Indonesia Expat - Issue 188

I S S U E N O . 1 8 8 | 2 6 A P R I L – 9 M A Y 2 0 17

J A K A R TA • J AVA • B A L I • L O M B O K • K A L I M A N TA N • S U M AT R A • S U L AW E S I • W E S T PA P U A

W W W. I N D O N E S I A E X PAT. B I Z

IN THE TRENCHES Fighting Fake News in the Archipelago Indonesia, Europe Clash Over Palm Oil Practices

HOW TO REALLY LOCALIZE YOUR BUSINESS

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Indonesia expat

issue 188 Dear Readers,

Chief Editorial Advisor

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FEATURE STORY What it Really Means to Localize Your Business in Indonesia

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BUSINESS How Indonesia Aims to Make Palm Oil Sustainable

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BUSINESS PROFILE 88Spares: Taking Indonesia's Textile Industry by Storm

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LISTS A Shortlist of Ubud's Organic Farmers' Markets

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FOOD AND DRINK Dinner Served on a Village Plate in Ubud

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TIPS Obtaining a Bank Account, Tax Number & BPJS-K

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NEWS FROM THE ARCHIPELAGO

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SCAMS IN THE CITY The Rise and Danger of Fake News

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INFO FOR EXPATS Opinion: Understanding Indonesia's Business Culture

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VIEWPOINTS Borobudur Reliefs Tell Wise Tales

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QUIRKS

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SPOTLIGHT Maria Loretha: Championing Sorghum, Flores's Crop of Hope

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WORTHY CAUSES Fighting Religious Intolerance with 'Punk Muslim'

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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EVENTS

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CLASSIFIEDS

Leighton Cosseboom editor@indonesiaexpat.biz

Marketing Consultant Edo Frese edo@indonesiaexpat.biz

Editorial Assistant Caranissa Djatmiko letters@indonesiaexpat.biz

Sales & Advertising Dian Mardianingsih (Jakarta) Wahyu Atmaja (Bali) ads@indonesiaexpat.biz

Distribution & Admin Juni Setiawan admin@indonesiaexpat.biz

Finance Lini Verawaty finance@indonesiaexpat.biz

Contributors Stephanie Brookes Sharon Hambali Grace Susetyo Ani Suswantoro Kenneth Yeung

Editorial Enquiries letters@indonesiaexpat.biz

Subscriptions subscriptions@indonesiaexpat.biz

With all of the election noise, infrastructure updates and fake news circulating on the web, it certainly is a strange and interesting time to be a foreigner in Indonesia.

In the middle of April, a story went viral online about plans for a new Disneyland theme park to be built in Boyolali, Central Java. How exciting!

We and several other digital media outlets picked up the story only to realize the following morning that it was a hoax. If you told your kids about it, we’ll leave the decision up to you about when and where to shatter their dreams with the truth. For what it’s worth, we’ve updated our post accordingly.

Ironically, the incident came at an appropriate moment. In this issue, Kenneth Yeung dives into the world of fake news in Indonesia and uncovers what happens when too many people believe a story that is false. He also shares tips on what it takes for expats to get their BPJS health cards. Sharon Hambali explores whether palm oil production can actually be done sustainably in Indonesia and shares insights for foreigners about how to thrive in the country’s complex business culture.

Events events@indonesiaexpat.biz

Published by PT. Koleksi Klasik Indonesia Alamanda Tower 25th floor Jl. T.B Simatupang kav 23–24 Jakarta 12430 T: 021 2965 7821 F: 021 2965 7821 Office hours: 09.00–17.00 Monday–Friday Indonesia Expat is published bi-weekly by PT. Koleksi Klasik Indonesia. Opinions Expressed in this publication are those of the writers and the publisher does not accept any responsibility for any errors, ommisions, or complaints arising there from.

Our editors discuss how best to localize your company in the archipelago.

Caranissa Djatmiko interviews the German CEO of a new e-commerce company for industrial machine spare parts but also takes a look at Bandung’s ‘Islamic punk’ scene. Stephanie Brookes is back with an insider's view of Ubud’s unique culinary experiences and organic markets, while Grace Susetyo highlights a way for Indonesians to rely less on rice production and imports.

enjoy the stories!

Leighton Cosseboom

No parts of this publication can be reproduced in whole or in part, in print or electronically without permission of the publisher. All trademarks, logos, brands and designs are copyright and fully reserved by PT. Koleksi Klasik Indonesia.

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What it Really Means to Localize Your Business in Indonesia Some founders looking to localize in Indonesia think it’s as easy as getting your PR manager to translate your website. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Image via BDI

By Leighton Cosseboom ANYONE WHO HAS EVER TRIED TO BRING A BUSINESS CONCEPT OR FRANCHISE FROM OVERSEAS TO INDONESIA will tell you that at the end of the day it’s easier said than done. The market will prove difficult to cope with if you do not understand a few key fundamentals related to language, culture, religions, incumbent players and the country’s overall business environment.

Additionally, things that are popular in the West are not certain to be slam dunk business opportunities in the world’s largest archipelago. One famous example of this was when a Subway sandwich restaurant opened up in Plaza Senayan several years ago.

Bring America’s beloved sandwich brand to a land seemingly deprived of foot-long subs and make a killing. Sounds smart, right? Wrong.

It turned out, culturally speaking, that Indonesians just weren’t that keen on sandwiches. The truth is that locals would rather eat rice- or noodle-based meals for lunch and dinner, likely viewing anything else involving bread as more of a novelty snack.

The Subway location closed down in Jakarta and the brand hasn’t been seen around since.

The dynamic exists around the world. Baidu beats Google in China because it looks and feels fully native to the Chinese-speaking audience, according to a non-profit group by the name of the Globalization and Localization Association. Urdu speakers in

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Pakistan and India can't get many games in their own language, so instead they show a preference for racing games, which are easy to understand and don’t involve language. CNN knows that there are more than 55 million Latinos in the US who want to see shows in their own language. The list goes on.

According to Globalization Partners International, in order to attract Indonesian customers and clients, you’re first going to have to familiarize yourself with the idea of localization. The firm says Indonesian localization is the process of adapting the language, appearance and functionality of a product, site or service for the people of the country.

While localizing your business in Indonesia can be considered an ‘all in’ endeavour – one with a steep learning curve and many possible pitfalls – here are some things to keep in mind to help you hack the process.

one of the lowest bank account ownership rates in the world at roughly 36 percent. Similarly, debit card ownership is poor at 26 percent. Only 1 percent and 8.50 percent of the country’s bank accounts are engaged in credit card and debit card transactions respectively. Additionally, only 3 percent of these accounts are used to pay utility bills while only 5 percent are involved in online transactions.

Because of this dynamic – and especially if you run a business-to-consumer model online – enabling a variety of payment methods such as ATM transfers and cash-on-delivery is an absolute must in Indonesia.

Trusted payments gateways in the country also include names like Doku and Midtrans.

If you make it cheap enough, they will come

If your business is the kind that typically relies on credit card transactions in your home market, you’re going to have to rethink your strategy in Indonesia.

One interesting phenomenon in Indonesia is the fact that locals are abundantly willing to sacrifice things like time and sanity just to save a few thousand rupiah. It’s no secret that locals have an affinity for discounts. But there are very few countries where you will see lines in the mall that stretch around the corner just so people can wait four hours on a Tuesday to get a discount on the latest Samsung gadget.

The country is the third biggest in terms of unbanked adults in Asia. According to Asian business advisory portal Demystify Asia, Indonesia is home to 6 percent of the global unbanked population. The nation has

According to data released by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Indonesian shoppers actively seek out promotions and hunt for deals. At the lower half of the income pyramid, this is a function of family dynamics.

Understand payments

“Some people think localizing a business is as easy as getting your public relations manager to translate your web copy to Bahasa Indonesia. This couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Men typically give their wives a monthly budget for the family. The more money that these women can save on groceries, the more they have to splurge on small indulgences for themselves.

However, the bargain-hunting drive spans the wealth spectrum, says BCG, and more than 60 percent of the overall population says they enjoy searching for discounts and promotions. More than 70 percent of the country’s affluent population says they actually enjoy it. Smart companies entering the country would do well to kick off their market entry with deep discounts to attract early business.

Mobile is a must

If you have ever been in an Uber on Jalan Gatot Subroto in Jakarta at 5:30 pm on a work day, you will understand why smartphones are so important to Indonesians. But apart from the gruelling traffic conditions in the nation’s big cities leading to an increased dependency on mobile internet, smartphones are playing an increasingly important role in how locals engage in commerce at large.

Indonesia has become one of Asia’s foremost mobilefirst nations, with a StatCounter report estimating that in recent years, more than 70 percent of the local internet traffic originated from mobile devices.

Image via Asia Green Buildings

When it comes to shopping, often it comes down to a choice between buying a certain product online or not getting it at all in Indonesia. Further, in most of the country’s rural areas, there is no broadband internet option, which often leaves accessing the web limited to one’s mobile smartphone. This creates somewhat of a perfect storm which requires consumer-facing businesses to go straight to mobile in Indonesia.

to deliver within the local consumer’s comfort zone.

Some brands – like Subway – make the mistake of thinking their Western market offerings will translate to quick and easy success in Indonesia. This often turns out to be an incorrect assumption.

Cater to the conservatives

Indonesians are open to trying foreign brands and products, which makes the market a unique testing ground for incoming companies. However, overseas businesses won’t be able to rely on their foreign novelty and charm for long unless they are also able

McDonald’s is a prime example of localization done right in Indonesia. While the burger and fries mega brand offers Big Macs and McChicken sandwiches for locals who want the American fast food experience, the chain also realized early on that it needed to add rice, fried chicken and chili sauce to the menu.

While this would be unthinkable and blasphemous in markets like the US or Canada, in Indonesia, it’s a win-win for locals who otherwise would not join their friends under the golden arches at lunch time.

Image via Retail News Asia

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How Indonesia Aims to Make Palm Oil Sustainable Indonesia believes its ISPO standard for the palm oil industry, if enforced, could help cut back on environmental destruction. Meanwhile, the European Union makes its own demands.

environment, even if only for the sake of remaining competitive.

“What needs to be done now is [we need] to improve ISPO acceptability internationally, because our standard aligns with global needs,” explained Hidayat.

That said, the European Parliament does not acknowledge the archipelago’s ISPO standard. Its resolution aims to gradually reduce the use and distribution of vegetable oil by 2020.

The vegetable oil business is seen as one of the main causes of deforestation around the world, and Europe is calling for a single certification scheme for all palm oil products that enter the European Union (EU).

Image via Myanmar Business Today

By Sharon Hambali Most of the world is moving forward to prioritize environmental sustainability.

A recent resolution made by the European Parliament in early April, regarding sustainable palm oil, may have prompted further discussions among industry stakeholders.

Seeing eye-to-eye with Europe’s accusations about the destructive nature of the palm oil industry at large, Aziz Hidayat, head of the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil Commission (ISPO), is now driven to build a better palm oil industry in the archipelago.

One way is to make sure all palm oil producers in the nation are certified by the ISPO – no easy task. Despite inherent challenges, the certification aims to create more sustainable palm oil industry practices in Indonesia and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the country as a whole.

Currently, the total area used for palm oil plantations in Indonesia is approximately 11.3 million hectares.

So far, only 1.4 million hectares have met ISPO standards. According to General Director of the Ministry of Agriculture Bambang MM, there are at least 1,600 palm oil businesses in the archipelago. Of that number, 535 companies have submitted audit reports for certification and only 226 companies have actually been certified by the ISPO.

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Of the 535 companies that have thrown their hats into the ring, the certification body put 11 of them on the waiting list, as they have not yet met ISPO’s standards. An ISPO certification requires companies to have an Environmental Impact Analysis permit and a Certificate Letter for Cultivation (STDB).

On April 11, 2017, 319 palm oil farmers in the Pelalawan district of Riau received ISPO certifications.

Interestingly, Riau is the first province to have its palm oil farmers certified by the ISPO. This is likely the result of it routinely being one of the main sources of Indonesia’s annual haze crisis caused by irresponsible palm oil companies.

The farmers were trained by the Sustainable Palm Oil Initiative (SPOI)

in partnership with United Nations for Development Programme (UNDP).

Not limited to training, the UNDP and SPOI also helped farmers with certifications for land and other legal matters. Director of Processing and Marketing of Estate Crops at the Ministry of Agriculture – and Secretary of the ISPO Commission – Dedi Djunaedi targets 70 percent of palm oil products in Indonesia to be ISPOcertified by 2020.

Hidayat said that the ISPO certification is aligned with the global need to encourage plantations to comply with government regulations. Theoretically, it would also incentivize smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs to take actions that would protect the

Image via Sime Darby Plantation

As the largest and most prominent palm oil producers in the world, Indonesia and Malaysia oppose the resolution and see it as a discriminatory item. The biggest importer of Indonesian palm oil at the moment is India with an average of 5.7 million tonnes of palm oil per year. Meanwhile, last year countries in the EU noted a 3 percent demand increase from 2015.

In 2016, 4.4 million tonnes of palm oil were imported by the EU. Chairman of Indonesian Palm Oil Association Joko Supriyono claimed that the palm oil resolution made by the European Parliament is tainted with business and political issues. According to him, any standards made by the Indonesian government will most likely be rejected.

“ISPO is a mandatory standard that was implemented by the Indonesian government. Even if we fully implement ISPO 100 percent, Europe still might not acknowledge that. They have their own standard. It is nonsense to say sustainability is the issue here.

Evidently, we have ISPO and they don’t want it,” said Supriyono in an interview with DetikFinance.

Image via PT. Kalirejo Lestari

“Chairman of Indonesian Palm Oil Association Joko Supriyono claimed that the palm oil resolution made by the European Parliament is tainted with business and political issues. According to him, any standards made by the Indonesian government will most likely be rejected.”

Joko Supriyono (image via perkebunannews)

Although not yet implemented, the resolution clearly outraged some parties. Indonesia’s Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman has yet to evaluate the trading partnership with Europe, particularly with regard to palm oil and biodiesel segments.

from improving plantation practices, Indonesia should also improve its domestic market. According to him, Indonesia may want to consider broadening its markets in Asia and Africa. “Do not be too focused on the European market,” suggested Sinaga.

According to Sulaiman, Indonesia is currently converting 3.2 million tonnes of palm oil to B-20 biodiesel.

Meanwhile, Europe demands 7 million tonnes of palm oil. Sulaiman urged companies not to export Indonesian palm oil to the continent, saying that the palm oil is better to be used as biofuel. “We still have B-30 which requires at least 13 million tonnes of palm oil. That means we will reduce exports in palm oil and use it for biodiesel,” said the minister.

The resolution was approved by 640 European Parliament members, with 18 members rejecting it and 28 abstaining from the vote. The future of the palm oil industry in Indonesia has yet to be seen. However, it can be assured that with ISPO certification, Indonesian palm oil industries are becoming more transparent and, with any luck, friendlier to the environment.

