, Pangestu warns that more than half this growth owes its success to higher prices for palm oil, coal, and minerals such as nickel, and that the country needs to focus aggressively on attracting investment to non-resource-based industries.

Like other low-cost-of-labor countries such as the Philippines and Mexico, Indonesia
risks being steamrolled by the Chinese manufacturing juggernaut, as well as the emerging one in Vietnam (BusinessWeek, 12/16/06).

Although Indonesia has benefited to some degree from a trend among garment and shoe
customers such as Nike (NKE) to diversify their supply sources to avoid total dependence on China, it faces tough competition from the Vietnamese. Nonetheless, Pangestu bravely insists that there’s room for Indonesia to develop. “Countries have to change their strategy to find a niche so as not to compete directly,” she says. “Indonesia can develop a niche because of its artistic capability and cultural heritage.”

That’s where faux eyelashes come in. One of the country’s leading eyelash manufacturers is Royal Korindah. The company, which is owned by a Korean family, produces about 14 million sets of eyelashes per year for companies such as MAC cosmetics of Toronto and Japan’s Shu Uemura, which outfitted singers Jennifer Lopez and Madonna with special-order lashes made of mink and red fox fur.

The company’s 2500 employees, virtually all women in their twenties, thread each pair of lashes by hand for about $57 per month.

Chief Operating Officer Cheung Shu Fong says Korinda tries to avoid direct competition with Chinese rivals by “emphasizing the highest quality fancy styles” such as special order Shu Uemura Diamond-studded lashes for the Material Girl. Sales have doubled in the past five years, to about $5 million, and the company expects 20% growth in 2008 once a new factory that will increase capacity by 20% comes on stream.

Another area the government is pushing to promote is the animation and film industry. One promising example is Castle Production, a Jakarta-based studio that has been doing animation since 2000. With 100 artists, 20 of whom do 3D computer animation, Castle got its first overseas contract for a 13-part animated series called Carlos Caterpillar commissioned by Dallas-based Sunny-side Entertainment. The show has aired in the U.S. and Spain. Castle is now working on a 26-part series subcontracted by an Indian company on behalf of a French client. “Our business is going really well and growing,” says Maria Tjhin, Castle’s general manager.
Flexing Its Muscles in Animation
That said, even Tjhin admits that it’s tough convincing prospective clients that
Indonesia’s animation industry is up to global standards. And it doesn’t help that Castle is
competing with bigger rivals throughout the region. From India to Vietnam to Hong Kong, animation studios across Asia (BusinessWeek, 10/15/07) are trying to produce TV shows and movies for Western audiences.

Not all of Indonesia’s problems come from competition. The country’s labor codes make it more costly to lay off workers than to keep them. That is a big turn-off for foreign companies. “You can’t sack anyone without paying a lot of money and going to court,” says a foreign lawyer with a local firm, who requested anonymity.” Indonesia’s legal framework is also a huge obstacle to foreign companies. The slow pace of reform of the legal system continues to deter investors, large and small, from coming to Indonesia. “It may continue to be the country’s Achilles’ heel” says Rajiv Louis, head of investment banking for UBS (UBS) in Jakarta.

Another problem for investors comes from the decentralization of government in the past decade. “Everything used to be very top-down, but now with decentralization it is difficult
for central government to coordinate with provincial governors and difficult for the governors to coordinate with subprovinces,” says Mirza Adityaswara, director of equity research at Credit Suisse in Jakarta. “The situation has become investment-unfriendly, but this is a long-term learning process for Indonesia.”

Gaung Pembelian Persenjataan RI

Fatso – Sydney

Berikut adalah sebuah tulisan mengenai reaksi pers Australia atas langkah Indonesia dalam melakukan pembelian persenjataan dari Rusia dan adanya politik uang dalam pembelian pesawat tempur Super Hornet.

Berdasarkan jajak pendapat di Australia dari dulu kebanyakan penduduk Australia masih menganggap Indonesia sebagai suatu ancaman dari Utara. Saat krismon yang lalu sebagian orang Australia sudah mulai memperkirakan akan munculnya ribuan manusia perahu dari Indonesia yang datang membanjiri Australia. Kenyataannya hal seperti itu tidak pernah terjadi. Yang banyak datang malahan perahu-perahu yang berisi orang-orang dari TimTeng dan Asia Selatan. Bumi Indonesia yang sangat subur masih mampu memberikan penghidupan bagi penduduknya walaupun keadaan menjadi sulit.

