CANGGUWEEKLY
No.313/27Jan-03Fab2023
1shotofBaliarakinthemorning,1intheevening,GovernorKosterrecommends
shotofarakinthemorningis especiallygoodforone’shealth andcanboosttheirspiritatwork.
“Sodrinkarakforhealthandnot togetdrunk,”hesaidyesterday duringanoffcialvisitto Karangasem.
It’snoteverydaythatan Indonesiangovernmentoffcial recommendsthatwedrink alcohol.
Inabidtopromotearak,Bali GovernorWayanKosterhas recommendedtheisland’s residentsdrinktwoseloki(shots) oftheBalinesetraditionalliquor everyday–oneinthemorning andoneintheevening.
Kostersaidthatdrinkingone
Havingissuedagubernatorial regulationtopushforthe productionandmarketingofarak threeyearsago(followedbya presidentialregulationissuedby PresidentJokoWidodoin2021), Kostersaidlastyearthathe wishestoseearakproducts makeupatleast50percentof hotelsandrestaurants’alcoholic beverageofferings.
ThisSunday,Jan.29,marks Bali’sfrstoffcialArakDay. Kosterexpressedhisoptimism thatdrinkingtheliquorin moderationdailywillhelp
preservearakaspartofthe island’sculturalinheritance.
Thegovernorsaidthatpeople whoconsiderArakDayasan occasiontogetdrunkare misguided,addingthatthefault isnotontheliquorbuton excessivedrinkinghabits.
“Onegallonofwaterifdrunk aloneinashortamountoftime willsurelygetyoudrunk,so don’tblamearakbutour behaviormustbecorrectin utilizingarak,”Kostersaid.
Balinesearakisaliquormade fromcoconutfowerextract. Undera2020regional regulation,arak,alongwithtuak (anothertraditionaldrinkmade fromcoconutfowerextractsbut distinctfromarakin fermentationmethod),and brem(traditionalricewine),
werelegalized,preservedas culturalheritages,andmarked forfurthercommercial developmentinBali.
Koster’sbackingofthe commercializationoftraditional Balineseliquorsincludescalling uponproducerstoinclude traditionalscriptureontheir packaging.Thegovernorhas alsoorderedcrackdownson canesugar-basedarak,suchas thoseproducedinKarangasem. Concernshavelongbeenraised aboutcane-sugararak containingharmfulchemical additives.Therewerealsofears thattheproductwouldthreaten traditionalcoconut-basedarak artisans,aswellasruinBali’s reputationastheonlysourceof genuinearak.
Motheranddaughterget19yearsforhalf-trillionrupiahUbudvillascamtargetingSaudi
shewiredIDR505billion (US$33.7million)toEkaand Eviebetween2011and2018for thedevelopmentoftwovilla resorts.
EkaandEviepurchasedseven plotsoflandforIDR38.4billion (US$2.56million)andsetaside IDR37.6billion(US$2.51)forthe constructionofthevillas.They pocketedtheremainingIDR429 billion(US$28.6million),which theyusedtobuycarsand propertiesinMalangand Jakarta.
October2020,theGianyar DistrictCourtsentencedthemto fouryearsinprisoneachfor fraud.
Morerecently,theGianyar DistrictCourtsentencedeachto 19yearsinprisoninaseparate moneylaunderingtrial.
Awomanandherdaughterwere eachsentencedto19yearsin prisonfordefraudingPrincess LolowahbintMohammedbin AbdullahAl-SaudofSaudi Arabia,aftertheypromisedher avillaresortinUbudthatnever cametobe.
In2008,theroyalbecame acquaintedwithanIndonesian citizennamedEkaAugusta Herriyani,thelatterofwhom workedataMalaysiancompany inwhichLolowahwasa shareholder.
TheprincessvisitedBalithe followingyearandexpressed herinterestinproperty investmentontheisland.Eka introducedLolowahtoher daughterEvieMarindo Christina,whowassaidtobe abletoassistwithpermits.
Themotheranddaughterpair scoutedforvillalocationsand settledonasiteinthe Tampaksiringsub-districtof Gianyarregency.
AfterLolowahapprovedthesite,
Inaddition,theyofferedthe princess1,600squaremetersof landfortheconstructionofa restaurantintheBerawaareaof Badungregency,forwhichshe wiredmorethanUS$500,000. Theprincessthenchangedher mindandaskedforhermoney back,butEkanevermadethe transferdespitepromisingtodo so.Itwaslaterrevealedthatthe landwasnotupforsaletobegin with.
EkaandEviewentintohiding andweredeclaredfugitivesby theNationalPolicebeforetheir arrestsinFebruary2020.In
“Whatweighedagainstthe convictswasthattheytarnished thegoodnameofIndonesia, particularlyBali,intheeyesof theworld.Itwasalsothecase thatthevictimwasaprincess whowantedtobringinforeign investment,”GianyarDistrict CourtspokesmanErwinHarlond saidyesterdaywhen commentingonthelatest sentence.
EkaandEviearealsoobligated toeachpayanIDR1billionfne inlieuofanadditionalsix monthsinprison.Theprincess isnotgettinghermoneyback, asthemoneyEkaandEvie pocketedhavebeendeclared unaccountedfor.
(Coconuts.co)
