WA hospitality industry looks to Bali over staff shortage
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200610/s1777027.htm
The Australia Indonesia Business Council says it already has big restaurants on board with its new plan to employ skilled Balinese hospitality workers in Western Australia.
The council's vice president, Ross Taylor, says he is working on getting skilled workers who cannot get jobs in Bali to work in Perth and the South West
He says the plan is to bring unemployed Balinese chefs, waiters and bar staff to Western Australia and help ease the shortage of staff in the hospitality industry .
"Many restaurants, bars and hotels simply cannot get staff and at the same time in Bali, due to the very tragic events surrounding the bombings, we have many young Balinese people who now have no work," he said.
Balinese Woodcarvings-The Legend of Gold from Dead Wood
No. 07/VII/Oct 17 - 23, 2006
Tempo Magazine, Economy & Business
Woodcarvers in Bali have a poor standard of living even though their works of art are worth tens of millions of rupiah.
DURING the last three years, I Made Gara has spent much of his time under the hot sun. The palms of the hands of this 53-year-old woodcarver from Desa Mas (literally meaning Golden Village) are really worn out because he has used his carving tools too many times. “Since the bombings, all we’ve had to eat are bills,” he told Tempo last week.
The 2002 Bali bombings—followed by the 2005 Bali bombings—have meant that Gara has had to seek work as a laborer in his neighbor’s rice fields. There are no longer any tourists or tourism guides wanting to view the woodcarvings that he has created. According to the records of the local tourism office, the total of tourists has dropped by 30 percent and the situation has not yet improved.
The livelihoods of the people of Desa Mas are threatened. In this village located 20 kilometers to the north of Denpasar, the capital city of Bali, 95 percent of the villagers work as woodcarvers. The remainder of them left to look for work or have become civil servants. “We were doomed to become carvers,” said I Wayan Mudana, 50, appropriately.
Just like Gara, the carvings of Mudana are now gathering dust in his workshop. In fact, it’s fair to say that the “fate” of Mudana is better than that of his fellow student—both of them were students of Ida Bagus Tilem, the maestro of Balinese woodcarving.
His home has two stories and is considered to be one of the largest in the village. When asked about this, Mudana just smiled. Apparently, this house is “left over” from the good times in the 1980s when people from many different countries were hunting down his woodcarvings.
In 1986, a German tourist invited Mudana to hold an exhibition in his country. And eight of his works of art were exhibited at the National German Museum. He no longer bothered to take part in local exhibitions. Mudana would go to and from Jakarta and Bali in a month.
Since then people started hunting down his works of art. However, he knew that they were not buyers who wanted to collect pieces of art. They were the owners of galleries in Ubud.
The growth in the tourism sector at the beginning of the 1990s meant that investors set up several galleries full of works of art. Woodcarvings became the favorite and best selling works of art. The carvers were happy.
This attitude began to change however when they found out that their carvings were being sold off for 10 times more than they had been paid. Gara was shocked when he discovered that a 3-foot-high carving that he had created over a period of eight months was sold to a foreign tourist for Rp100 million. “This was in spite of the fact that I sold it for only Rp10 million,” he said.
However, Gara was not able to break off his relationships with the guides and the gallery owners. “They had money, I just had to accept the situation,” he said. He had no choice because he had four children plus the workers who helped him to take into consideration. Mudana, who refused to deal with galleries, had to accept that his works of art were just going to end up gathering dust.
Research by Lin Che Wei, the Managing Director of PT Danareksa, now clearly indicates that the artists have not enjoyed the cycle of business of wooden carvings in Desa Mas. Three months ago he visited several galleries in order to find out the price of each woodcarving. He paid visits to almost all the gallery owners, large and small.
The result is that the galleries and tourist guides obtain 50 percent profit on each work of art. “The guides work together with the galleries in order to attract the tourists,” he said.
As an example, he cited a carving, Dewi Sri Landung, by Mudana. This 3-meter-high carving was sold for Rp100 million. This was in spite of the fact that Mudana sold this highly crafted and detailed carving for a price of only Rp30 million.
What takes the longest time in creating a carving, said Mudana, is coming up with the idea. This former student of the maestro Tilem is well-known because of his unique style in creating carvings that follow the shape and the grain of the wood. “The wood grain is already unique and special,” he said.
The carving of Dewi Sri, according to Mudana, had to be in harmony with the legend of the wife of Dewa who was cursed to become a snake but who then helped farmers by guarding their paddy fields. Mudana worked on this creation for a total of 14 months and had eight people helping him cut wood in his studio. Total costs, including transportation, amounted to Rp8 million. Once this was completed, the carving had to be smoothed down and varnished. Mudana paid Rp100,000 per day to the varnishers.