Offering a calmer solution, Executive Director of the Indonesian Vegetable Oil Refiners Association Sahat Sinaga suggested using the situation as momentum to improve the local palm oil industry. He added that aside

As Bambang said himself, “With the certification, ministries are obliged to supervise plantation industries on everything from preparations and pest control to the Crude Palm Oil process itself. The ISPO certification shows the world that palm oil products can be environmentally friendly.”

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88Spares: Taking Indonesia’s Textile Industry by Storm Indonesia’s first B2B e-marketplace for industrial machine spare parts aims to broaden the horizons of the nation’s textile and garment industry. Caranissa Djatmiko sits down with German expat Hartmut Molzahn, CEO of 88Spares, to find out more.

By Caranissa Djatmiko

sites like Lazada Indonesia, Tokopedia and others.

Molzahn realized there were plenty of e-marketplaces and e-commerce startups in the archipelago that dealt in fashion, shoes and the apparel market. According to him, they all have the same mission of providing the ultimate shopping experience for consumers by creating more efficiency and offering them the best deals.

With this in mind, Molzahn found there was huge potential for B2B e-commerce companies to flourish in Indonesia.

Co-founded by four young professionals, including Molzahn, 88Spares aims to tap into the country’s textile industry first.

Last year, Indonesia was named as one of the top ten largest textile producing countries. The government wishes to climb the ranks and become the next great production hub for global fashion brands.

Hartmut Molzahn has lived in Indonesia for four years, enough time for him to observe the strong impact that the digital revolution has made on the archipelago’s business sectors.

He previously took on the role of Managing Director in a German trading company that supplies machines and spare parts to the international textile industry.

His experience working in Indonesia made him see the value of business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce, particularly how it can simplify the supply chain and cut out unneeded middlemen.

88Spares is Indonesia’s first B2B e-marketplace that lets users buy and sell industrial machine spare parts directly, without needing to go through the usual supply chain, which involves intermediary brokers who earn a living hiking up prices for the end buyers.

Molzahn recalls his role at his previous trading company in Jakarta: “During this time, I realized that technology can help make the market more efficient and transparent and help save a lot of customers money while

helping suppliers increase their profits at the same time,” explained the startup CEO. Identifying the inefficiencies in what was otherwise an old school business is what inspired Molzahn to quit his job and start 88Spares.

88Spares is particularly relevant in the nation’s textile industry. What clearly sets the company apart from others, however, is the fact that it relies on B2B transaction instead of business-to-consumer or consumer-to-consumer sales that define

Indonesia to Revise Tax Regulations on Foreign Companies The Directorate General of Taxation is looking to revise a rule on controlled foreign companies (better known as CFC) in a bid to prevent tax losses for locals with controlling interest in a foreign business.

The proposed amendment related to Finance Ministerial Regulation No. 256/ PMK.03/2008 which seeks to put the spotlight on taxpayers who did not report their dividend earnings from foreign investments. This much is true according to the Directorate General of Taxation reform team chairman Suryo Utomo.

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He added that the tax office did not have enough data to know whether taxpayers falsified their tax forms.

He also said tax evaders have started leveraging a loophole in the current rule, which says the government can only charges tax on a foreign company's dividends if a local citizen has controlling interest.

"We are concerned about the dividend income report. Some taxpayers have already had investments in foreign companies for more than 15 years but never received dividends – that is strange," said Utomo, as quoted

by The Jakarta Post.

With this in mind, the chairman said that his office may change the definition of what constitutes “controlling interest”. In the end, this would be faster than updating the current tax law, he added.

Recently, Indonesia held its 15th Indonesian International Textile and Garment Machinery and Accessories Exhibition at the JI Expo Kemayoran in Jakarta to demonstrate its dedication to bolstering its textile industry.

The exhibition aimed to attract more players by displaying advanced tech and the latest innovations within the textile space. As many as 450 heavy-hitting participants from 24 countries participated in this exhibition.

Every year, Indonesia exports around US$12 billion worth of textiles and textile related products. The government is

Government Urges Pertamina to Expand Business Abroad State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno recently suggested that Pertamina would have trouble expanding its business overseas if it was required to set up an oil and gas business entity, reported Tempo.

However, Soemarno claimed that Pertamina must expand its business overseas anyway, as oil and gas reserves in Indonesia are running out.

"If [Pertamina] is required to be a [business] entity, it won't be able to

“I realized that technology can help make the market more efficient and transparent and help save a lot of customers money while helping suppliers increase their profits at the same time.” planning to increase the number to US$75 billion by 2030. However, Indonesia has seen a decline in exports for the past few years.

In 2011, the archipelago reached a record of US$13.2 billion but the number gradually declined to US$11.8 billion in 2016. For this reason, Indonesia is working harder to optimize the textile and garments sector by asking the government to reduce costs of electricity and logistics and stop illegal imports of garments and raw materials, which apparently prevent the industry from growing.

make that happen is to expand its network of local and international buyers.

“We are able to connect directly suppliers from all over the world to buyers in Indonesia and give them customers with one click. This is also at a lower cost, as an e-marketplace can run nearly 100 times cheaper when compared to the traditional way of doing business,” said Molzahn.

This dynamic has motivated 88Spares to up its game and become the leading online marketplace for industrial machine spare parts. One of the company’s strategies to

The unique thing about working in the textile industry, according to Molzahn, is that the players in it do not actually need to make much of an innovation, as the market is already there, but just waiting to be explored. As a company, 88Spares aims to help make the market work faster, more transparently and with more efficiency than before.

make investments overseas. Pertamina serves a function to provide energy," Soemarno told the media.

Because of this, Pertamina needs to make overseas investments in an effort to acquire oil fields with more reserves.

Soemarno responded to a proposal made by the House of Representatives Commission VII which manages the nation’s energy affairs. She claimed that the Indonesian government is looking to realize energy independence.

According to the minister, Pertamina must own more energy supplies and set the country up for energy resilience, making it less dependent on foreign nations.

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Stephanie Brookes is an author, travel writer and blogger with tales from Indonesia and beyond

A Shortlist of Ubud’s Organic Farmers' Markets Not only known for its laid back and artsy ambiance, Ubud is also comprised of healthy organic food markets. This time, Stephanie Brookes explores the Saturday Ubud Organic Market scene.

Text and images by Stephanie Brookes Seeking out farmers' markets in Ubud can be a lot of fun. I was on a mission to find extra virgin cold pressed coconut oil but I found a whole lot more at the local Saturday Ubud Organic Market right in the centre of town, which is set up outside Pizza Bagus, a famous eatery.

Made, the owner of the coconut oil stand explained to me how the oil is made. “My sister uses the brown hairy coconut. She ferments the coconut milk for two days then filters the oil the traditional way by hand,” he said. “The bottling involves the whole family and it's quite a big production. Our village is in Jembrana, West Bali.”

He continues speaking with a smile. “I sell out my stock every week. Because our process is natural, once you open a bottle of organic coconut oil, you have four weeks to use it. This makes for a good turnaround and lots of repeat clients,” he said, handing me a bottle to inspect. Made also had a selection of teas from his village, but not ordinary black tea.

Made's teas are made from wood, flowers and the root of turmeric and ginger. I picked my way through the delightful assortment of dried, old bits of stalks and leaves, many of which I did not recognize, and settled on a flower tea I was familiar with, Rosella. It is a medicinal tea renowned for its remarkable vitamin C content.

I moved on to the vegetable stand, which had piles of organic vegetables including red and yellow peppers, cabbage, eggplant, potatoes, carrots, bright crimsonred dragon fruit and fresh looking knobs of ginger. I discovered after looking around that you must check each stall, as only some sell certified organic food and others are selling farmers’ fresh produce.

I met Putu, one of the vegetable sellers, who is from Pejeng Village just five kilometres away. She told me she had been selling at the Ubud Organic Market for nine years.

“We are all growers and sellers here,” she explained.

“My produce is certified organic, and we welcome all our customers to come and visit our farm. Before these markets started, it was hard to find customers who had an understanding of organic produce. Most Balinese shops at the local produce market just want to haggle over the best price, but by coming here, our buyers are already searching for organic, pesticidefree produce. This has been a very successful match and has helped us continue to grow our vegetables this way.”

Next, I met the coffee lady who sold organic coffee from Karangasem. After launching into a lengthy story about coffee cultivation, picking and roasting, she was keen for me to try her latest creation – coffee with cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. It was a delicious coffee version of chai masala. What a winner!

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“The Ubud Organic Market operates once a week, on Saturdays. It is comprised of 16 sellers and the range of products you can buy here includes vegetables, jams, soy milk, nuts and seeds, packaged flours, oil, artisan bread, seedlings, soap nuts, chemical-free household cleaning products and natural beauty products.”

The Ubud Organic Market operates once a week, on Saturdays. It is comprised of 16 sellers and the range of products you can buy here includes vegetables, jams, soy milk, nuts and seeds, packaged flours, oil, artisan bread, seedlings, soap nuts, chemical-free household cleaning products and natural beauty products.

This collective of farmers and growers has been serving the Ubud community since 2006. The prices are virtually wholesale, as these independent farmers sell directly to the public without the middleman. The markets also serve as a meeting point for a good catch up with old friends or a place to make new friends and trade information.

Ubud has a growing number of health conscious locals, expats and visitors, now with over 700 restaurants and bars. Many of the restaurants are plant-based vegan, vegetarian and raw food, plus there are several cooking schools. Well known for its health retreats, yoga centres, ashrams and spiritual learning centres, organic eating choices abound.

Every second or third eatery seems to be a fresh juice bar, a vegan warung, a vegetarian eatery, a gluten-free café or a raw food eatery.

I was impressed that every stall makes an effort to provide information sheets (in English) and all of the vendors are very keen on sharing fun facts about their products. Customers can also gain more insights about the products on their website.

On the way out, I just had to grab some local organic peanuts, red rice, Chia seeds (which grow well in Bali) and local cacao before hitting the imported rows of organic quinoa, flax seeds and almonds. These market sellers have every angle covered and know what the health food buyer is seeking.

The prices won't leave a dent in your pocket, so check out the Ubud Organic Market when you are next in Bali and try some of the local delicacies. Additionally, here is a shortlist of other great farmers' markets to check out in Ubud.

Market Schedule Ubud Organic Farmers' Market Address: Located outside Pizza Bagus Restaurant & Deli, Pengosekan Street, Ubud Time: Saturday (8am to 2pm) Web: www.ubudorganicmarket.com Moksa Saturday Market Address: Moksa Plant-based Cuisine & Permaculture Banjar Kutuh, Sayan, Ubud Time: Saturday (10am to 2pm) Web: www.moksaubud.com New Ubud Food Court (opposite Sens Hotel) Address: Jalan Sukma Kesuma No. 2 Br Tebesaya, Peliatan, Ubud Time: Wednesday (9am to 2pm) This new farmers' market offers mid-week shopping offering fresh produce, a range of organic items and health food.

Warung Alami Organic Market Address: Jalan Penestanan, next to Alchemy Restaurant Time: 9am to 2pm Web: www.warungalami.jimdo.com/organic-market Kafe Topi Organic Market Address: Jalan Nyuh Kuning No. 2, Ubud Time: Sunday (9.30am to 12.30 pm) Facebook: www.facebook.com/kafetopi

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Stephanie Brookes is an author, travel writer and blogger with tales from Indonesia and beyond

Dinner Served on a Village Plate in Ubud It is not easy to find great cooking classes to dig up more about traditional Balinese cuisine. Stephanie Brookes explores Village Plate, a community that links travellers who wish to learn how to cook traditional meals with a local Balinese host family.

By Stephanie Brookes (Images courtesy of Village Plate, Taksu Photo Gallery, Ubud) I DECIDED TO seek out cooking classes in Ubud and was overwhelmed by the choices. Many restaurants offer cooking classes on-site and most hotels offer cooking as an in-house activity. But I was on the hunt for something different and lucky for me, I found out about Village Plate.

“This old kitchen fireplace is original and has been in our family for six generations. We use it every day.

It is to cook the rice and vegetables and to steam the pepes, which we will make today. The other cooking takes place with a conventional gas cooker on the other side of the kitchen.”

We proceeded to cook the rice the traditional way, with cassava. We created a dish called Nasi Sela, and when that was boiling away we got on with the fun part: washing, peeling, scraping, dicing and chopping our fresh market produce under the expert guidance of Putu and her husband Pasta, who joined us. We ground the spices with a stone mortar and pestle creating a marinade concoction for the chicken satay.

This consisted of chili, garlic and lemongrass, which we picked from Putu’s garden.

Food brings people together and what could be a more authentic way of getting to know Bali than being invited to eat and mingle with the locals in their village? So without a second thought, I booked online for the Village Plate market tour, cooking class and lunch option.

My first food talk and explanation of all things weird and wonderful was at the jackfruit stand. Putu explained all the local produce to me and taught me how to discern the difference between the good, the bad and the ugly.

“Here, take a look at this jackfruit,” Putu said handing me the rather large, spikey fruit. “This one is ripe, which means the flesh inside is very sweet. We eat this as it comes. It’s delicious. However, take a look at this one.” She handed me an unripe one and explained: “This is also a good one, and we will use this for cooking as a vegetable. However, it must be unripe.

We cook jackfruit in a curry sauce, very slowly, which allows for all the flavours of the spices and chili to soak in. The result transforms the meaty, fleshy chunks into a melt-in-your-mouth flavour, like nothing else. We are not making jackfruit curry today, but I will buy this one for tomorrow. I can give you the recipe if you like.”

Together we picked out a ripe one and that was to become our appetizer with a fresh young coconut later.

We toured the spice section of the market, and I got a running commentary of all the Balinese spices and learned about the basic five – which we went ahead and bought: garlic, onion, ginger, galangal (sometimes called Siamese ginger) and kencur (Balinese ginger).

It was fun to watch Putu haggling and bargaining over the price of certain items she deemed too high.

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Indonesia expat issue 188

Putu showed me through her family temple, too, explaining how every family compound must have a temple and every 210 days a big ceremony is conducted called an Odalan. Puppet masters are called in, as are gamelan players, and the temple is dressed in white and gold silk, representing purity and the Gods.

The next part was exciting – donning aprons and checking out Putu’s knife selection. We had one duty to do before we got started. We lit the traditional earthenware fire together and Putu explained:

Village Plate is a community initiative, which links you (the traveller) up with a local Balinese host family.

The idea is for you and your host family to share a traditional meal and cook together. I was after an authentic experience, so that sounded perfect. I knew it would open the door to finding out more about Balinese culture. Besides, I was intrigued to know just how those family compounds operated anyway.

I was picked up at my hotel in Ubud and met my host Putu at the Ubud Market. I was excited about going fossicking for the ingredients of my pending lunch. It was 7 am and super busy at Ubud Market, which sells produce every day, opening very early at 3 am. It’s all over by 8 am, and the market then turns into an art and tourist handicraft shopping exhibit.