Saat dalam keadaan terpuruk Indonesia hanya bisa membeli 4 buah pesawat tempur Sukhoi, dua buah pesawat Su-27SK dan dua buah pesawat Su-30MK yang datang tanpa persenjataan. Itupun sudah menjadi berita dikoran-koran Australia dimana Australia sendiri sudah memiliki pesawat tempur peran ganda modern F/A-18 Hornet (F/A=Fighter/Attack). Kolega saya yang dulunya menjadi anggota USMC yang ditempatkan di El Toro (CA) dan bertugas untuk merawat pesawat-pesawat Hornet menyatakan bahwa mereka hanya takut pada pesawat Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker. Dia menyaksikan sendiri peragaan udara pesawat Su-27 Flanker di Singapura dan mengatakan bahwa saat itu tak ada satupun pesawat AS yang mampu menandingi kemampuan manuver pesawat tersebut.

Keunggulan yang dimilliki pesawat F/A-18 Hornet hanya ada pada sistem avioniknya dimana versi expor pesawat Sukhoi yang dijual Rusia kemampuan sistem avioniknya juga sudah diturunkan dari versi yang dipakai Rusia. Itu sebabnya India mengganti sistem avionik pesawat Sukhoi mereka dengan sistem avionik dari Perancis dan Israel. Pesawat Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker sendiri menjadi naik daun setelah Victor Georgievich Pugachev mampu mempesona penonton dengan melakukan atraksi udara berupa gerakan patukan ular Kobra pada peragaan udara di Le Bourget, Paris, pada tahun 1989. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7F8XfSLXHY

Jika pesawat Sukhoi Su-27 khusus dirancang dengan tujuan untuk supremasi udara, maka pesawat Sukhoi Su-30 merupakan varian yang khusus dirancang untuk peran ganda seperti halnya yang dimiliki pesawat F-15E Strike Eagle.

Belum lama ini Indonesia kembali menjadi bahan pemberitaan lagi di Australia sehubungan dengan pembelian persenjataan dari Rusia. http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/jitters-as-indonesia-buys-russian-subs/2007/09/04/1188783237164.html

Dimana diberitakan bahwa Indonesia akan membeli dua buah kapal selam dari kelas ‘Kilo’ ditambah 22 helikopter dan 20 tank. Adanya kapal selam ini diperkirakan akan bisa mempersulit gerakan Royal Australian Navy. Walaupun disebut-sebut sebagai kapal selam canggih dan bersuara halus, sebetulnya kapal selam ini bukan produk Rusia (Uni Soviet) yang mutakhir. Sengketa Ambalat rupanya telah menyadarkan ALRI bahwa mereka membutuhkan kapal selam yang bisa diandalkan mengingat Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia sekarang ini telah memiliki kapal-kapal perang yang jauh lebih modern. Sebentar lagi mereka akan menerima dua kapal selam Scorpene dari Perancis yang telah diberi nama kedua pemimpin akbar mereka.

Tak jelas alasan mengapa Indonesia memilih kapal selam kelas ‘Kilo’ dari Proyek 877EKM Paltus.

Mengapa bukan dipilih kelas ‘Improved Kilo’ dari Proyek 636 yang merupakan pengembangan lebih lanjut dimana telah ditingkatkannya daya generator diesel dan juga dihasilkannya suara baling-baling yang yang lebih halus lagi? Kapal selam dari kelas ‘Improved Kilo’ ini mendapat julukan “The Black Hole” dari US Navy dengan kemampuannya untuk bisa menghilang dari deteksi dan disebut-sebut sebagai salah satu kapal selam diesel bersuara terhalus dunia. Tapi menurut sumber RIA Novosti, Indonesia juga akan membeli dua kapal selam yang lebih canggih tapi berukuran lebih kecil, Amur 950, yang merupakan versi kecil kelas Lada dari Proyek 677. Hugo Chavez dari Venezuela juga tampaknya juga sudah mengincar beberapa kapal selam dari Proyek 636 dan Proyek 677 yang keduanya dilengkapi dengan sistem peluru kendali terpadu CLUB-S. Konon Indonesia membutuhkan hingga 10 buah kapal selam dari Rusia hingga Jepang diberitakan menjadi kuatir dan meminta penjelasan mengapa Indonesia membutuhkan demikian banyak kapal selam.
Dalam tayangan reportase Four Corners yang berjudul “Flying Blind” belum lama ini diberitakan bahwa saat konflik mulai memanas di TimTim pada tahun 1999 RAAF sudah mempersenjatai pesawat-pesawat pembom F-111 di pangkalan udara Tindal yang letaknya berada dibagian Selatan Darwin untuk siap membom pusat komunikasi militer Indonesia yang terletak dipinggiran Jakarta.

