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Special Report
Special Report
From Siman to Susi
Besides films adapted from books and biopics, the year 2019 has harvested grass-root indie movies. Several of these indie movies have even broken through at international festivals. Tempo has the annual tradition of selecting films as an alternative to the annual Indonesian Film Festival, and as a way to celebrate quality cinema. These are our picks.
Special Report
Susi Susanti’s Reincarnation
Laura Basuki succeeded in becoming Susi Susanti, and presented this Indonesian badminton player’s psychological dilemmas which were little known to the public.
Special Report
The Mute Astronaut
Despite not having even one line of dialogue, Gunawan Maryanto delivered a convincing performance as a person suffering life-long trauma.
Literature
An Honor for an Old Javanese Literature Expert
The National Library and the Archipelagic Manuscripts Society invited Stuart Owen Robson to Malang. He and Peter Josephus Zoetmulder compiled the monumental work of the Old Javanese to English dictionary.
Interlude
Indonesia’s Diplomacy and the Paintings of Mohammad Toha
THE directorate of culture at the ministry of education and culture launched a new book titled Art & Diplomacy on August 17. The book contains rare pictures from the independence movement taken by photographers under IPPHOS—the nation’s very first photojournalism news agency—and posters, caricatures and cartoons created by artists of the day.
Interlude
Amarzan, Sokotra is Who Knows Where
THE life and times of Amarzan Loebis was much like a long, winding road. From Tanjungbalai, Asahan, North Sumatra, he landed in Jakarta with an aim to continue his studies. But Amarzan, at the time just 23 and already known as a poet under the moniker Amarzan Ismail Hamid, was drawn to being reporter for the daily, Harian Rakyat Minggu, instead. At the newspaper, which happened to be affiliated with the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), Amarzan edited the culture page.
Interlude
Amarzan, Sokotra is Who Knows Where
THE life and times of Amarzan Loebis was much like a long, winding road. From Tanjungbalai, Asahan, North Sumatra, he landed in Jakarta with an aim to continue his studies. But Amarzan, at the time just 23 and already known as a poet under the moniker Amarzan Ismail Hamid, was drawn to being reporter for the daily, Harian Rakyat Minggu, instead. At the newspaper, which happened to be affiliated with the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), Amarzan edited the culture page. When the PKI established the People’s Culture Institute, better known as Lekra, Amarzan was one of a long line of artists who lent their support to the initiative. This involvement ended up with the New Order regime detaining him and finally throwing him to Buru Island after the political melee of 1965, without a trial. In 1979, after being released and returning to Jakarta, he began working for Tempo. After a year or so struggling with his stroke, the poet breathed his last on September 2 at the age of 78 years.
Investigation
Quotas for Sugar Shortages
Over the past decade, imported sugar has flooded the Indonesian market due to low domestic production. In 2008, for instance, 1.01 million tons of sugar were imported.
Investigation
If we cannot afford it anymore, we will just shut it down
Andi Syamsuddin Arsyad, owner of Jhonlin Group
Investigation
A Bittersweet Family Connection
In the name of national sugar self-sufficiency and to cover the 1.1 million ton shortage in annual demand, the government called on companies to invest in the development of sugar cane plantations and processing plants. Of 10 locations in Java, Sumatra, and Nusa Tenggara, one of the largest of these producers is found in Bombana, Southeast Sulawesi. The concession there is held by Andi Syamsuddin Arsyad, a man in the coal business. He is a cousin of Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman and a former deputy treasurer of the Joko Widodo-Ma’ruf Amin election campaign team. Amran was directly involved in taking care of authorization down to the regency level, an action which broke zoning regulations and went against the ministry’s own program.
Investigation
Sustyo Iriyono, Director of Forest Prevention and Security Affairs, Environment and Forestry Ministry: Smuggling Done Through Small Ports
Even though a five-year prison sentence awaits anyone who hunts and trades the Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica), many still risk breaking the law.
Investigation
Pangolin Supply Chain to China
The Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) is popular in China. Its meat and scales are used in traditional and psychotropic medicines. In 2007, the Chinese government legalized the use of its scales for medicinal purposes at clinics, based on hospital approval. Since then, 26.6 tons of pangolin scales have legally entered China from a number of countries. A report from Traffic.org, a non-profit organization focused on wildlife trade, mentioned that the total amount of illegal scales—originating from countries where the animal is protected—reached 34.9 tons from 2007-2016, with the most coming from Indonesia.
Investigation
Fickle Fate of the Pangolin
The hunting of the Sunda pangolin and its smuggling abroad is on the rise. The police consider it to be transnational crime. Belief in this animal’s healing power—from increasing libido and to being used in the preparation of psychotropic medication—and the legalization of its use in some countries has increased demand. The price of this rare nocturnal creature remains high because it is illegal to hunt. As a kilogram of Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) sells for US$4,200, the value of its smuggling reaches Rp3.6 trillion annually. The illegal trade of this animal ranks second only to wild birds. Those involved in this trade continue to operate freely.
Interlude
Monochromatic Lempad: From Sutasoma to Kekayi In Copulation
AN exhibition of works by the late I Gusti Nyoman Lempad is currently on at the Salihara Gallery, South Jakarta. Lempad’s pictures are wide-ranging, with inspiration from mythology, folklore, ancient Balinese script, and the daily life of humble Balinese folk. Lempad’s interpretation of life was singularly unique.
Investigation
Tell Us If We Are Not Doing Good
Sammy Hamzah, President Commissioner of Aquafarm Nusantara:
Investigation
Fish Waste Polluting Lake Toba
Lake Toba is being polluted by organic pollutants mixed with feed pellets used in floating fish net cages. A large company which has been operating for two decades is being implicated.
Special Report
Luak Coffee Tracker
She is first to discover a formula to identify the authenticity of luak coffee. Her work became an international reference.
Special Report
Inventing in Great Britain
Dewi Nur Aisyah together with her colleagues invented an automatic detecting device for tuberculosis. She applied the machine learning technology.
Special Report
Ratih Damayanti: Inspired by Wood Anatomy
Smitten with the anatomy of plants since her college days, Ratih Damayanti invented an automatic wood identification tool. One app to identify hundreds of varieties.