“It is called a Bale Dangin, which means East in Balinese. That means it faces towards the mother temple, Besakih, on the sacred mountain, Mount Agung, which is Bali’s tallest mountain. This bale is not for sleeping. It is not allowed.”

“I learned a whole lot more than cooking with Putu, and it really brought home to me that sharing this culinary experience in such an authentic way allows for a close connection with the local people.

After all, isn’t that why we travel?”

With a bundle of spinach, a pile of bean sprouts, ears of corn and loads of spices, we headed out.

We had one more stop before arriving at Putu’s village and dropped in at Pejeng Market. “This traditional market is much smaller and stays open till 2 pm,” Putu explained. “Some items are priced better at this market. This is a good place to buy chicken, and their tempeh is excellent too.”

We arrived at Pejeng Kangin Village some ten minutes later. We entered the family compound via a little country lane, with a pretty green overhang of various trees, which Putu pointed out on the way – snake fruit, banana and trees with funny sounding names that had edible leaves.

I got to go through the split gate and walked into the world of a Balinese family. Putu gave me a tour, showing me the different parts of her family compound and explaining that the pavilion where we would have lunch was also used for different purposes.

“This family bale (pavilion) is used for weddings and tooth-filing ceremonies,” Putu explained. “Also, baby ceremonies are held here. These take place at 12 days old, three months and again at one and a half years old.

The tempeh manis was next, and over the gas stove, we fried tempeh in grandma’s coconut oil (hand made), mixing coriander seeds and palm sugar along with the five basic spices.

Making pepes tuna was fun, as we went out in the garden and cut the banana leaves directly off the tree and when we mixed the spices together, Putu pointed out the kencur, and explained, “We believe kencur cures the flu. At three months we rub it on the baby’s head, on the crown area, to protect them from the flu.”

The meal was delicious and an absolute banquet. As we were eating, Putu was busy writing out the recipes by hand. Before we said our goodbyes to the grandpa, uncles and aunties, and numerous children, we visited the organic garden and met the family cow.

I learned a whole lot more than cooking with Putu, and it really brought home to me that sharing this culinary experience in such an authentic way allows for a close connection with the local people. After all, isn’t that why we travel? These are the moments we remember. They are the defining experiences that allow us to exchange across cultures and to learn from each other about our differences and similarities.

Need to know: Bring mosquito repellent. Rice fields often surround Balinese villages, which means stagnant water can sometimes hang around. For animal lovers, most villages keep pigs, cows, ducks, chickens, birds, cats and dogs.

The highlight: Learning about the culture and having contact with a local village. I made two new friends, Putu and Pasta.

Try it again? I would. If you have time, I would also recommend taking the four-hour market tour, cooking class and lunch. If you have limited time, just go for lunch or dinner.

How to book: www.taksuphotogallery.com/the-village-plate

Generating Wealth Post-Amnesty in Indonesia Tax Amnesty has ended. Entrepreneurs and investors can look forward to an era of transparency so as to focus on their businesses to generate wealth in Indonesia.

Was the result of Tax Amnesty as the Indonesian Tax Department expected?

How will tax transparency be enforced?

30.044.103 (more than 30 million) taxpayers participated (individuals and entities companies, foundations, firms, CVs, partnerships, joint operations) representing approximately 29,4% of the total number of taxpayers (existing and new). The Indonesian Finance Minister, Sri Mulyani, stated that this proportion was expected to be much higher.

Approweb, Applikasi Profil Berbasis Web (Online Profiling Application) is being applied for all resident taxpayers. It compiles data from various sources to construct taxpayers profiles, containing information such as previous tax reports; projected incomes; spending trends; share / vehicle / land ownership; public and municipal services data; business licenses (SIUP, TDP, izin lokasi, izin usaha pertambangan / perkebunan, hotel licenses, etc.); professional licenses (accountants, advocates, valuers, doctors, etc.), among others.Discrepancies will be investigated.

Target (IDR Trillion)

31 March 2017 (IDR Trillion)

Achieved

Goverment Tax Revenue

165

114

73,9 %

Declaration of Funds

4000

4881

116,1 %

Repatriation of Funds

1000

135

14,6 %

Approweb will be utilized in many regular business functions, such as property and share transactions. For example, although there are currently no regulations in place to block property transactions, our clients have been queried as to why the transacted property is not listed in the property owner’s Tax Declarations.

pajak.go.id

What will the Indonesian Tax Department do now?

Another example is within the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (MLHR) Law Number 1 Year 2016. The law amended several company incorporation rules stated in MLHR Law Number 4 Year 2014, such as requiring the Notary to keep a copy and therefore implicitly be responsible for the existence of such documents as taxpayer ID (NPWP) and receipts issued by the Tax Department for tax report submissions of the company shareholders. This requirement is for ANY change to the Company bylaws, such as, amendments to the Articles of Association and changes to company management / shareholders.

The Tax Department will be strict in enforcing tax rules and will actively pursue nonparticipants in Tax Amnesty.

We advise that continued full disclosure of income is the most prudent path for individual and corporate taxpayers.

The Tax Department utilizes software applications such as Akasia, Akrab, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, programs and requirements such as AEOI Country-by-Country Report to access bank data and asset information. This data is in turn used to model taxpayers' behavior in terms of income and spending patterns, to estimate the tax amount in arrears.

So how to generate wealth in Indonesia?

The program only achieved its target for the Declaration of Funds.

The Tax Amnesty Law states that the Tax Department will begin to make inquiries to taxpayers on their assets 1 (one) month after the Tax Amnesty program closes, which is 1 May 2017. We expect that many letters and emails will be sent to nonparticipants in Tax Amnesty.

The Tax Amnesty Law also states that participants in the program, who have declared owning assets in the name of a nominee, have until 31 December 2017 to tidy up their tax statements. This is done by transferring the title / ownership / assignment of the declared assets to the names of the rightful owners. Taxpayers should report their post-Amnesty assets completely in their 2017 Annual Tax Report due on 31 March 2018 for individuals and 30 April 2018 for entities.

Alliance Member

Phase

Prudenta Business Advisory Manullang & Putranto Law Firm Allied Notaries & Conveyancers

Preliminary/ Establishment Ÿ Partnership Agreements Ÿ Legal Opinions Ÿ Legal Due Diligence

Financing

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Putranto Alliance also offers a wide range of services to help your business in every phase of its operation. Please review the matrix below showing a sampling of our services to get an idea how we are able to contribute to your accumulation of wealth in Indonesia. We perform these functions internally, we can help you create a tailored solution as well as develop a roadmap for your investment in Indonesia.

For other specific needs, we invite you to visit our office for consultation.

Permits

Introduction

Ÿ Corporate Licenses and

Ÿ Foreign Employment Registrations Permits & Services Ÿ Import Licenses & Duties (KITAS) Exeption Ÿ Social Security Administration (BPJS)

Ÿ Loan and Collateral

Ÿ Tax & Accounting Services Ÿ Payroll Services Ÿ Investment Reporting

(LKPM)

Shareholders

Ÿ Land Conveyancing Ÿ Building & Location

Permits (IMB, Izin Lokasi) Ÿ Environmental Permits (UUG-HO, AMDAL, UPKUKL) Ÿ Bridging Loans

Ÿ Business Agreements Ÿ Intellectual Property Rights Ÿ Litigation

Ÿ Annual General Meetings of

Deeds

Certificates Ÿ Industrial Land Search Ÿ Business and Property Research

Operations

Human Resources Ÿ Labor Relations Ÿ Employment Contracts

Agreements Ÿ Loan/ Trade Agreements

Ÿ Due Diligence on Land

Peak Land

How should I operate my business in a manner that reduces risk?

Ÿ Equity Participation

Ÿ Principle License (BKPM) Ÿ Bank Account Opening Ÿ Offshore Incorporations Ÿ Bank Account

Ÿ Deed of Establishment

Putranto Alliance provides various agile services, including legal and business advisory; company and representative office establishment; tax legitimate ownership of limited liability company shares; application for location permits (ijin lokasi) for large land parcels; among others. For business and individuals, we provide auction house Services for asset disposal, and bridge financing for paid up capital in PMA Limited Liability Companies.

Ÿ Land Acquisitions Ÿ Community Relations Ÿ Business & Property

Acquisitions

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Jalan Denpasar Raya Blok C4 No. 24 Kompleks Menteri Kuningan Jakarta Selatan 12950 Indonesia Email putranto@putranto-alliance.com +62 21 520 4989 Tel Fax +62 21 520 4990 Web putranto-alliance.com

ID07/00958

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide standalone legal and tax advice. Specific situations may vary among individuals and corporations.

issue 188 Indonesia expat

15

Obtaining a Bank Account, Tax Number & BPJS-K Living and working in Indonesia, there are always challenges in meeting the changing requirements of the bureaucracy. Some of these are much simpler to deal with than others.

By Kenneth Yeung One of the first things any newly arrived expatriate in Indonesia needs to do is open a local bank account.

Decades ago, this could be a slow process, but it can now be done within half an hour, provided you have the requisite documents.

Indonesian or an expatriate attempted to leave the country and could not show an NPWP, they would have to pay a “fiscal tax” of Rp.1 million. This tax was abolished in 2011, while the government stepped up its campaign to increase the number of taxpayers.

In general, you should bring your passport, your KITAS (temporary stay permit) or whatever visa you have, a letter of domicile, and a letter of recommendation from your employer or sponsor or local spouse. Photocopies of these documents will also be useful. You’ll also need to bring some cash for a minimum deposit; Rp.100,000 should be sufficient. Then there’s a form to fill in and sign (use a black pen), and you should soon be handed a passbook and an ATM card.

Expatriates living at least 183 days per year in Indonesia are required to obtain an NPWP. The good news is that your employer should take care of your taxes, most likely through monthly deductions, but the individual taxpayer is legally responsible for ensuring registration with the tax office and filing an annual tax return.

A note on obtaining a letter of domicile (which is also a prerequisite for obtaining and extending a KITAS); if you live in an apartment, the building management should issue one free of charge. If you’re renting a house, your local neighbourhood association chief (known locally as Pak RT or Pak RW) should issue one, provided you show your rental agreement – or your pleasant personality may be sufficient. A blue duty stamp token called a materai may need to be affixed to the letter for it to be deemed legal. These stamps can be purchased for Rp.6,000 at any post office or for more elsewhere.

If you lack one of the aforementioned documents at the bank, you might be able to show an Indonesian Taxpayer Identification Number ( Nomor Pokok Wajib Pajak, NPWP) or an Indonesian driving license. Or you could just politely persist until you get a result. I’ve managed to open accounts with only a passport and a KITAS, but some people say more is required.

Sometimes, bank staff may put up hurdles, claiming “you can only open an account at the branch nearest to your workplace,” so you trek over there, only to be told, “you have to visit the branch nearest to your residence”.

Whatever happens, keep smiling and politely request to talk to a senior staff member, who may be more helpful.

Indonesia’s leading private bank is Bank Central Asia (BCA) as it has the most branches and ATMs. Then there are three main state-owned banks: Mandiri, Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) and Bank Nasional Indonesia (BNI). It doesn’t hurt to have an account with a private bank for convenience and also with a state-owned bank, as this can help you obtain compulsory social health insurance.

All banks impose monthly account fees of about Rp.5,000 to Rp.20,000. Your account may be closed if inactive for over three months or if funds are depleted. Only about 50 percent of Indonesians have bank accounts, so as part of an initiative to encourage greater saving, local banks are required to offer no-frills accounts with zero administrative fees, but these are not widely utilized as they do not offer ATM cards.

Dealing with Tax

Expatriates working in Indonesia face the unwelcome prospect of having their earnings taxed by 20 percent, on top of regular taxes, if they are unable to provide an NPWP. The Taxpayer Identification Number was mandated under a 1983 tax law but few Indonesians or foreigners had one in the 1980s and 1990s. Instead, some companies made unofficial deals with tax officials. When an

16

Indonesia expat issue 188

If you’re in Jakarta and you need an NPWP for individual income tax, the process is incredibly simple and easy (for Indonesia) and does not require the services of an agent.

You might be thinking: Indonesian bureaucracy is notoriously slow and difficult, so why not pay an agent to do the legwork and waiting? If you’ve ever tried to extend a visa without paying an agent to facilitate the process, you may have suffered long waiting periods.

It’s not uncommon for immigration offices to send you to five counters for paperwork, photocopying, photos, fingerprinting and payment, a process so long that by the time the clock shows 11:40 am, staff may tell you to come back after 1 pm because they want to start their lunch break. And then you’re told to come back three days later.

Visiting the Tax Office for Foreign Agencies and Foreigners (KPP Badan dan Orang Asing) in Kalibata, South Jakarta, is a refreshingly different experience. The location is Jalan Raya Kalibata, a few hundred metres east and opposite the massive National Heroes Cemetery.

It’s just a two-minute westward walk from Duren Kalibata train station. Operating hours are from 8 am to 4 pm.

Staff take staggered lunch breaks, so if you’re there at midday, you won’t be told to come back later.

Upon arrival at the main building, there are left and right wings. Enter through the left-side doors, then take a number from the automated machine. Unlike such machines in other government offices, this one always seems to be working, so there is no queue-jumping. The waiting area, equipped with comfortable sofas, is more like a luxurious hotel lobby than a government office.

There’s even a computer and printer corner, if you need to plug in a USB drive to print something.

There are no agents swarming all over the place. No one is furtively or blatantly pressing rupiah into the hands of officials in return for service. The woman who served me was proud that the Tax Office is under the domain of Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who enjoys a reputation for efficiency and honesty.

On my visit, I only had to wait for eight minutes before my number came up. Then it was a simple matter of handing over: a photocopy of my passport’s data page, a photocopy of my KITAS and a letter from my employer (surat keterangan dari pemberi kerja). A few minutes later, the paperwork was complete and the Tax Office mailed my NPWP to my employer.

If you have not yet obtained an NPWP, perhaps you’re afraid that registration will lead to massive tax bills. As long as your employer makes monthly deductions and you file an annual return, you should have little to worry about. But if you’re worried about being stung for foreign income or wondering about deductions, you should seek guidance from a tax accountant.

Personal income tax rates are as follows: Band

Annual Income

Tax Rate

I

Up to Rp.50 million

5%

II

Over Rp.50 million not exceeding Rp.250 million

15%

III

Over Rp.250 million not exceeding Rp.500 million

25%

IV

Over Rp.500 million

30%

BPJS Cards

BPJS is the government’s Social Insurance Administration Organization ( Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Sosial), which comes in two forms: BPJS Kesehatan (Health) and BPJS Ketanagakerjaan (Employment). The two state insurance firms were formed under a 2011 law on social security.