Dalam suatu skenario ulang khayalan atas permintaan Four Corners dapat disimpulkan bahwa pesawat-pesawat pembom tua F-111 akan mampu menembus pertahanan udara Indonesia dikarenakan masih primitifnya sistem radar disamping tidak dimilikinya sistem peluru kendali darat ke udara dan sangat terbatasnya jumlah pesawat F-16 yang dimiliki Indonesia saat itu.

Yang menjadi topik reportase Four Corners kali ini adalah pembelian pesawat-pesawat Super Hornet oleh Australia yang tanpa melalui prosedur dan kajian yang memadai hingga terlihat jelas adanya suatu permainan politik uang. Permainan politik karena orang-orang yang terlibat dalam pengambilan keputusan semuanya adalah orang-orang dari Partai Liberal yang sekarang berkuasa dimana Boeing yang menjual pesawat Super Hornet dengan pintarnya sudah mengangkat Andrew Peacock yang bekas dedongkot Partai Liberal sebagai pimpinan Boeing Australia.

Dalam suatu skenario khayalan Australia menyerang Jakarta pada tahun 2012 dengan pesawat-pesawat Super Hornet dimana dibutuhkan sebanyak 16 buah pesawat yang terbagi dalam 4 kelompok dengan masing-masing kelompok terdiri atas 4 pesawat. Dengan segala keterbatasannya pesawat Super Hornet hanya mampu membawa 12 buah peluru kendali yang bisa dilepaskan dalam jarak 200 mil dari sasaran. Diperkirakan pesawat-pesawat Sukhoi Su-30 MK2 yang dimiliki Indonesia saat itu yang jumlahnya amat terbatas masih mampu merontokan sekitar 30% pesawat-pesawat Super Hornet sebelum pesawat-pesawat tersebut sempat meluncurkan peluru-peluru kendalinya. Tapi pesawat-pesawat Sukhoi Su-30 MK2 milik Indonesia masih bisa beraksi lebih lanjut dengan merontokan pesawat tanker Australia hingga pesawat-pesawat Super Hornet yang tersisa akan jatuh kehabisan bahan bakar dalam perjalanan pulang. Dengan demikian seluruh pesawat Super Hornet yang dikirimkan semuanya hilang dalam misi tersebut.

Ini suatu skenario yang tidak bisa diterima dan membuktikan bahwa pembelian pesawat Super Hornet tidak bisa memberikan keunggulan udara bagi Australia. Supremasi udara yang selama ini dimiliki Australia akan pudar dalam waktu-waktu mendatang. Adalah suatu ironi membelanjakan $ 6,6 milyar untuk pembelian pesawat-pesawat Super Hornet dimana pemakai lainnya hanyalah US Navy dan pesawat jenis ini pernah mereka tolak sebelumnya. Konon pesawat Sukhoi harganya hanya setengahnya dengan kemampuan dua kali lipat kemampuan pesawat Super Hornet.

Dr Carlo Kopp dari Air Power Australia yang juga tampil dalam tayangan tersebut sebelumnya pada tahun 2003 telah menghasilkan suatu kajian perbandingan antara Sukhoi Su-30MK dengan beberapa jenis pesawat pilihan RAAF seperti F/A-18 HUG, F-35 JSF dan F/A-18E/F (Super Hornet). http://www.ausairpower.net/TE-Flankers-Sept03.pdf

Pesawat Sukhoi khusus dirancang untuk menghabisi pesawat-pesawat tempur AS dari jenis F-15E hingga F16 yang berada pada daerah unjuk kerja kinematis tertentu. Semua jenis pesawat pilihan RAAF tersebut berada dalam daerah unjuk kerja kinematis yang sama hingga pesawat Su-30MK akan mampu merontokan semua jenis pesawat buatan AS tersebut jika pilotnya mampu memanfaatkan keunggulan yang dimiliki pesawat tersebut.

Jadi permainan politik uangpun dengan menyoloknya bisa dilihat terjadi di Australia.

Tayangan “Flying Blind” selama 40 menit dan 25 detik bisa dinikmati dalam format Flash Video ataupun Windows Media. http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2007/s2070484.htm

Bisa disimak juga wawancara yang sangat menarik dengan James P. Stevenson dimana beliau memberi contoh Swedia sebagai negara kecil yang bisa mengembangkan industri pesawat tempurnya dan tidak ketergantungan pada AS dan itu yang seharusnya dilakukan oleh Australia. Swedia memang sebuah negara kecil yang sangat istimewa.

http://community.kompas.com/index.php?fuseaction=home.detail&id=49047&section=92

A Secret Garden of Golf

http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/travel/06journeys.html

By RAYMOND BONNER
Published: May 6, 2007

FIVE years ago, after a hiatus of nearly three decades, I began swinging the driver again in Indonesia.