According to the Manpower Ministry, it is now compulsory for expatriates to have both types of BPJS cards. If you’re working, your employer is required to take care of the paperwork. Otherwise you have to visit your local BPJS office, fill in the necessary forms and provide photocopies of your passport and any other local ID, as well as two 3x4cm photos, a phone number and an email address. You also need to have a bank account with Mandiri, BNI or BRI.

The monthly premiums are: Rp.80,000 for Class I, Rp.51,000 for Class II and Rp.25,500 for Class III. These entitle you to different classes of hospital rooms, where treatment is supposed to be the same regardless of the room type.

A visit to your local BPJS office makes an interesting cultural experience. At mine in West Jakarta, where the initial paperwork was issued and processed outdoors, I seemed to have arrived in the middle of a spitting competition. Staff were extremely helpful and efficient, although there were a few queue-jumpers and the forms were somewhat cramped.

If you don’t fancy such a visit, you can register online: https://daftar.bpjs-kesehatan.go.id/bpjs-online.

Bureaucratic paperwork is always a hassle, but some processes in Indonesia are getting better.

NEWS FROM THE

ARCHIPELAGO Family Murderer Andi Lala to Face Possible Death Sentence

Prison Break in Tambaksari, Surabaya On Monday, April 16, 2017, seven prisoners escaped from Tambaksari prison in Surabaya. Reportedly, the prisoners used a saw to cut through metal bars.

It is still unknown how the prisoners got their hands on the tool. However, the seven escaped prisoners are identified as Fadila Arfan, Budi Sasmito, Jefri Magaputra, Saiful Hag, Muhammad Shokib, Hadi Prabowi and Ryan Dwi Saputra.

Arfan is a Blitar resident who was imprisoned for violence. Sasmito and Magaputra, who are originally from Surabaya, were imprisoned for robbery. Hag, Shokib, Prabowi and Saputra were all imprisoned for drug abuse.

Image via Tribun Medan

The murder of a family which took place in Medan in early April, 2017 has sparked outrage in Indonesia. Andi Lala, who is reportedly the mastermind behind the massacre is looking at life imprisonment or even a death sentence.

Two weeks after the traumatic incident, police broke into his Riau home and escorted him to Medan on April 16, 2017, for further investigation.

Police commissioner Nurfallah revealed the motive behind Lala’s crime. Reportedly, Lala and one of the victims Riyanto (40) had problems related to a drug deal gone awry.

“According to Andi Lala’s confession, he and Riyanto were meth addicts. Lala paid Riyanto Rp.5 million (US$375) for meth, but Lala never received the meth. When Riyanto was asked about the drugs, he became angry and yelled at Lala,” explained Nurfallah on April 17, 2017.

Police claimed the prisoners escaped through the ceiling, which apparently contained metal bars and was filled with pipes. From there, the prisoners climbed down the outer wall which is only 150 centimetres high before entering a nearby village.

Chief of Public Relations for the East Java Police and Police Commissioner Frans Barung Mangera said authorities will investigate and punish police members who were guarding the prisoners at the time of escape.

So far, the police have only managed to recapture Saputra. The captured prisoner is accused of being the mastermind behind the scheme. “One person who acted as the brains behind the escape plan was arrested when he was trying to run away in the Sukodono area,” said Surabaya Police Commissioner Iqbal. Authorities have also received information about Arfan, who reportedly took a taxi to Kejapanan in Pasuruan.

On the day of the incident, Lala visited Riyanto’s house and gave him a 300-gram bag of meth for them to consume. Lala then attacked Riyanto when he was distracted.

But Lala did not only kill Riyanto, as there were four other murder victims including Riyanto’s wife Sri Ariyanti (40), his mother-in-law Sumarni (60), his daughter Syifa (13) and his son Gilang (8).

Police revealed that Riyanto and his family were not Lala’s first victims. In 2015, Lala’s wife had an affair with a man named Suherwan. Angered by this, Lala murdered Suherwan and dumped the body in a river in Lubuk Pakam.

“We are still investigating the information. Regarding the two murder cases, Andi Lala might face criminal laws 338 and 340 for premeditated murder,” said Sumut Chief of Police Rycko Amelza Dahniel. Currently, Lala may face 20 years imprisonment, life imprisonment or even the death penalty.

Bali Kids No Longer Have to Swim to School The Bali government has built a bridge in Lokapaksa village in Buleleng to help students and teachers from SDN 5 Ringdikit. For the past 30 years, the students and teachers residing in Lokapaksa village have had to swim through tough currents to get to school.

“The bridge has been underway since early March of this year with a total budget of Rp.150 million (US$11,200) and is targeted to be finished within two months. The work progress has reached 90 percent,” explained Wayan Sumindra, who acts as the project initiator.

The village chief and local residents repeatedly asked the government to build a bridge for them. A viral video of students and teachers trying to make their way through the river caused public criticism of the government. Thanks to the video, the Bali government decided to build an emergency bridge last year.

Although the bridge is small, it can resist strong currents.

Sumindra explained that it is probably best to take turns when using the bridge. He added that the bridge currently can hold only ten people at a time.

The emergency bridge was constructed out of concrete blocks. However, it did not hold strongly enough and was destroyed by flood. After the unfortunate incident, the Bali Province Department of Public Works created a wooden suspension bridge with steel ropes. The bridge is 30 metres long and 1.25 metres wide.

There are around 42 students in Lokapaksa village who need to get to school each day. With the bridge, students will only need five minutes to get there. Before the bridge was built, students sometimes took an alternative route on bikes, but it sometimes took 30 minutes or more just to get to class.

Image via Nusa Bali

issue 188 Indonesia expat

17

Kenneth Yeung is a Jakarta-based editor

The Rise and Danger of Fake News

Fake news, a symptom of lazy journalism and deliberate mischiefmaking, is everywhere. Consequences can be fatal.

On March 16, Sapto Handoyo, a 49-year-old mentally handicapped man entered a shop in Banjarnegara, Central Java. The shopkeeper began shouting for help, thinking the man was pretending to be insane in order to kidnap children. A mob soon arrived and brutally kicked the frail Sapto, who was eventually rescued by police.

By Kenneth Yeung Many moons ago, “fake news” used to be the domain of trashy tabloids, such as the US-based Weekly World News and UK-based Sunday Sport, which featured outlandish headlines such as “Half of US Hookers are Space Aliens” and “Gordon Ramsay Sex Dwarf Eaten

by Badger”.

Not all victims of mass hysteria are so lucky. Maman Budiman, a 53-year-old man from the West Kalimantan capital of Pontianak, was on March 26 attempting to visit his son in Amawang village in Mempawah regency when he was beaten to death by local vigilantes who suspected him of preying on children.

Occasionally, mainstream newspapers such as British tabloid The Sun served up fake news, such as “Freddie Star Ate my Hamster”, which was a publicity stunt for an entertainer. More sinister mendacity included The Sun’s report on the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, when 96 people were crushed to death at an English football stadium due to the gross incompetence of police overseeing entry to the ground. The Sun printed a series of front-page lies, pinning the blame on Liverpool Football Club supporters.

Maman, who was a trader in petai beans, had been intending to deliver some rice and other comestibles to his son, Tedi (26), when he stopped to ask for directions.

He was brutally bashed and detained at the village hall. Police arrived at the scene but their presence only inflamed the mob’s desire to kill Maman. Officers later claimed the mob numbered about 600 people. Five alleged ringleaders were arrested on April 8.

There is also satirical news, such as The Onion, which was started by American university students in 1988 and still churns out stuff like, “Study: Dolphins Not So Intelligent on Land”. On rare occasions, The Onion’s articles have been taken seriously, such as when The People's Daily of China quoted a story headlined “Kim Jong-Un Named Sexiest Man Alive For 2012".

Mempawah Deputy Regent Gusti Ramlana urged the public to check facts and report any suspicious activity to police or civilian officials, rather than take the law into their own hands. There have been at least four attacks on suspected child abductors in Mempawah in recent months and at least a dozen similar incidents across Indonesia.

The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology in late December 2016 warned that Indonesia has almost 800,000 websites disseminating fake news and hate speech. Such “news” is multiplied by sharing via social media accounts.

Churnalism and Lies Come the internet and anyone could write and upload any nonsense they pleased. Many people cannot differentiate between facts and lies, especially when reading “news” shared on Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter.

Communications Minister Rudiantara claimed the government would block fake news and hate sites, and coordinate with social media platforms to block accounts being used to promote illegal content.

The digital media era means that newspapers have seen declining advertising revenue, resulting in reduced operating budgets, leading to lazy journalism and “churnalism” in which information is regurgitated without being checked for veracity.

On the morning of April 12, I received a WhatsApp message claiming that Jalan Gatot Subroto, one of Jakarta’s busiest and longest roads, would be closed from 6 am to 4 am (22 hours a day) for one month pending completion of a pedestrian walkway. The source was listed as “ntmcpolri” – the police’s National Traffic Management Centre (NTMC). My immediate reaction was that it must be a hoax, as it makes no sense to close such a massive, integral road for so long for the sake of sidewalk construction.

But then my Facebook news feed showed an article from The Jakarta Post, headlined “Jl Gatot Subroto to be temporarily closed, causing gridlock”. It claimed: “The Jakarta administration will close Jl. Jendral Gatot Subroto, one of the busiest streets in the capital, for a month from morning to afternoon starting April 15.”

The article was widely shared. A quick check of NTMC’s website showed no such announcement, only an old advisory from April 7, stating that a southbound section of the road outside the Air Force Headquarters would be closed from 11 pm to 4 am for four days pending the 18

Indonesia expat issue 188

Deadly Rumours Another fake story that recently went viral on Indonesian social media claimed children are being kidnapped and harvested for their organs. One widely shared post, picked up by the media, declared children are being abducted by truck drivers, street vendors, pregnant women, insane people and beggars. A disturbing video on Facebook shows dismembered bodies, accompanied by a warning of organ harvesting. There’s no harm in advising parents to teach their kids about stranger danger, but it’s unsafe to whip gullible people up into a state of hysteria.

“The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology in late December 2016 warned that Indonesia has almost 800,000 websites disseminating fake news and hate speech. Such “news” is multiplied by sharing via social media accounts.” widening of the road. Evidently, someone had tinkered with the old announcement and disseminated it on social media to fool the gullible.

The simple act of fact-checking would prevent mainstream media from presenting fake information as news. When I first worked at a newspaper in Australia in the early 1990s, I was taught about the dangers of “lifting” – copying information from another source without independently verifying the facts. Lifting was strictly forbidden. It seems now that some newsrooms have no qualms about lifting, even from bogus text messages.

Political dirty tricks have become prevalent through social media. Much of the fake news has a racist slant, especially in order to oppose Jakarta’s ethnic Chinese governor, Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama. Such racism is dangerous in a country with a history of anti-Chinese violence.

There have been fake reports that 10 million Chinese workers entered Indonesia, that China is exporting plastic rice to Indonesia, that China is using biological weapons to destroy Indonesian crops, that Ahok’s program of free vaccines will sterilize girls so the Chinese can take over Indonesia. A photoshopped image of Ahok between Miley Cyrus and Megan Fox was cited as the reason for his refusal to shut down a high-class brothel in North Jakarta.

As people rely increasingly on social media for news, there is a real risk of fake news hijacking Indonesian democracy.

It is imperative that Indonesian schools teach children to practice critical thinking, so they can distinguish between facts and lies.

Next time you receive a Facebook, WhatsApp or Twitter message alerting you to some new disaster, check the facts before you start sharing and commenting.

Opinion: Understanding Indonesia’s Business Culture Adapting to a new work culture is often challenging. In Indonesia, there are certain rules of thumb that expats need to understand when settling in for work or starting a business.

By Sharon Hambali Working or doing business in Indonesia requires an understanding of the rules and etiquettes that must be learned and followed. Adapting to Indonesia’s business culture and its ever-changing regulations might prove trickier than it appears.

Indonesia may seem appealing to foreign workers as it has the largest economy in Southeast Asia with a GDP growth of roughly 6 percent in recent years. There are also many market opportunities in Indonesia, including retail expansion, healthcare, financial, education and telecommunication services that have been booming for the past several years.

That said, approaching business in the country requires careful planning and perceptiveness towards its eclectic working environment. Comprised of diversity and multiple beliefs, working in Indonesia can seem strange to outsiders at first.

To avoid the pitfalls expats may encounter in the first few weeks or months of working in Indonesia, here are the basics to help you get by: The many languages of “yes” and “no”: It is widely known that Indonesian people can be very indirect in expressing their thoughts and opinions.

Normally, when people say “yes,” it means that they agree to something. The same cannot necessarily be said for Indonesians, at least not in the workplace.

According to information from Emerhub, there are three kinds of ‘yes’ that expats may want to get used to.

1. “Yes, I hear you talking.”

2. “Yes, I understand what you said.”

3. “Yes, I agree with you.”

The “yes” instances mentioned above do not always mean they agree with you and will therefore take action after the discussion. Indonesians are very polite and rarely say “no”.

This can be tricky if you are an expat working with Indonesian subordinates. The first “yes” may mean that they acknowledge what you’ve asked. However, they may still disagree.

Incidents like this, of course, often cause ambiguity between what is meant and what is heard. It is advised that before fully delegating work to subordinates, expats should make sure their subordinates align with the whole meanings of the discussions.

Strategic problem solving techniques Another thing that expats may notice when settling in Indonesia is the unique way in which locals solve problems strategically.

Most Indonesian are indirect (please pardon the generalization), hence the most well-known method of solving problems is via a third party intermediary. As mentioned on the Living in Indonesia expat forum, most Indonesians will share the problem with someone in the office who has the ability to “mend” the gap. Each party can share their problems while having the opportunity to save face. Indonesian workers value harmony and tend to avoid conflict, which often results in this method of problem solving.

Another method expats should be wary of is ‘the appeal to authority’. Although this does not always happen, it is important to know. They will do whatever they can to make sure they look good in times of conflict. Some Indonesian subordinates seek out someone who has a higher position than their expat supervisors to express concerns. Living in Indonesia mentioned this as likely the fastest way to get an expat transferred.

Being less confrontational in general can help you avoid this situation. While not all conflicts can be avoided, expats may want to learn more about the local language.

A working knowledge of Bahasa Indonesia can help minimize misunderstandings in discussions that may lead to conflict. Learning the local language is also important to helping expats understand local perspectives better.

“Approaching business in the country requires careful planning and perceptiveness towards its eclectic working environment.

Comprised of diversity and multiple beliefs, working in Indonesia can seem strange to outsiders at first.”

Hierarchy is important The Indonesian business structure may be in the form of hierarchy and status is greatly valued among local workers. Indonesians usually address their superiors with “Bapak” or “Ibu” (translated to Sir and Ma’am respectively).

Many argue the root of this value comes from the belief of psych research regarding natural born leaders and natural born followers.

Expats may be surprised that some Indonesian team members submissively do what is told without much concern for the outcome. Indonesian subordinates may also do whatever it takes to make sure the leaders are happy. Expats may observe that subordinates rarely correct their leaders in meetings. Often, they send followup emails to notify the leaders that they might have presented the wrong information in a previous meeting.