On one of my first times out, the Australian ambassador, Ric Smith, picked me up at 5 on a Saturday morning in Jakarta. “Buy 20 balls, and if you finish with 5, you’ve had a good round,” he remarked as we drove south, to give me some sense of the course we’d be playing, Jagorawi.

It wasn’t much of an exaggeration. Hacked out of the jungle, the three Jagorawi courses (two 18s, and a nine) are hypnotically peaceful, staggeringly scenic — and maddeningly difficult.

Every time I start a round on Jagorawi’s Old Course (built in the early 1970s), I find myself saying, “Ah, how beautiful can it be,” as I look down at the fairway — yes, down, because it is some 100 feet lower than the tee, then gradually runs uphill more than 500 yards, and is lined on both sides with Norfolk pines and mahogany trees. Then I begin to worry whether my drive will clear the gulley and the flower bed to reach that fairway, and not stray into the trees.

There is no rough at Jagorawi. That may sound wonderful, but if you’re not in the fairway, you’re in the jungle, or river, or ravine, and village boys scramble after the balls, with an uncanny ability to find them — developed over the years and passed on to younger brothers — and then sell them back to you. Jagorawi golfers say you don’t buy balls, you lease them, and more than one friend have sworn quite colorfully never to play this club again.

Think Indonesia and tourism, and the first thing that comes to mind is probably Bali. Think golf holiday, and most people would dream of Scotland or Ireland. But Indonesia harbors one of the best-kept secrets in the world of travel: it is a golfer’s paradise.

Within an hour or so of Jakarta, there are more championship golf courses — designed by the likes of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Robert Trent Jones Jr. — than probably in any other comparable geographic place on the planet; and the cost of a round is often less than the cost of a caddy at St. Andrews.

Jakarta also boasts of having one of the oldest golf courses in Asia, Rawamangun, also known as the Jakarta Golf Club. It was founded in 1872, and when Suharto ruled Indonesia, which he did with an iron hand for nearly 30 years, this is where he and his cronies played. It is an old-fashioned English-style course, short (you’ll rarely use a driver) and tree-lined.

After playing five days of golf with me in Indonesia recently, an Australian friend, Tony Sernack, declared, “It’s better than going to Sydney.” That’s quite a testimonial, given that Tony, a management consultant-cum-accomplished photographer, is a former chairman of greens at the New South Wales Club in Sydney, which has been ranked as one of the top 50 golf courses in the world; he twice played there with Bill Clinton. (He could dine out for a long time on the stories he has of those rounds.)

I took Tony first to the New Course at Jagorawi. I bogeyed No. 11, a par 5. On No. 12, I thought, well this should be an easy par — only 153 yards. But you have to hit the green, and hold it — too short, and you’re in the ravine or the steep bunkers in front; too long and you’re in another bunker, or the river behind.

Then came No. 13. Every time, I vow not to think about the ravine just ahead, which requires a drive of over 150 yards to clear. And the fairway quickly narrows, with jungle on the left and right. I usually don’t succeed in hitting the fairway, and thus make another donation to the village boys (they got two from me that day).

On No. 14, you look at another ravine from the tee, and another one after that — and more boys scrambling into place for an errant shot.

They call it a “amen corner” for good reason.

But if you don’t want to pray (or curse), just head down the road, for less than 15 minutes away are two superb clubs, Riverside and Emeralda. Riverside is longer and tougher, with a double dogleg par 5.

Adjacent to Riverside is Emeralda, which has three nine-hole courses — the River and Lake layouts were designed by Mr. Palmer; a third nine, Plantation, by Mr. Nicklaus. The courses are well maintained and manicured, with undulating greens. There is rough, and it’s nasty.

But there is also whimsy. No. 4 on Plantation is an interesting 154-yard par 3, over a paddy field with stick-figure scarecrows in local dress.

The three Emeralda courses were completed in 1995. There was to have been a fourth, but the Asian economic crisis crashed the business dreams.

Just what that meltdown did to the ambitions of golf developers is even more visible at Rainbow Hill (or Bukit Pelangi in Indonesian). It is situated in the mountains near Bogor, a pleasant city with a noted botanical garden and the royal palace where President Bush met in November with the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

You gasp upon entering the clubhouse and viewing the course through two-story high windows. Playing this hilly course, you get a look at recent Indonesian history — environmental, economic and political. Beyond the trees and other colorful flora on the course, the terraced hillsides are scarred and denuded — an all-too-familiar sight in Indonesia, and which partly explains why rains in February triggered horrific floods.

Along the fairways stand gray, silent shells of huge mansions — it looks like Sarajevo during the war. This was intended to be a major resort development, and one stares in jaw-dropping disbelief at what was planned, and is now abandoned. A Sheraton Hotel is partly built; the stadium tennis courts, dreaming of international tournaments, barely started.
Indonesia

That economic collapse also explains why it is easy and inexpensive to play there — quality courses desperate for greens-fee-paying players are charging as little as 245,000 rupiahs, about $26 at 9,270 rupiahs to the dollar. But as the Indonesian economy picks up, which it is, I imagine that it won’t be long before it will be much harder, and certainly more expensive.

I’M not the only foreigner who took up golf while living in Jakarta. Many ambassadors and expatriate executives who had never played before become true believers, routinely getting up at 4:30 or 5 on a Saturday morning (not easy in a city with a vibrant night life).

For one thing, with the pollution and traffic, and little green space, golf offers a rare chance to get some outside activity. And the cost of playing is a fraction of what it would be in the United States, Europe or Australia — only on Bali does it cost more than $100 a round, and on most courses the greens fee during the week comes to less than $50.

(The only months when the weather is a problem is the December-to-February rainy season. Extremely rare, however, is the day that it is impossible to play at all. The hard rains, often accompanied by lightning, which causes courses to sound the siren, are usually in the mid-to-late afternoon.)

Finally, professional lessons are available, from Australian, British, Korean, Indonesian pros, for as little as $25 an hour. There is no guide to instructors, but they can be found at any of the driving ranges, or through local golfers, whom you will easily meet.

Recently, a sophisticated golf school, the Bank Commonwealth Institute of Golf, opened at Jagorawi, where two young Australian pros give 45-minute private lessons for $50 (www.bciog.com). One instructor, Daniel O’Neill, even convinced me that I could use one of those monster-headed drivers. I had limited my tee shots to a 3-wood, having read somewhere that if you’re over a 15-handicap, leave the driver at home. Under Daniel’s tutelage, I began hitting the driver not only farther, of course, but also straighter, which stunned me.

The school is trying to develop junior golfers, to represent Indonesia on the international circuit. Keep your eyes out for Ujang Zarems, who started chasing balls like other village boys, but is now a willowy 5-foot-1, 110-pound 15-year old — with a 3 handicap!

Many of Ujang’s friends from the village are caddies. The caddies may be legendary at St. Andrews, but caddies are surely Indonesia’s golf signature. The charges vary from course to course, but $10 is tops, and most golfers, except the stingy, tip $10.

Some caddies have single-digit handicaps, and it becomes like playing with an instructor: “You lifted your head.” “You didn’t follow through.”

They can read greens to within a blade of grass. “Two balls left.” “Uphill.” “Fast green.”

After playing numerous rounds with these caddies, I was lost when I went to the United States or Australia and played. Do I hit a 5-iron or a 6-iron? How far right should I putt this for the break? When I returned to Indonesia, I still took a caddy (most courses require you to), but I listened to him, or her, less, and tried to make my own decisions.

YES, there are female caddies. On most courses, the caddies, who pull or drive carts, are young women.

Indeed, that is part of the experience, in the eyes of most expatriates who play there. When Tony and I asked local golfers where to play on his last day, after we had already had rounds at Jagorawi, Emeralda and Rainbow Hill, one of the courses recommended was Bogor Raya. It has “the most beautiful caddies in Asia,” more than one told us.

It is also a challenging course, but we opted for Bumi Serpong Damai, where the female caddies wear long-sleeved shirts (protection against the sun) with pink hoods. We played behind a lithe Singaporean woman in her 30s, with a long pony tail, three kids and a rhythmic swing.

I left this course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, with one memory: sand. Along the left side of the sixth hole, a short par 4, the bunker runs more than 100 yards. I avoided that, by going too far right, into some low, thick shrubs.

Then I faced the green, where they had placed the pin in the left corner. If I hit over the green, I’d be in more jungle, or the river. I hit to the right and then faced an unpleasantly long put on an undulating green. In general, the greens are nasty.