A similar claim can be made for Indonesian managers.

As mentioned before, Indonesian workers value harmony and peace over all else in the work environment.

Therefore, Indonesian workers often avoid intense direct communication that may trigger a confrontation. This mindset drives Indonesian managers to be somewhat easily offended. Although not every Indonesian company adapts to this culture, expats may encounter this situation in more traditional companies.

Saving face is a life and death matter If there is another thing that many Indonesian workers value, aside from a harmonious place of work, it is reputation. Otherwise known as ‘face’, reputation determines a worker’s life at work. It is linked to a person’s dignity, honour and value.

The main reason most Indonesian workers avoid conflicts and confrontations is to save one’s face. In the West, face might not be such a grave matter compared to Indonesia, as mostly Westerners appreciate team members who are direct and honest.

It is important for expats to understand that most Indonesian workers prefer any kind of criticism to be expressed privately. The smallest blemish on an Indonesian workers’ sense of pride could potentially push them to resign from the company.

Image via Forbes

Admittedly, most of what I’ve mentioned above are indeed generalizations that apply to older and more traditional businesses, really only meant to be taken with a grain of salt. But as a local, I do believe expats should consider cultural differences like this in the workplace.

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Borobudur Reliefs Tell Wise Tales Text and images by Ani Suswantoro

Borobudur Temple was built in the eighth century and has more than 2,670 reliefs. Each set of reliefs tells a wise tale that portrayed the beauty yet obliviousness of everyday life.

What’s new about Borobudur? Almost everyone has visited Borobudur Temple, a Mahayana Buddhist pagoda in Magelang, Central Java, 40 kilometres northwest of Yogyakarta. It is well known, so much so that one may overlook what’s really important there: the reliefs’ consolation and guidance in navigating a stressful life.

The beauty and wisdom of Borobudur cannot be enjoyed in haste. To really savour the splendour and contemplate the message hidden in these mysterious figures, its best to go in early morning, when the site is less crowded.

Borobudur Temple, built in the eighth century by King Samarattungga of the Syailendra dynasty, sits on the fertile Kedu Plain, between Mount Sindoro – Sumbing in the west and Mount Merapi – and Merbabu in the east. The Menoreh highlands are in the south and flanked by the Progo and Elo rivers.

The temple, which consists of nine platforms, keeps 504 Buddha statues and is adorned with 2,670 narrative and decorative relief panels. The reliefs at the base tell stories of Karmawibhangga. Jataka reliefs on the upper levels illustrate Buddha’s previous lives as gods, humans in various professions and animals. This was before he was born as Prince Siddharta, Avadana (which means Noble Deed) and Gandavyuha (Suddhana’s quest for enlightenment).

Arya Sura in the fourth century wrote the fun and entertaining Jataka stories, containing morality and Buddhist virtues. Lalitavistara, a set of 120 reliefs on the first platform, depict Prince Siddharta’s life from birth to enlightenment.

Suwardi, a Borobudur tour guide, explained the meaning of four visible panels out of 160 panels of Karmawibhangga: “These reliefs portray the law of cause and effect.

You reap whatever actions you perform, good or bad, perhaps in this life, probably in the next.”

Suwardi pointed to a small writing above the panel: “These are old Javanese letters, saying virupa, a Sanskrit word meaning ‘ugly face.’ If you like gossiping, you might be reborn with an ugly demeanor. This letter might have been used as a guideline for the sculptor at that time on what scenes to carve, and inadvertently, archaeologists were able to use it to predict the period of the temple’s construction, based on the letters used.”

Side view of Borobudur Temple

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The panels depict the common life of people more than one thousand years ago. They include the origins of Javanese massage and the making of herbal medicine, better known today as jamu. The rest of the reliefs were covered by stone after they were put up, probably due to construction issues. Luckily, in 1890, Javanese photographer Kassian Cephas took pictures of these reliefs during a renovation. Now, they can be seen at Museum Karmawibhangga in Borobudur Park.

On the first level we will see touching fabels. Animals perform self-sacrifices for other beings. Suwardi points to a relief depicting a sad monkey hugging a buffalo’s neck and explained: “This is the story of real friendship. One day a monkey had a problem. An ogre wanted to eat him.

Devastated, the monkey told his buffalo friend about his fate. The buffalo comforted the monkey, saying that he would offer himself instead. What’s more, the buffalo’s body was bigger. The buffalo just asked the monkey to send his best wishes to his relatives. Then they both met the ogre. Touched by the kindness of the buffalo, the ogre dismissed his plan to eat either of them.”

Suwardi led us to another set of reliefs. “This is a tale of forgiveness and compassion. Once upon a time there was an eight-legged deer. Because of these spare legs, the deer could keep running for long distances. If he felt tired, he could just flip over and run on the other legs. One day a king was hunting with his entourage in the forest. Seeing the deer, the king hit his horse and chased him. It seemed that the deer never got exhausted, but the king was soon out of breath and fell into a gorge. Knowing this, instead of escaping, the deer descended into the ravine and took the king back to his palace.”

The first level, called the balustrade, is packed with such fabels about altruism. Opposite the balustrade is the main wall where the Lalitavistara is located.

Suwardi showed us a few reliefs and narrated the Buddha’s life: “Prince Siddharta was born to King Sudhodana and Queen Maya of the Sakya clan who reigned in Kosala, India, around the fifth century BC. One day Queen Maya had a dream of a white elephant entering her womb. This dream was interpreted by priests as a sign that the couple would bear a son, who would become either a world ruler or a Buddha. The king preferred him to be the world ruler, so he confined

With a heartbroken face, the monkey told the buffalo the news. Borobudur reliefs are adorned with carvings of local plantations - the tree behind the buffalo is probably a bread-fruit tree.

the prince in the palace and indulged him in sensual pleasures. As fate had it, one day the prince went out of his palace and he saw a sick person, an old person, a corpse and a monk. Siddharta realized that he, too, would become old, sick and die. Later, he renounced his mundane life and embarked on his search for true happiness. After learning from several spiritual teachers, and practicing severe ascetism for six years, he finally meditated under a boddhi tree where he attained enlightenment. Because of his compassion for fellow humans, he revealed the path to achieve unconditional happiness.”

Extreme self-mortification is not needed to follow Buddha’s path. One step is to simplify our lives, avoid hedonism and ill-will, be kind and respect morality, concluded Suwardi wisely.

How to get there and where to stay

Borobudur is reachable by train or plane from most airports in Indonesia. There are Damri buses from Adi Sucipto airport every hour to Jendral Soedirman Street in Magelang. Visitors may continue via ojek (motorcycle taxi) or public transport. The easiest and most convenient way is by car rental (www. yogyes.com).

Manohara Hotel is located in the backyard of Borobudur Temple. Another cheaper but nice hotel, Graharu Boutique is in the countryside, two kilometres from the temple. With only 12 rooms, it is a quiet place.

Apart from Borobudur, Magelang Regency has 11 other smaller temples such as Mendut, Pawon and Selogriyo. The position of Borobudur, Pawon and Mendut Temples form a straight line so it is believed that Pawon and Mendut were used to cleanse the mind of Buddhist pilgrims prior to climbing Borobudur.

Selogriyo Temple, 740 metres above sea level, has cool air and is surrounded by greenery. This ninth century small Hindu temple is dedicated to God Shiva. It sits in Candisari Village in the Windusari district. The peaceful coexistence of Hindu and Buddhist temples is an indication of a harmonious society at that time.

Punthuk Setumbu in Karangrejo Village, five kilometres from Borobudur Temple, is 400 metres above sea level, located in the Menoreh highlands.

Once a photographer discovered this place as a suitable location for sunrise watching, it soon became popular. The best time to watch the sun rise is between June and September, when there is less fog. The Elo and Progo rivers offer rafting.

Umbul Temple is recommended for its nearby natural hotspring and Sekar Langit Waterfall for its trekking.

In the next life, the gossiping people would be reborn with deformed features. The Old Javanese letters (virupa) were written on the stone right above this relief.

Police Arrested Malaysian for Unwittingly Wearing a Communist T-shirt On April 14, 2017, local police officers arrested a Malaysian man by the name of Mohamad Tarmizi Mohamad Nordin who was found wearing a T-shirt with a hammer and sickle on it. Little did Nordin know, this symbol is also a representation of violence and cruelty.

In the archipelago, the symbol belongs to the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), a political group that was responsible for between 500,000 and 3 million deaths before the party was disbanded in 1965.

Nordin was arrested in Golden Tulip Hotel in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara. Reportedly, he was staying at the hotel with his friend on a business trip.

Indonesia’s Maritime Minister Makes a Cameo in Japanese Comic Golgo 13

Susi Pudjiastuti recently gained popularity in Japan. Her trademark action of blowing up boats guilty of illegal fishing inspired Japanese manga (a term to define Japanese comic) artist Takao Saito. This Indonesian Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries caught the world’s attention through her eccentric behaviour and unique mindset. Since Pudjiastuti became minister in 2014, she has destroyed at least 300 local and foreign vessels involved in illegal fishing.

Granted, her actions have successfully reduced illegal fishing cases and increased Indonesian fisheries’ productivity rates. In fact, the local fishery and aquaculture industry saw a more than 100 percent boost in fishery catches between the first and second quarters of 2016.

Pudjiastuti may have created enemies, but she has also inspired countries including Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

She appeared in Saito’s latest episode of Japanese manga Golgo 13. What

Hotel security claimed to see Nordin lurking around suspiciously, wearing the black T-shirt with PKI symbol on it. After being called by the hotel security, local police officers came immediately to check the facts. Fearing possible propaganda, police arrested Nordin.

They then checked Nordin’s room and found no other items to suggest he was a communist. “Nordin admitted that he bought the T-shirt when he was on vacation to Russia. Additionally, Nordin did not know that he was not supposed to show the symbol publicly in Indonesia,” said Mataram police chief Muhammad.

After being interrogated, police finally released Nordin and confiscated his shirt. This is not the first time something like this has happened. In January, police arrested a woman in Kualanamu International Airport who wore the same T-shirt.

Old Lady Lives with Dead Husband for 15 Years

makes the comic famous is that it was created in 1968 and is still running, making it the longest manga comic ever created in Japan.

The character was never named Susi (instead Saito named her Supi), but it is clear from the resemblance of the picture and the fact that the story took place in Indonesia and Timor-Leste.

In the comic, Saito describes a character Supi who was questioned for blowing up boats in Malaysia and Vietnam for illegal fishing.

When first informed, the real life Pudjiastuti expressed slight worry.

“Ahhh, now I understand what the content is about. I thought I was going to be bullied again, but the story is okay. Indonesia is proud,” she tweeted in reply to a local Twitter user @ Vicihansan_gung.

Reportedly, Pudjiastuti also asked for copies of the comic to be shown to her children. She plans to meet Saito in Japan in August this year.

Image via Kompas

Living with your spouse for a very long time is a perfectly normal thing to do.

However, living under the same roof with your dead spouse’s body is more unique. Local woman Roni (96) recently grabbed headlines for living with her deceased husband’s body for 15 years.

Roni has been residing in a 20-squaremetre bamboo shack in Kubang Village, Bogor. Her son asked her to move in with him in Jambu Lubuk, Bogor a little while back, but Roni refused the offer, as she did not want to leave her husband.

I am old and I’m going to pass away soon.”

Roni was saddened when her husband passed away back in 2002. Afterwards, she decided to build a shack on her husband’s grave. Her shack is comprised of only three rooms, a small kitchen, her bedroom and a small room where her husband’s grave is.

Her neighbours and the local village government tried to persuade her to move in with her son. But she continued to refuse.

It’s worth noting that it’s not exactly a Norman Bates situation. The husband is not sitting in a rocking chair or anything. She covers the grave with a piece of wood so that visitors do not accidentally step in it. In all fairness, people in Tana Toraja also bring out the dead bodies of their relatives once a year as part of a celebration.

“Before, I lived in my son’s house for a short time. But I did not like it. I am more comfortable living in my own house,” said Roni in an interview with Kompas. “Do not ask me to move out.

Roni admitted that although her husband passed away a long time ago, she still misses him. She is committed to spending the rest of her days living in the shack with her husband’s body.

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Grace Susetyo is a Jakarta-based freelance journalist. Having recently completed a Master of Development Studies, Grace’s research focused on indigenous identity and social capital in West Papua.

MARIA LORETHA

Championing Sorghum, Flores’s Crop of Hope

Sorghum is a gluten-free and nutrient-rich crop that can replace rice in times of need. It is drought-resistant and grows where the soil cannot produce vegetables.

Flores Sea

Larantuka Flores Sawu Sea Sumba Sawu

“Once Indonesia runs out of healthy wetlands, we become dependent on imported rice from Vietnam and Cambodia,” said Loretha. And yet many Indonesians would rather go into debt to have white rice for dinner, rather than eat readily available nutritious ‘animal fodder’ like sorghum or maize.” discovered how life-giving East Flores’s desolate landscapes can be. To unleash that natural potential, it takes a mind that’s open to learning how the land works, and agricultural strategies that cater to the land’s characteristics.

Maria Loretha with Sorghum Plant over Soily Rock

Text and images by Grace Susetyo Cruising down the coastal roads of Larantuka, it is impossible not to notice an air of prayer in the sweet whispers of the sea waves. It is difficult to forget the sights and sounds of icon-studded flower gardens, Stations of the Cross, and chapels where Hail Marys are chanted in Portuguese.

Every Easter weekend, the Semana Santa processions draw thousands of foreign and Indonesian pilgrims to this historical Eastern Flores town.

It is rather ironic how this green Catholic oasis can resemble a desert when it comes to agricultural life.

Toiling on “soily rocks” (not rocky soil, the locals corrected me) with scarce water supply, farmers in Eastern Flores are no strangers to adversities like crop failure and famine.

It takes real bravery to abandon a comfortable city life that a legal career can provide, and become a farmer in East Flores. During the Southeast Asian monetary crisis in 1997, Maria Loretha and her family left Malang in East Java to live in Pajinian, her husband’s village in Larantuka’s neighbouring island of Adonara – administratively part of East Flores. Today, 48-year-old Loretha is best known as “Mama Sorghum,” a champion of East Flores’s forgotten wonder crop.

Unlike in Java, growing wet rice fields in East Flores is excruciatingly difficult. But East Flores yields a diverse assortment of nutritious crops: sorghum, barley, millet, maize and plantain. Regarded as “inferior,” these crops are usually grown as animal fodder and back-up staples in anticipation of rice scarcity in the dry season.

The greater challenge to growing crops is changing mindsets shaped by decades of government policies pushing for the expansion of massproducing rice fields, and the cultural shaming that perceive eaters of “inferior crops” as “poverty-stricken.”

Loretha fondly remembers her first encounter with the humble sorghum

Likotuden Farmers Planting Sorghum

Originally a Kanayatn Dayak-woman from West Kalimantan, Loretha came to East Flores as a 28-yearold mother with a Bachelor of Law and no experience in agriculture.

Growing brown rice and legumes in her husband’s arid plot was a daunting mission.

But through her persistence in embracing the challenge, Loretha 22

Indonesia expat issue 188

Sorghum Moringa and Fish Lunch

Kupang Roti

Country: Indonesia Province: Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) Land area: 1,813 square kilometres (East Flores regency, including mainland Flores, Adonara and Solor) Largest city: Larantuka (East Flores regency) Population: 251,820 (2014 estimate of East Flores regency) How to get there Flights into international airport at Kupang Flights from Kupang to Larantuka What to bring Camera, hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, good walking shoes. If staying in the village, bring a flashlight, extra batteries, power bank, and a no-frills cellphone (non-smartphone). Gifts of coffee, tea, and sugar for your hosts are much appreciated. Buy bottled water, hand sanitizer and trash bags in Larantuka.

Cash for transactions – draw cash in Larantuka.

in 2007. As a token of gratitude, Maria Helan – a financially struggling widow Loretha took care of – cooked for her a traditional sorghum dish with grated coconut. Delighted by the novelty, Loretha spent the coming years in search of native sorghum seeds and advocating a sorghum revival among East Flores farmers.

Loretha later learned that sorghum is versatile, gluten free, high in protein and fibre, and tends to be more filling than rice. Men’s Fitness named it among “Five Healthy Whole Grains You’ve Never Heard Of.” The Guardian dubbed it “the new wonder grain” that quinoa lovers should watch out for.

“Sorghum was not widely grown as a domestic crop in 2007. Back then it grew in the wild,” recalled Loretha.

“Since the 1970s, East Flores has been invaded with commercially bred seeds of rice and maize. Wet rice field-based agriculture was enforced throughout the Suharto era. But the government also supported farmers with funding and post-harvest tools, as well as campaigns promoting white rice as ‘healthy food.’”

Evidently, East Flores does not have the wetlands to support Jakarta’s misleading “healthy rice” propaganda.

“Once Indonesia runs out of healthy wetlands, we become dependent on imported rice from Vietnam and Cambodia,” said Loretha. And yet many Indonesians would rather go into debt to have white rice for dinner, rather than eat readily available nutritious ‘animal fodder’ like sorghum or maize.

Likotuden – an hour’s drive from Larantuka on mainland Flores – is one of those arid villages where the soil is too poor to grow most vegetables, and rice crop failure happens frequently.

However, two prized superfoods thrive there: the drought-resistant sorghum and the highly nutritious moringa.

Since 2007, Loretha has been working with Kehati Foundation and the Diocese of Larantuka to assist farmers in Likotuden to organically domesticate these local superfoods. Communities are encouraged to adopt sorghum as their primary daily staple rather than as backup food during famines. The sorghum initiative has since expanded to Adonara, Lembata, Ende, West Flores and East Sumba.

“This initiative has also been a great opportunity to revive local agricultural narratives,” added Loretha. The East Flores folklore of Ema Hingi Nogo Gunu tells of a woman who sacrificed her life to feed her seven brothers during a famine. Ema Hingi Nogo Gunu’s blood transformed into maize, her intestines into barley, her flesh into dry rice paddies and her bones into sorghum.

“The agricultural philosophy of East Flores layered intercropping is embedded in this folklore,” explained Loretha. Taro and barley are grown in the outermost layer, followed by maize and dry rice paddies. “Like the seven brothers of Ema Hingi Nogo Gunu, these crops serve as the guardians of the sorghum. They’re grown in the innermost layer, most protected from pests such as boars and birds.”

Loretha’s vision earned her the Washington DC-based Ashoka Social Entrepreneurship Global Fellowship in 2013.

“To champion sorghum is to support the government’s fight against malnutrition and to provide hope for better livelihoods for rural Indonesians,” said Loretha. “It spells hope for desolate-looking lands that could in fact yield sorghum to feed many. It spells hope for women to not have to become migrant workers and have their families torn apart just to afford a sack of rice. If family barns in Flores prosper with abundantly available nutritious food, it means so much more than money.”

East Flores farmers assisted by Loretha currently supply sorghum flour for the Unis Gluten Free Bakery in Bogor. They recently terminated a collaboration with Javara – a premium indigenous food brand sold in high-end supermarkets – due to the prohibitive costs of sustaining business within the brand.

Loretha said her farmers plan to expand their offerings of sorghum-based products and cater to an international market in the future. “But currently, establishing food sovereignty at home remains our priority,” she concluded.

Loretha is happy to arrange sorghum tours and tastings in Likotuden and other sorghum-growing communities assisted by the Diocese of Larantuka.

She can be contacted on +6285238880085.

Fighting Religious Intolerance with ‘Punk Muslim’

Providing Nutritional Food to Landslide Victims

A new generation of Indonesian Punk Muslims might give conservatives a slap in the face, but some think they are exactly what the nation needs right now.

It all started when Knight wrote the fiction novel The Taqwacores in 2004 that imagines an Islamic punk rock scene in the US. At the time, Knight decided to convert to Islam as an act of rebellion. But soon he found himself questioning the values and teachings of the religion, including its attitudes and sentiments towards women and gay people.

Image via Punk Muslim

By Caranissa Djatmiko RECENTLY, INDONESIA HAS SEEN A NEW PHENOMENON THAT COULD REDEFINE ITS ISLAMIC YOUTH CULTURE. A group of ‘Punk Muslims’ was witnessed chanting the words “Prophet Mohammad forever” while throwing a concert in Bandung in April. The songs are loud and raw as any punk rock music should be. But the fact that punk Muslims in Bandung are promoting religious values offers a new twist on the traditionally counterculture, anti-establishment music scene.

For the world’s largest Muslim nation, Punk Muslims do not necessarily represent a group that is celebrated. That said, the arrival of such a movement has potential to create lasting impacts in Indonesia. Many of them were once street performers and juvenile delinquents. Judging by their appearance, they still look like everything we associate with the punk scene: sporting typically provocative mohawks, leather jackets and ripped up clothes.

Yet if you presume their actions are driven by the spirit of rebellion and freedom, you are wrong. To these people, the Punk Muslim movement is about peace and the labour of love.

Members are not only interested in promoting positive values through their music, but also in addressing important social issues that concern the global Islamic community, such as the war in Palestine.

In this way, the group hopes to slowly debunk common stereotypes that say the punk mindset is about misconduct and criminality.

Local Muslim punker Reza Purnama revealed that joining the group has changed his life for the better. He is not only motivated to bring about change through music, but he and his friends also aim to help one another walk towards a more positive direction in life. For example, some members of the movement have begun to quit drinking alcohol and instead choose to focus on writing lyrics.

Punk Muslim aims to give its members the compass to navigate between punk ideology and religion, while also redefining what it means to be a Muslim. “We can redirect ourselves to better, more positive things,” said one of the movement’s founders Ahmad Zaki as quoted by Channel News Asia.

Punk Muslim was once fiction When the term ‘Punk Muslim’ was first introduced by Muslim convert writer Michael Muhammad Knight, it immediately spawned a worldwide movement that inspired young Muslims to look at themselves differently.

He later came up with the idea of building a fantasy world where Islam was free from an absolute definition and gave Muslims the power to define the religion themselves. In 2010, a movie was made based on the novel, under the same title. The film centres upon Yusef, a quiet Muslim student, who becomes radicalized after joining an Islamic punk commune. The film introduces deviant characters from the group, including a gay person who wears a skirt and makeup to school and one with an iconic mohawk who plays an electric guitar to announce morning prayers.

Soon after, The Taqwacore’s fictional universe became a reality. Across the globe, people started joining the Punk Muslim movement by forming music bands that could challenge the status quo and give voices to minorities. In the US, bands like The Kominas from Boston and Althawra from Chicago began to take off. In Canada, an all-female band Secret Trial Five was born and a few others in Pakistan and Indonesia also began to emerge.

This phenomenon instantly gave birth to a new kind of Islamic youth culture that allowed Muslims to question religious conventions and not take the religion at face value.

Punk Muslims followers are also known to be especially tolerant towards women and the LGBT community.

This is the kind of attitude that Muslim conservatives across the archipelago do not necessarily share.

Locals should embrace Punk Muslim Within the local context, the emergence of Punk Muslim at this moment could potentially be a powerful remedy to counter Indonesia’s current dilemma of widespread religious intolerance.

For the past year, there has been an on ongoing debate about so-called religious arrogance. A series of controversies have gripped the nation when it comes to religion, sexual orientation and race. All of these things have led to a rising trend of public hate speech, often prompted by Muslim hardliners.

Statistically speaking, we have yet to prove that the archipelago is indeed facing a crisis of religious intolerance. I myself, as a local Muslim, am starting to feel disturbed by those who believe Islam is the supreme religion.

The problem with some conservatives is their inability to listen and accept the fact that there is no such thing as ‘the best religious faith’. Faith is not something that we win or lose on or need to brag about in public. It should not permit us or give us the right to discriminate or humiliate others who have a different set of beliefs. Sadly, this is what has been happening to our society lately. It is not the kind that I want to be a part of in the long run.

The rise of Punk Muslim in Indonesia could be used to balance the scales of religious intolerance. What is interesting about this movement is how it relies on a genre that is often associated with destruction and chaos to unite people and deliver a harmonious message. At the end of the day, what might appear to be a hardcore and radical movement may turn out to be an effective strategy which shows us that faith should never pull us apart.

The evacuation process following the Ponorogo landslide disaster has ended and many volunteers have returned to their homes.

Now that things have calmed down, victims recall the incident that claimed several of their friends and family members.

Volunteers along with Aksi Cepat Tanggap (Rapid Volunteer Team), otherwise known as ACT, have been moved to provide free food to the victims of the Ponorogo landslide. They have built an organization called Dapur Umum (Common Kitchen) in partnership with Kitabisa.com.

Every day, the volunteer groups give out 450 rice boxes and 100 portions of other nutritional food to the victims.

On the first day after the evacuation process ended, Dapur Umum, Kitabisa and ACT gave out rice with ayam ricarica, lalapan, fried tempe and watermelon. On the second day, the teams gave out rice with fried fish, fried tempe, eggplant balado and bananas. On the third day, the teams gave out rice with beef rendang, tofu balado, fried eggs and oranges.

The victims seem happy to receive the food packages, but more aid is still required. Not only do the disaster victims need food, but they also need other forms of care and support from people across the country.

Currently, ACT has received around Rp.95 million (US$7,100) in donations, and will continue collecting donations until May 1, 2017.

If you would like to get involved and make a difference, please visit www.kitabisa.com/orangbaik/36172

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Binus School Serpong Kicks off Archery National Championship 2017

JAKARTA On April 7, Binus School Serpong held its second annual Archery National Championship to celebrate sports and extracurricular activities. As many as 631 students from elementary, junior and high schools participated in the events. Students from other local and international schools were also invited to forge a stronger bond.

Head of the championship’s committee, Denny, revealed that he was very pleased by the excitement coming from participants this year. “The participants’ level of enthusiasm this year is extraordinary. As a prestigious championship, we invited an international technical officer this year, Johari Abu Bakar, who previously led the Archery World Cup in various nations. It is an honour to have him this year,” said Denny in a press statement.

Meanwhile, Bakar himself is supportive of the event and hopes that this would develop local talents in archery. “I believe that Binus School Serpong has succeeded in increasing the interests for archery among students. I hope that this kind of activity would help Indonesia to be known as a country that has fine archery athletes.”

The Dharmawangsa Prepares for the Holy Month of Ramadan JAKARTA The Dharmawangsa Hotel is inviting guests to join the celebration of the holy month of Ramadan from May 29 until June 22. The five-star hotel has set up fast-breaking programmes with the theme ‘Touch of Egypt’ at the popular Lobby Lounge of Bimasena. Those who enjoy local cuisine can head on to the Jakarta Restaurant, which will celebrate the holy month with the theme “Ramadan Nusantara”.

For the fast-breaking programmes, guests can enjoy the classic Ta’jil and desserts served Egyptian style, such as Om Ali, Halawet Ahmed, Low-fat Mohallabiyah and assorted Baklava. Other signature dishes include giant lobster, oxtail soup and Mongolian BBQ. Indonesian cuisine such as rawon, martabak and roasted rib-eye can be found at the Jakarta Restaurant.

For reservations, please contact Lobby Lounge at 021-725 8668 ext.

8139 or Jakarta Restaurant at 021-725 8181 ext. 6237.

Raffles Christian School Invites Families to its Open House

Bugils Golf Tournament Throws Exciting Post Event

attracted students and families who hail from different parts of the world. This way, they get to learn new things by directly interacting and making friends with those who may speak different languages and be part of different cultures. As an international school, Raffles is also dedicated to promoting tolerance and diversity.

JAKARTA On May 6, Raffles Christian School is inviting both local and expat families to join its open house. The event includes free one-week trial classes for nursery and kindergarten students (aged two to six years).

Those who come to the open house will get the chance to observe the school’s environment, as well as its services and facilities. Activities like storytelling, arts and crafts, discovery science and music and movement will keep participants busy throughout the open house.

The event will be held at the Raffles Christian School.

Raffles is known as one of Jakarta’s renowned international schools that has

For reservations please contact Dian at 021-7226047.

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Indonesia expat issue 188

JAKARTA On April 7, Bugils Golf Tournament organized a festive post event by inviting players to mingle during a buffet dinner. The event was held at one of Indonesia’s most popular golf courses in Cengkareng.

The golf tournament gathered players to not only show their golfing skills but also their drinking skills. Six of Jakarta’s best bars participated in this event by choosing 12 golfers, who happen

to be their favourite customers, to compete against one another in a Texas scramble. These bars were Double Doors, Eastern Promise, Franl’s Bar, DeHooi, De Burse and Cazbar.

At the end of the tournament all of the participants spent the rest of the night at a fun post event. They drank, listened to the jokes told by the MC and had delicious meals to celebrate the tournament.

Shangri-La Hotel Delights Guests with New Pairing Dinner

Binus School Simprug Showcases New Musical Drama JAKARTA On April 18, Binus School Simprug staged another musical drama at one of Jakarta’s most popular art centres Taman Ismail Marzuki. After successfully showcasing Anak Millennium last year, elementary and high school students got to participate in The Tale of Three this time around.

JAKARTA The Shangri-La Hotel invites guests to experience a Champagne and Chinese dish pairing dinner at the hotel’s newly opened Chinese restaurant Jia. Chef Christopher Chai will be responsible for the Chinese dishes, while Nicolas Feuilatte will take care of the Champagne selections. The pairing dinner will be held on April 21.

The idea of pairing champagne with Chinese food is to find the right proportions to balance the richness of Chinese dishes. For this reason, the hotel’s sommelier team has been to a number of food tastings in preparation for the pairing dinner.