Golf in Indonesia has something else to offer: ways to make you forget the last four hours and take away the aches. Nearly every course has a spa — hot tub, cold tub, sauna and massage. With little question, however, the best massages are not at any golf course, but at Bersih Sehat, which offers a “massage for the family.”

A massage in Indonesia that isn’t a euphemism for other activity is a rarity, and Bersih Sehat, which has several locations in central Jakarta, is that exception. For $10, you get an hourlong massage that is unmatchable, and leaves you ready for another round tomorrow.

VISITOR INFORMATION

There are no accomplished golf tour operators in Indonesia, so a golf holiday there is a do-it-yourself operation. But don’t let that deter you. Golf Promo Indonesia, at http://www.indogolf.com, gives basic information on dozens of courses on Java, Bali and other islands.

Don’t be put off when you read that a course is for “members and guests.” During the week, it is possible to play almost any course. Greens fees fluctuate roughly from $30 to more than $100, depending on time of year, day of the week and the exchange rate, which is now about 9,270 rupiahs to the dollar.

WHERE TO PLAY

I took an informal survey of playing colleagues for courses they would recommend to visitors. The panel, whose handicaps ranged from 2 to 28, included five ambassadors, several foreign business executives and an Indonesian, Winston Wiharto, who owns a courier company, is a member at several clubs and is the intrepid organizer of a motley bunch for Saturday golf (groups.yahoo.com/group/wwfriendship).

Here are their recommendations:

JAKARTA AREA

Jagorawi Golf and Country Club (62-21-875-3810-15; http://www.jagorawi.com) is about 45 minutes south of Jakarta on the Jagorawi toll road. This is the rare course that is difficult to get on without a member sponsor. But guests at the Lodge at Jagorawi (62-21-879 02483), where a double is 550,000 rupiahs, about $60, and a suite 880,000, or $95, can play, as well use the 25-meter pool and the tennis courts.

Another option is to stay at the Gran Melia, a 428-room, luxury hotel in central Jakarta (62-21-526-8080, http://www.granmeliajakarta.com), which has an arrangement with Jagorawi, allowing guests to play. John Richards, the general manager at the Park Lane (www.parklanejakarta.com), and managers at other hotels, including the Shangri-La and Mandarin, can get guests at their hotels privileges as well.

Emeralda Golf Club (62-21-875-9019; http://www.emeraldagolfclub.com) is just down the toll road from Jagorawi, as is the Riverside Golf Club (62-21-867-1533; http://www.riverside-golf.com), where there is a meandering swimming pool for children or a spouse who might not play golf.

Bukit Pelangi Golf and Country Club, or Rainbow Hill (62-251-270-222, http://www.bukitpelangigolf.com), is not far from those courses, but is at a higher altitude in Bogor, and so is delightfully cooler.

Bumi Serpong Damai (62-21-537-0290; http://www.damaiindah-golf.com) in North Jakarta is another course that is supposed to be for “members and guests.” But I had no trouble getting a tee time on a Monday morning a couple of months ago.

Bogor Raya (62-251-271-888; http://www.bogorlakeside.com/golf.html) is a verdant course in pleasant climes near Bogor. Its clubhouse has a locker room that offers views of the greenery.

Rancamaya Golf and Country Club (62-251-242 282; http://www.rancamayaestate.com) is a resort-housing-golf development near Bogor Raya. It is hard, but not impossible, to play without a member sponsor, but it has a long list of courses in the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia with which it has reciprocal privileges.

Cengkareng Golf Club (62-21-5591-1111; http://www.cengkarenggolfclub.com) is so close to the international airport that the local name for a high tee shot is a Garuda, after the national airline. One of the most popular courses in Southeast Asia, it gets more than 70,000 rounds a year. But the wear doesn’t show on this well-maintained course. The biggest drawback is that if a military general or high government official shows up, he and his entourage are given priority, and a round can take six hours.

GETTING AROUND
There are two options — and renting a car and driving yourself is definitely not one. Either hire a hotel car and driver, or a Silver Bird taxi (62-21-798-1234 or 62-21-794-1234). Its cars are comfortable, spacious sedans, and the drivers are reliable and honest. From most major Jakarta hotels to Jagorawi, Riverside, Emeralda and Bogor, it will be less than $50 round trip. A hotel car and driver will cost at least twice that.

Rasa Sayange

http://christovita-wiloto.blogspot.com

Christovita Wiloto

Rasa sayange rasa sayang sayange
Eeee lihat Nona dari jauh rasa sayang sayange

Mana kancil akan dikejar, Ke dalam pasar cobalah cari
Masih kecil rajin belajar, Sudah besar senanglah diri

Si Amat mengaji tamat, Mengaji Qur’an di waktu fajar
Biar lambat asal selamat, Tak kan lari gunung dikejar

Kalau ada sumur di ladang, Boleh kita menumpang mandi
Kalau ada umurku panjang, Boleh kita berjumpa lagi

Beberapa waktu lalu media massa kita sempat menghebohkan lagu ”Rasa Sayange” yang diadopsiMalaysia untuk kepentingan promosi pariwisatanya. Tentu saja mayoritas kita bangsa Indonesia langsung berteriak dan memprotesnya.

Lagu Rasa Sayange adalah lagu daerah yang berasal dari Maluku, Indonesia. Lagu ini merupakan lagu daerah yang selalu dinyanyikan secara turun-temurun sejak dahulu sebagai lagu pergaulan, baik di antara masyarakat Maluku, sebagai asal dari lagu ini, juga hampir di seantero Indonesia.

Jika didengarkan, lagu ini layaknya berbalas pantun yang bersahutan, sehingga memiliki banyak versi. Lirik lagu pergaulan ini biasanyu secara spontanitas, sesuai maksud dan tujuan pantun.

Sejak sekitar bulan Oktober 2007 lagu ini digunakan oleh departemen Pariwisata Malaysia untuk mempromosikan kepariwisataan Malaysia. Sementara Menteri Pariwisata Malaysia Adnan Tengku Mansor mengatakan bahwa lagu Rasa Sayange merupakan lagu kepulauan Nusantara (Malay archipelago).

Gubernur Maluku Karel Albert Ralahalu berusaha untuk mengumpulkan bukti otentik bahwa lagu Rasa Sayange merupakan lagu rakyat Maluku, untuk disampaikan pada Menteri Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata.

Gubernur bersikeras lagu “Rasa Sayange” adalah milik Indonesia, karena merupakan lagu rakyat yang telah membudaya di Maluku sejak leluhur, sehingga klaim Malaysia itu dianggapnya hanya mengada-ada.

Menteri Pariwisata Malaysia Adnan Tengku Mansor menyatakan bahwa rakyat Indonesia tidak bisa membuktikan bahwa lagu Rasa Sayange merupakan lagu rakyat Indonesia. Kini bukti tersebut telah ditemukan. ‘Rasa Sayange’ diketahui direkam pertama kali di Lokananta, Solo, Indonesia, tahun 1958.

Ini bukan kejadian yang pertama kali, sebelumnya Malaysia sudah mematenkan motif batik parang asli Yogyakarta. Selain itu untuk kepentingan pariwisatanya Malaysia juga sudah mematenkan sate, jamu dan layang-layang. Tidak tanggung-tanggung Malaysia memberangkatkan astronotnya dengan tema ”Batik in Space”.

Untuk menghindari tindakan saling mengklaim karya budaya, inventarisasi warisan budayapun kini menjadi keharusan. Menteri Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata Jero Wacik dan Menteri Hukum dan Hak Asasi Manusia Andi Matallata, pun menandatangani nota kesepahaman Perlindungan, Pengembangan dan Pemanfaatan Kekayaan Intelektual Ekspresi Budaya Warisan Tradisional Milik Bangsa Indonesia.

Dengan nota tersebut, maka dimulailah inventarisasi warisan budaya secara resmi, agar negara lain tidak mengklaim warisan budaya Indonesia.

Over Acting

Semenjak krisis ekonomi yang melanda Indonesia, Malaysia kerap menganggap rendah bangsa Indonesia, antara lain dengan memanggil warga Indonesia dengan sebutan yang melecehkan “Indon”, merazia warga Indonesia, mematenkan budaya Indonesia.

Kondisi ekonomi Malaysia yang kini relatif lebih baik ketimbang kita, membuat mereka cenderung over acting. Mereka kerap kali memiliki persepsi bahwa semua orang Indonesia sama dengan para TKI (Tenaga Kerja Indonesia) yang membantu di rumah-rumah mereka.

Selain itu Malaysia sangat ambisi untuk mencoba mengambil alih pimpinan Asean dari tangan Indonesia.

Sebetulnya rakyat Malaysia memiliki minder kompleks terhadap Indonesia, perasaan rendah diri, layak seorang adik terhadap kakaknya.

Generasi muda Malaysia sangat akrab dengan Peter Pan, Sheila On Seven, Ungu, Raja, Krisdayanti dan banyak artis-artis Indonesia lainnya.