For the main course, guests will be served with signature Peking duck with crispy skin, served in Chinese pancakes and paired with NV Nicholas Feuillatte Brut Rose, Champagne, France. For the heavier dish, there will be braised e-fu noodles and wild mushrooms with shredded roasted duck and black truffles. This will be paired with Nicholas Feuillatte Cuvee Palmes d’Or Vrut Millesime, Champagne, France, 2004.

Jia will serve roasted duck with fruit salad, complemented by crispy roasted duck spring rolls in spicy sauce for starters. This will be paired

For more information and for reservations, please call (021) 2922 9999 or send an email to fbreservation.slj@ shangri-la.com.

* Answers in the next edition!

The Tale of Three tells the story of three tribes that represent different elements. Eurybia represents the ocean, Dotherion represents land and Valkyrie represents the sky. Audiences are brought into a world full of fantasy, conflict and hope while watching this musical.

with NV Nicolas Feuillate reserve brut, Champagne, France, followed by braised four treasure soup with roasted shredded duck.

Musical drama is one of the school’s programmes that aims to realize each student’s full potential in performing arts. Participating in a theatre production helped them learn the value of responsibility, respect and teamwork, while also learning more about everything it takes to be a creative professional. Through The Tale of Three, Binus School Simprug hopes to inspire young people across the archipelago to also participate in producing art or theatre shows.

C RO S S WO R D Across

DOWN

1. Meat (4) 3. With fitted rugs (8) 8. Food (4) 9. Appearing neat and respectable (of a man) (5-3) 11. (Time of ) initial performance (5,5) 14. Rough (of the sea) (6) 15. Counsel given (6) 17. Minced beef topped with mashed potato (7,3) 20. More coarse (8) 21. Splash served with some spirits (4) 22. Free (8) 23. Yield (4)

1. Unhappy expression (4,4) 2. Food fungus (8) 4. with milk (of coffee) (2,4) 5. Shelled foot item cooked in boiling water (7,3) 6. Food – fold edges in (4) 7. Fruit – appointment (4) 10. Relative by a further marriage of one’s father (10) 12. Refute (8) 13. Drink (8) 16. Road (6) 18. Meat and two veg pus dessert, perhaps (4) 19. Food - worm (4)

ANSWERS OF ISSUE 187 ACROSS—1. Fuss 3. Arkansas 9. Overlap 10. Brown 11. Paper 12. Entire 14. Treacle sponge 17. Bruges 19. Cower 22. Lathe 23. Beehive 24. Demented 25. News DOWN—1. Footpath 2. Sleep 4. Reprehensible 5. Abbot 6. Sporran 7. Sand 8. Cleric 13. Peerless 15. Erratum 16. Packet 18. Green 20. White 21. Plod

Image via Funny Tweek Send your funny pictures to letters@indonesiaexpat.biz

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issue 188 Indonesia expat

25

If you want your event to be posted here, please contact +62 (0) 21 2965 7821 or email: events@indonesiaexpat.biz JAKARTA Networking

Video-Dance Workshop 17 May 2017

Jakarta Business Networkers Every Tuesday and Thursday Make the right connections and grow your business over breakfast.

At Jakarta Business Networkers ( JBN), all attendees are encouraged to help others by exchang ing referrals and introducing them to their target audience. JBN is all about helping you grow your business. Promote your business, personal brand or portfolio each week to the rest of the attendees and explain to the group the type of referrals you would like to receive.

JBN professional networking sessions are from 7–8.30am every Tuesday at Sapori Deli, Fairmont Jakarta and every Thursday at Mercantile Athletic Club, WTC, Sudirman.

RSVP: info@jbnetworkers.com The Jakarta Bridge Club Every Tuesday and Friday The Jakarta Bridge Club invites expat communities across Jakarta to join a networking session every Tuesday and Friday from 9 am to 12 pm. Participants get to have pleasant and convivial moments in which they can share and exchange information among expats at three to f ive tables. The networking event will take place at Die Stube Restaurant on Jalan Kemang Raya.

Visitors and partners are welcome to join. For more information please contact Ernah at +62818686999.

to learn everything that it takes to capture a picture with the right technique. The class will later take students to practice street photography in interesting areas across the city. Students are required to bring their own cameras and will receive learning materials during the class and a certificate afterwards. The class will be taught

by Erik Prasetya, one of Asia’s most renowned photographers. In 2012, Prasetya was listed as one of 20 Most Inf luential Asian Photographers

by Invisible Photographer Asia.

The class costs for Rp.2,000,000.

For more information please visit http://salihara.org/en/node/2804.

Jakarta International Jewelry Fair 2017 20–23 April 2017 The international jewelry fair will bring together a number of players in the jewelry market, ranging from retailers, distributors and wholesalers, manufacturers, business owners and designers. This will be the chance for everyone in the jewelry industry to share and learn from one another, while also offering visitors stunning collections in diamond, gold, silver, pearl and other stones. Visitors will also gain more insights about the jewelry industry. The International Jewelry Fair will take place at Jakarta Convention Center. For more information please visit http:// indonesiajewelleryfair.com/jakartaconvention-center/

Arts & Culture Komunitas Salihara’s Street Photography Class 8 April – 6 May 2017 Street photography is known as one of the most popular forms of art in the world. Jakarta’s iconic cultural space Komunitas Salihara is inviting photography enthusiasts

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Indonesia expat issue 188

Mad about Comedy’s 16 th Anniversary 27 April 2017 Mad about Comedy is having its 16th anniversary this April and is inviting internationally-acclaimed comedians to celebrate the day. The club’s journey started in 2001 when Jack Russel from the UK and Jason Byrne from Ireland established a community that gathered expats across the archipelago. For this occasion, the club is inviting Nick Coppin (UK) and Ro Campbell (Scotland / Australia). Guests will also be invited to join the after party. The event will take place at the American Club. For more information please contact +6282111943084 or email info@ madaboutcomedy.com

archipelago’s most celebrated chefs, restaurateurs, professional food enthusiast and food addicts alike.

The festival will also be welcoming a series of local and international culinary experts, including Tasia and Gracia Seger from Australia; the jungle chef Charles Toto and raw food specialist Arif Springs from Indonesia. the festival will bring an array of Asian f lavours to some of Seminyak and Sanur’s most exotic dining destinations. For more information please visit www. ubudfoodfestival.com.

Sport

Indonesia Sport Expo and Forum 17 – 21 May 2017 T h i s M ay, I ndonesia w i l l be welcoming its first ever exhibition and forum in the sporting industry.

The Sport Expo and Forum aims to showcase new buildings and technologies, while also featuring sport facility development plans for the public and private sectors across the archipelago. The variety of sporting arenas and facilities may be of interest for visitors. The Sport Expo and Forum will also be introducing visitors to the latest innovations in the industry. The exhibition will take place at ICE BSD City. For more information please visit www.isef-indonesia.com

Grandkemang’s 43rd Anniversary 21 – 24 April 2017

German Embassy’s Asparagus Dinner 22 May 2017 The German Embassy Jakarta is working together with EKONID to organize the signature Spargelessen 2017 Gala Dinner on May. This year’s dinner will feature as many as 90 parcels that are flown all the way from Lüneburger Heide, North Germany. The event invites around 250 guests comprising of members and partners of t he Ger manIndonesian business community to join one night of fun networking and dinner. The event will take place at the Bali Room of Hotel Indonesia Kempinski. For more information please visit http:// indonesien.ahk.de/en/.

The Italian Culture Institute will be holding a video-dance workshop in May, organized by director and choreographer Matteo Marziano Graziano. Graziano is known for his works in film, video, as well as the stage. Some of his best works can be seen in his contemporary dance productions, opera and music theatre. Aside from that, he has also been involved in experimental projects that include participatory formats, architectural and sitespecific interventions. The videodance workshop will take place at the Italian Culture Institute. For more information please visit www. iicjakarta.esteri.it/iic_jakarta/en.

This year, Grandkemang hotel is celebrating its 43rd anniversary with the theme ‘Fabulous 43’. On this special occasion, the four-star hotel has prepared a set of packages and culinary offerings. This includes a weekend package where guests can stay in the hotel for only Rp.430,000 (this only applies for any stay during the period of April 21 – 25). In addition, guests can enjoy dinner at the hotel’s Sperta restaurant, where they will be served with a la carte menu. For reservations please contact +62217194121 or e-mail: intouch@gk.mesahotelsandresorts. com

BALI Arts & Culture Ubud Food Festival 12 – 14 May 2017 The Ubud Food Festival (UFF) is back this year with the theme ‘ Eve r y F l avou r I s A S t or y ’.

Returning for the third time this year, UFF will be presenting the

Bali Creative Week 2017 27 – 30 April 2017 Bali Creative Week will finally be held this April to present customers and participants with the ultimate shopping experience. Since its inception in 2014, Idcreativeworld has sought to invite young designers and local brands to engage in a larger market, while also improving t he creat ive economy sector.

Through this event, the lifestyle company Idcreativeworld aims to stimulate more businesses in the creative fashion industry. The event includes a series of attractive shows like creative exhibition, fashion show, fashion and creative talks, art performances, community acts, creative workshop and live music.

For more information please visit www.idcreativeworld.com.

its stunni ng d ishes due to its collaborations with Michelin Star chefs like Nick Bril, Benoit Dewitte, Michael Vrijmoed, Thierry Blouet and Sninobu Namae. This April, the restaurant will welcome another two renowned chefs. Soenil Bahadoer is originally from Suriname, located on the northeast coast of South America. Bahadoer is the Chef Patron of Restaurant De Lindehof in the Netherlands. Having grown up in a traditional Hindu family, his cooking style perfectly reflects h i s ba c k g r ou nd . B a ho do er ’s creativity and exotic inf luences are commonly seen and tasted in his dishes. Guests can look forward to one of his best creations, Rendang, that is combined with ginger beer, cabbage, kimchi, miso powder, potato with curry and white soy.

Bahadoer will also work alongside CasCade’s executive chef Nic Vanderbeeken. Vanderbeeken has previously worked in and established a number of restaurants all around the globe, including in France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Vietnam.

The two-day collaboration will serve guests with a meal and wine pairing.

Event Details: 28 April 2017 | 7pm onwards | 6 course dinner | IDR 1,950.000 ++ (with wine pairing) 29 April 2017 | 7pm onwards | 4 course dinner | Rp.1,500,000 ++ (with wine pairing). For more information please visit w w w. cascadesbali.com/en/index.php.

Music

Balinale International Film Festival Bali 24 – 30 September 2017 This year, the Bali International Film Festival, also known as Balinale, is back with more exciting cultural programmes. The international festival will continue to forge relationships between countries through art, film and storytelling.

Since its inception in 2007, Balinale has sought to raise awareness about art and f ilm among local and international communities, through programmes like school visits, free open air cinema, workshops and more. More importantly, the nonprofit foundation aims to promote Indonesian cinema with the help of professional workers in the film industry and even international award-winning filmmakers. For more information please visit www. balinale.com.

Culinary

underway in Yogyakarta, the city that is known for its contemporary arts scene. The annual art exhibition aims to promote local contemporary fine arts and has attracted more than 50,000 visitors, each year. Since its inception in 2008, Artjog has staged unique exhibitions and programmes that highlight local talents and connect local and international creative professionals. This year, the programmes include a curatorial tour, where visitors will be taken to the exhibition spaces and have the chance to learn from what they find.

They will also get to meet the artists.

Additionally, the ASRI historical tour lets them explore Yogyakarta and its creative climate. There will also be many other daily attractions like live music, contemporary dance, theatre and open air cinema. For more information please visit www. artjog.co.id/en/index.php.

BANDUNG Networking

The 11th International Tourism and Hospitality Grand Recruitment 2017 23 – 24 May 2017 The annual International Tourism and Hospitality Grand Recruitment is back this year in Bandung. The event aims to connect employers and job seekers in order to create new possibilities for both parties to work together. This would be the moment when employers can find new and well-qualified talents, while job seekers can explore their chances of getting their dream jobs. Participants of this grand recruitment will go through a selection process, which will be closed on April 30. The event is free of charge and will take place at the campus of Sekolah Tinggi Pariwisata. For more information please visit http://stp-bandung. ac.id/go/index.php/en/

Ubud Village Jazz Festival 11 -12 August 2017 One of the most anticipated music festivals in Bali is back this year.

The jazz festival is quite a unique one as it not only celebrates music.

There will be workshops for local and national music educators to explore ways for younger people to get more involved in playing jazz.

The annual international jazz festival aims to empower local artists with the unique concept of a village concert. Since its inception in 2013, the concert has garnered as many as 5,000 visitors. For more information please visit http:// ubudvillagejazzfestival.com.

YOGYAKARTA Art & Culture

CasCades Bali’s Course Dinner 28–29 April 2016

Artjog 2017 19 May–19 June 2017

CasCades Ba l i Rest aura nt of Viceroy Ba l i i s k now n for

One of Indonesia’s most successful and largest art fairs is currently

post your event here! email us: events@indonesiaexpat.biz

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issue 188 Indonesia expat

27

JAKARTA Cars for Sale

For sale: Rp.27.5 million — 2016 Kawasaki KLX150BF Pisangan, Ciputat-Timur 15419. This bike is perfect. It only has 825 km and just had its 6th-month service. There is one more free service to go. I only use it occasionally; no dirt riding and all wheels have always been on the ground. I'm selling it because a loving wife has given me permission to upgrade. Apparently I am the luckiest man in the world. Call/ WA: Ming +6285781055725 Toyota Kijang LGX for sale. 2003 Metallic Green.195,000km. Good condition. Automatic transmission.

Bensin/Pertalite. Power steering.

Power windows. Regularly serviced at ASTRA garage with proof of maintenance records. Non smoking.

1st owner. Rp.95 million. Call: +62816976707 (Maria)

Automobile for sale: Audi A6 S-Line (2012). New condition, always garaged, driven sparingly by fussy expat owner. 2.8L V6 engine, 18k km, all luxury extras. If you want a superb sedan and do not want to pay new car price, this is the one for you. Rp.530 million. Call or SMS: +62811800604

For rent toyota Innova new model 2017 rate Rp.6.500.000,-/ month.

Toyota Fortuner Rp.6.000.000,- / month. Good Condition. Please call +62816865653 Rental Car Indonesia : A lphard , Vellf ire , Camr y , Pajero , Fortuner , Innova , Avanza , Xenia , Elf , Hi Ace , etc. For Daily ( With Driver ) , Monthly and Yearly ( With / Without Driver ) Contact CBP rent car : Mobile & WA: +6281286410203. Email: cbprentcar@yahoo.com. Serving You All Indonesia.Immediately Contact Us. Vehicle reservations 4 days before the use of.

Jobs Available English Teacher for Preschool.

We are in need for a Part Time English Teacher who has a great passion for teaching children in preschool level from 3 to 5 years of age. Requirements: • Has Bachelor's Degree preferably in English • At least 3 years experience in teaching English for preschool level • Recognized teaching qualification (TEFL, TESOL, CELTA, etc.)

• P referable – US , U K , New Zealand, Australia citizen • Creat ive, energet ic, h igh ly motivated, willing to learn and works well with a team If you feel that you can meet the requ i rement s a nd up for t he challenge, please send your applicat ion (complete resume and current color photograph and scanned copy of ot her rel ated do c u ment s) to h rd @ bambinopreschool.com Supervisor/Assistant Manager for tax and accounting role. Experience as consultant supervising a small team preferred. Relevant degree essential. Tax certification a bonus.

M a rket-beat i ng pack age a nd prospects for the right candidate.

More info: recruitment@vdb-loi. com

For sale Mercedes Benz Ty pe S320L, very good condition, Classy, Complete document Rp.295 million (can be negotiated) Contact : (WA only please) +6281290070037 When You are looking for car rent monthly or long periods, i have black Toyota Avanza 2013, manual gear. reach 46,000km, the car is only special rent for foreigners. I charge Rp. 3,500,000/month for the car only. Please email me at : lancarlah1@yahoo.com or text me at +62818609853 if interested.

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Indonesia expat issue 188

German language teachers wanted for online language school. Lingoda is an online language school looking to recruit more German teachers.

Teachers can be super flexible with their work hours and location, and get the opportunity to teach a huge range of different students from all over the world. If you have a language teaching certificate, some prior experience, and are a native speaker of the language that you want to teach, we'd love to hear from you! https://www.lingoda. com/german/become-teacher or teacher@lingoda.com

Services

Property

Spanish Tutor: Learn Spanish (IB, IGCSE, DELE) at your place with a DELE-certified examiner from Spain. Most of my students come from International Schools ( J IS and BSJ ). Please call me (Raúl) +628211050 2786. Email: unascartas@yahoo.com

House for sale in Bogor Kota, Ta ma n Kenca na. L a nd 10 8 0 sqm. House 300 sqm, 3 bedroom, 1 study room, 2 bathroom, 2 maid rooms for maid,1 bathroom for maid, 1 carport. Very close to botanical garden only 1 km from house. Also Siloam hospital,market, supermarket, banks close by. Please contact: anglauyoga@gmail.com or +6282111161499

Private Bahasa Indonesia Tutor for Foreig n Beg inners. You'l l learn grammar, pronunciation, conversation, reading etc. Free text books. Low lesson fees. South or Central Jakarta only. Classes upon appointment only. For more info: bahasaprivate@gmail.com Drum lesson at your home. English speaking. Currently teaching at BSJ Bintaro. Please email : ronny@bsj. sch.id or text +628161150874 Need help coaching your workers t he proper English for better communication with you? Very pract ica l a nd a f fordable. No traveling or visitation required.

Please e-mail me the description of: their nature of work, working environment, english expectations, and how soon you'd need them.

Thank you. practicalconversation@ gmail.com Flexible schedule. Please call Pak Chairuman +628121037466 or email chairuman1942@gmail.com

A friend and I (both aged 29) look for energetic, friendly and open people to share a house with. It’ll either be in Senopati or Senayan. The one in Senayan is in a nice, clean street in walking distance from Senayan city.

In Senopati we still look for a nice house, probably around Erlannga.

If you like a regular BBQ and willing to rent for a minimum of 6 months, let us know. The price will likely be between 7 and 14 million depending on the room size. Email: willem_fokke@hotmail.com Apartment for rent: Bellagio apt kuningan (opposite of Oakwood apa r t ment) Tower B , 3BR , 2 bathrooms, plus 1 maid room, 126 sqm, 2 balconies (1 view to swimming pool and 1 view to Lotte Avenue Mall). Fully furnished, Including dryer, Rent $1,600/month Photos available upon request.

Please contact: Christine (WhatsApp +628161992242). Email: ristine27@ yahoo.co.id

Indonesian Lang uage Private Teacher For Foreigner. Qualified Teacher, Flxible, Fun, & Native speaker. Rani +6287884251512 / duabahasa@gmail.com Piano lesson with an expat teacher in Jakarta Selatan- Kuningan More than 15 years of teaching ex per ience- a l l age-a l l levelplease contact for a free trial lesson-+6281281536030. Email: littlemozartinjakarta@gmail.com www.littlemozartinjakarta.com Private at home personal fitness trainer helps you achieve your fat loss and fitness goals faster with fun, personalised workouts in your home or apartment. Get full details and a no-obligation Free trial session now, visit www.jakartafitnesscoach.com French and Bahasa Indonesia lesson at your place,For children adult & International school students. Novi +62816704370 Native Italian Teacher in Jakarta: Private lessons at your home/office.

More than 10 years of experience with students of all ages. Grammar and conversation lessons. Email me at sean.silla@gmail.com or Whatsapp +6281298177496 Full Time and Part Time vacancies are now available for experienced English language instructors for corporate courses around Jakarta.

Compet it ive rates a nd t ravel allowance are of fered. Please send your CV to recruitment. kpiconsultancy@gmail.com

For sale Houses in new residence in BSD (Serpong), Green Living Concept, Good Location, Toll acces to Jakarta only 10 minutes, near train station BSD or Serpong.

Full facilities (CCTV, Playground, Swimming Pool and Internet Access, Design minimalis modern, price start from Rp.700 million–Rp.1.3 billion. Interest please contact (call/ WA) +6281511110100 For Sale Wine and Spirits for sale !!!

White Wine – German 'Riesling' silver medal – 8 bottles – 400,000 each. Cognac – Remy Martin VSOP – 0.7 l – 900,000. Cognac – Courvoisier VSOP – 1 l – 1,100,000 Whisky – Chivas Regal – 0.7 l – 500,000. Whisky – Dalwhinnie 15 yr single malt – 1,200,000. Gin – Bombay Sapphire – 1 l – 500,000 Rum – Havanna Club 3 yr – 1 l – 400,000. Rum – Havanna Club 7 yr – 0.7 l – 450,000. Rum – Stroh 80% Austria – 1 l – 500,000. Cointreau – 1 l – 500,000. Vodka – Smirnoff

HAVE SOMETHING TO SELL?

Personal classifieds | Commercial classifieds

Looking for something to buy? Looking for staff? Selling property? Or need a place to live?

Why not place your classified ad with Indonesia Expat! Your classified will be placed once for 2 weeks online and once in our printed version which has a circulation of 16.500 copies bi-weekly.

Property listings are considered as Commercial.

Adding an image incurs an extra charge of Rp.150,000.

Business Listings can only be placed on the Business Listings page (p.27)

Next deadline: 3 May 2017

Send in your classidieds to: ads@indonesiaexpat.biz

– 1 l – 300,000. 43 liqueur – 0.7 l – 400,000. WhatsApp / SMS +628118677819

Yamaha S400B, hand crafted model close to 27 years old. Excellent condition! The length is 6 ft 4 inches or 197 cm, similar to a C6 model, in between a Baby Grand and Full Sized concert grand. No more in production. Keys are ivory laminated. There are only 2 pieces of such models in Jakarta, according to a Yamaha showroom rep. Offer price Rp.190 million (negotiable). To view and try out on piano, please contact Dwi @ +62817111100 or e-mail dwisundjojo@gmail.com

BANDUNG Property

4 bedroom house for rent bandung West Java. A cozy 4 bedroom house, three floors with spacious garage for 4 cars. 1 maid bedroom + toilet, Fully equipped kitchen. Dining tables on first and second floor. All 4 bedrooms has its own ensuite. Very spacious living family area on the third floor with city view. This house is fully furnished, include 2 fridges, stove, microwave , oven, toaster, and eating utensils. All bedrooms are air conditioned, decorated with simple and elegant furnitures.

Email: ttanaya@yahoo.com

SURABAYA Property Two Bedrooms available for rent in West side of Surabaya. Two bedrooms available on the West side of Surabaya (Darmo Satelit Surabaya). These two bedrooms will have to share one full bathroom.

Each room will have aircon, fully furnished, Wif i and T V cable provided. Mineral water is available.

Carport. Safe gated neighborhood.

Share one fridge. 15 mins from Gresik. Less than 5 mins from Margomulyo. Less than 5 mins from Mitra Keluarga International Hospital. Walking distance to Immigration Office. Less than 10 mins to Papaya Supermarket. Less than 15 mins to Pakuwon Mall,

Lenmarc Mall, TransMart, Ranch Market, Citraland Residence, Ciputra University and Ciputra World. Rules : No Guests, No Party, No Drugs. One bedroom only for one person. Contact : aixiang_ kong@yahoo.com.sg

could be better but we always found a way to communicate and he is pretty good at using the translator.

If you have any questions please don't hesit ate to cont a ct me +6281281097916 (Whatsapp) or email me miasniemi@gmail.com

For Sale

G o o d Hou s e K e e p e r/ C o ok available. Ibu Julie has worked for me as a l ive-i n cook cum housekeeper for the last two years.

She is trustworthy and capable of running of a household. She managed our house whilst I was away from home for long stretches due to my heavy travel schedules.

She is a quick learner and speaks f luent English. Her main duties i nvol ve d : 1. c o ok i n g (G r e a t Indonesian food, Good Indian food and follows instructions for continental dishes well) 2. cleaning and maintaining the kitchen. 3. cleaning a part of the house(upstairs) 4. caring for our dog (feeding, letting her out and watching her when we are not at home). 5. My translator Ibu Julie is looking for work from 1 May. Please direct your questions to Sandhya @ +628118713113 orsandhya.kasireddy@gmail.com

Boat for sale. Indonesia tugboat for sale. Indonesia flag. Price only 1.5 M IDR Indonesia rate. Please call/WhatsApp +6289614666798

Best deal! Rare f ind! Excellent condition! It's time to make your house into a home with these 45 years old Balinese Antiques! Made from high quality woods such as Teak and Ebony coupled with intricate craftsmanship, these 3 statues stand elegantly at an average height of 1.6 meters and weigh about 65 kg. The asking price is Rp.150 million/statue (negotiable).

Hurry and make an appointment for viewing! To view, please call Dwi @ +62817111100 or e-mail dwisundjojo@gmail.com

BALI Jobs Available Manager needed with inbound experiences, fluent English written & spoken, social media, passion for customer service and good marketing skills. Income offer is 5 million ++. Please send your CV to: hr@banyantrip.com Looking for Social Media Manager for a Yoga School in Canada. Ability to create content. Fluent English.

Please send your CV to: alice@ alicehong.com

Looking for Work Italian Chef 17 years experience is looking for a job. Available immediately. Please call : +62813 39310116 E x pat cook for employ ment.

Experienced in catering, retreats, openi ng, coachi ng. Rel iable, responsible. CV by request. Please email to: 5081747@gmail.com Property

BALI – Private Villa in the Rice Fields, UBUD. Getaway from the big city and visit Ubud, Bali – A peaceful stay in the rice fields, staying at a traditional village, Pejeng Village, a short 4.5 kms from Ubud. Beautifully appointed 3 Bedroom villa plus a villa cook.

Huge pool which is spring-fed and has eco-ioniser filter. Driver available. Authentic Balinese stay in ancient village. 5 min walk through the village to the World Heritage Listed Holy Pakerisan River is your nature fix. Sleeps 6 (can extend to 10). Ideal for family or couples or girls-get-away weekend. Breakfast included, Security 24 hrs. Read latest guest reviews on trip advisor.

A magical experience – like a home away from home. www.villadamee. com Others

Household Staff Available Our former maid, Tati, is looking for a housekeeping job. She helped us for the six years we were in Jakarta and is a great benefit to all. The very best thing about her is that she's perceptive - a great skill to have.

She has very decent English both written and spoken and gets along very well with other staff. She does very competent work and has been an expat maid for about 15 years (I'm estimating). If you're looking for household help without any drama and complete loyalty and security, please feel free to call Tati at 815 86629576. You can also email me at LeahLMathews@gmail.com or Glenys Metters who Tati worked for once we moved at glenys.metters@ gmail.com Excellent guard available. Erwin was a replacement guy for our regular guards from Optima and he worked for us for nearly two years.

He was at our house more often than the guards we were supposed to have. He was never late and he is very reliable and hardworking.

He is very well mannered, always sm i l i ng a nd helps out w it h everything. He is really amazing with dogs (mine used to sleep in his lap every now and then) and he used to play basketball with my son. I highly recommend him. His English

Macaronis Resort in Mentawai Islands, Sumatera is looking for staff for position of Operational Management & Host - Surving Couples are welcome. Live in posit ion, sa la r y AU D2,0 0 0 AUD3,000 / month. Management experience + minimum 1 year experience working in Indonesia.

Able to communicate in Bahasa Indonesia and English.

Enquire please send to: info@ macaronisresort.com Shop attendance need in Ubud.

Must have good English. Please email to : miskahsherbalmed@ gmail.com Looking for admin staff. Must have excelent written and spoken English, integrity and willing to learn. Very generous remunition - full training provided. Please send your CV to: veronika@activemigration.com We a re look i ng for ver y best salespeople to join our top team to sell state of art products and technolog y in t he hea lt h and wellness sector including the new FAMOUS mineral water filter from NASA. You need to be: Positive and enthusiastic attitude, track record of sales, excellent references and a passion to improve people’s lives. Please send your CV to: hr@ inovasikonsep.com

BORNEO CULTURAL TOUR : May 19-24, 2017. Want to see more of Indonesia? Would you like to attend a local Cultural Festival with Dayak tribes from all over Kalimantan?

Please join us in May for this once a year only spectacular Gawai Festival. Very personalized tour led by David Metcalf, AKA Dayak Dave who has led many cultural groups to Kalimantan. This year is the 32nd time this festival will take place and this year is particularly special as there will be dancers from the Lakota tribe of South Dakota and a Maori singing and dancing group from New Zealand.

Festival highlights: street parade with thousands of Dayak warriors from over 150 different tribes, every evening a gala display of dancing and traditional music and singing, Dayak blowpipe competition and a variety of traditional games and full programme daily, delicious traditional food, surprise events and non-stop action. This is a very unique tour and every year fills very fast. Just four places left.

Jakarta to Pontianak only 1 hour. www.davidmetcalfphotography. com/package/borneo-culturaltour-2017

For Sale For SALE - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.Brand New. I bought the S7 Edge some time back, opened box and took me just a few hours to realise that I prefer my iPhone 6. If you're a Samsung HP fan, you may wanna check this out at : Pick-Up at Taman Bona Indah, South Jakarta C o n t a c t A n d r e w a t ( WA ) +6282122325388

I have 3 kittens that I rescued from the streets. I have been fostering them, but would like to find forever homes for them if possible. One orange one has a short tail, one black one has a crooked tail and the other orange one walks with a limp, but has a long tail. Please contact me if interested: Irma Peña, 0812 88222 922, ipena@jisedu.or.id

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