Mereka memuja para artis kita. Radio-radio Malaysia selalu memutar lagu-lagu Indonesia. Demikian juga televisinya, penuh dengan sinetron Indonesia. Temu fans dengan artis Indonesia di Malaysia selalu penuh sesak.

Saat ini Malaysia juga sangat dipusingkan dengan keberadaan 3 juta warga negara Indonesia di Malaysia. Ini adalah angka yang sangat besar dan sangat mempengaruhi politik, ekonomi, sosial, budaya dan keamanan Malaysia.

Padahal, awalnya ratusan ribu hingga jutaan TKI sengaja dimasukkan ke Malaysia memenangkan UMNO — parpol terbesar di Malaysia. Mereka benci tapi rindu kepada para TKI. Maklum tanpa TKI, Malaysia lumpuh. TKI menguasai hampir semua bidang pekerjaan di Malaysia. Mulai dari perkebunan, pembantu rumah tangga hingga pekerja konstruksi.

Pada awal tahun 2005, Malaysia pernah memulangkan TKI secara besar-besaran lantaran jiran kita itu bersengketa soal Blok Ambalat. Namun, jutaan TKI itu kemudian dipanggil lagi — baik secara legal maupun illegal — karena Malaysia sedang panen kelapa sawit, dan tidak ada yang bekerja di ladang-ladang mereka.

Tapi secara politik dan demokratisasi, Malaysia jauh ketinggalan dibanding Indonesia. Coba perhatikan, koran-koran di Malaysia, nyaris tak ada berita ‘miring’ soal pemerintahnya. Yang ada cuma berita keberhasilan ekonomi mereka, dan berita kriminal — yang celakanya, didominasi oleh para “Indon”.

Demokrasi, merupakan kata yang paling ditakuti pemerintah Malaysia. Mereka berusaha keras agar demokrasi yang terjadi di Indonesia tidak pernah menulari Malaysia. Itulah salah satu sebab mengapa koran-koran Malaysia hampir setiap hari gemar memuat berita-berita negatif berbau reformasi yang terjadi di Indonesia. Salah satunya agar rakyatnya takut untuk memulai demokrasi.

Faktanya memang pemberitaan kita di Indonesia, kritik-kritik pedas kepada pemerintah atau pemimpin negara merupakan hal yang kini sangat lumrah. Berita-berita seperti itu, di satu sisi secara gamblang menggambarkan betapa kebebasan pers di Indonesia sudah jauh lebih maju, tapi di sisi lain memperkental citra buruk Indonesia di mata masyarakat Malaysia.

Walau demikian desakan demokratisasi di Malaysia tampaknya tidak akan bisa terbendung lagi. Cepat atau lambat, hal itu pasti melanda rakyat Malaysia.

Keberhasilan Indonesia melakukan demokratisasi kini sudah diakui dunia. Kita berhasil mendobrak dominasi Orde Baru yang berkuasa hampir seperempat abad. Sedangkan Malaysia sejak berpuluh tahun masih belum bisa lepas — dan seolah tak berniat lepas — dari dominasi UMNO. Malaysia seperti tak melihat alternatif untuk memilih pemimpin dari partai lain, yang mungkin bisa membawa negara itu ke kejayaan baru.

Sejak kejatuhan Soeharto Indonesia sudah memiliki empat presiden baru, yakni BJ Habibie, KH Abdurrahman Wahid, Megawati Sokarnoputri dan Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Yang patut digarisbawahi dari pergantian presiden di Indonesia itu, adalah bangsa ini tetap tegar. Indonesia memang sempat terpuruk hingga ke titik paling rendah, tapi bisa bangkit kembali.

Malaysia? Saya tak terlalu yakin mereka bisa melakukan demokratisasi sebaik Indonesia. Malaysia, saya kira tak akan setegar Indonesia dalam menghadapi krisis yang hampir meruntuhkan bangsa.

Sampai di sini, kasus lagu ”Rasa Sayange” harusnya membuka mata kita, bahwa Indonesia sebenarnya adalah negara yang jauh lebih kaya dibanding Malaysia. Kita adalah negara demokrasi yang tetap berdiri kokoh.

Kita harusnya bangga dan bersyukur dengan hal itu. Dan, semua itu semestinya bisa menjadi modal bagi kita untuk menjadi jauh lebih maju.

Kita harus berani selangkah lebih maju. Bahkan harus memandang dan berpikir tiga atau empat langkah strategi ke depan. Yakinlah jika kita bisa berpikir dan bertindak bijaksana dan smart, Indonesia akan sangat berjaya, bukan hanya dibanding Malaysia namun di tengah Asia.