Gus Putra, owner of the Bramastya Gallery, said that working together with tourist guides was a way of gallery owners being able to stay in business. He acknowledged that he paid as much as 60 percent commission to guides. This is why the selling price of a carving can be as much as 10 times as high as the purchase price. “In fact, it’s a bit like suicide,” he said.
Tourists already know the real sales price. They are reluctant to offer more than half price. Foreign tourists, according to Putra, already know standard prices back in their home countries and know that this is five times the price paid to the carver.
Tourist guides deny that they enjoy the lion’s shares of the profits. If they really had been receiving as much as 60 percent commission, said Yeremias Tasi, Chairman of the Tourist Guides Association of Bali, “Then we would have been rich a very long time ago.” According to him, at the very most, the commission from the galleries is 30 percent of the total sales price.
It is this long chain, according to Che Wei, that makes the bargaining power of artists even worse. He decided to do something about it. When he became the host of the Emerging Markets Forum, between September 20-27 this year, Che Wei urged Gara, Mudana and I Wayan Darlun to bring all their carvings to Jakarta and put them on exhibition.
Every developing nation delegate at the forum that was held at the Danareksa Building was greeted by carvings of human legends in several poses, including: Rama, Shita, Kala Rau, Dewi Sri and Men Brayut. Fidel Ramos, former President of the Philippines, and Michel Camdessus, former executive director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), were astonished to see so many carvings on the first floor of the Danareksa Building.
One day before the exhibition closed, underneath 20 of the carvings on exhibit were cards on which had been written the word “reserved.” Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani, Minister of Trade Mari Pangestu and several other officials were among those interested in the carvings. All of them were discounted by 30 percent.
Seeing this enthusiasm, Che Wei became even more interested in Balinese woodcarvings. In fact, as a state company, Danareksa has a responsibility to help develop small- and medium-scale enterprises. He flew to Singapore, London, Amsterdam and New York in order to introduce Balinese woodcarvings and to try and set up exhibition schedules.
“I was inspired by a book by John Cost, which was called Dancing Out of Bali,” said this economist who made his name when he exposed the Lippo Bank scandal in 2000. Cost, he said, was able to promote Balinese dancing in London and New York in 1950.
In addition to arranging exhibitions, Danareksa will also set standard prices for each carving calculated from the cost of production and the original idea, as well as the copyright. In Bali, anyone can copy someone else’s work of art without fear of being prosecuted for plagiarism. And they succeed.
In the exhibition, Mudana was able to enjoy the correct prices for his works of art. Dewi Sri sold for Rp125 million. This was the most expensive, compared to the other carvings, which were sold on average for between Rp30 million and Rp90 million. “This really is gold from dead wood,” he said.
Furthermore, Desa Mas was founded around 400 years ago after a visit from Danyang Nilarta. Before this Hindu priest from Kediri arrived, the village was named Tegal Tanjung. While he was meditating, Nilarta created a cane. Magically. The cane grew and from underneath there appeared seeds of gold.
Nilarta then changed the name of the village to Desa Mas. “Later, the villagers here will be able to obtain gold from dead wood,” said Nilarta according to a legend in Desa Mas. Hundreds of years later, this prediction has become true. Mudana and Gara now spend much more time at their homes. Creating carvings as they await the exhibitions being arranged by Lin Che Wei.
Bagja Hidayat and Rofiqi Hasan (Bali)
Indonesia: Bali Has Highest Suicide Rate, Says Report
http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Trends&loid=8.0.353560980&par=Jakarta, 26 Oct. (AKI) - The Indonesian island of Bali, considered to be a dream destination by many international tourists, doesn't appear to be a paradise for the local population according to a report on a local daily, The Bali Post, which stated that the island has the highest percentage of suicides in Indonesia. In the first nine months of this year, there have been 127 registered suicides on the "Island of the Gods" as Bali is often referred to, putting it on top of the list of all the Indonesian provinces.
The report stated that it's mainly men between the ages of 16 and 40 that commit suicide in Bali and the method that is most commonly used is hanging, followed by poisoning.
Situated in the centre of the Indonesian archipelago, the Hindu island of Bali, is often voted as one of the best tourist destinations in the world. About 65 percent of the island's population works in the tourism industry, which suffered siginificantly following the terrorist attacks on the island in 2002 and 2005.
A recent report on the Jakarat Post referred to the rising suicide rates in Indonesia which were a cause of concern for medical experts who had gathered for a seminar in the capital to mark World Mental Health Day earlier this month.
The report stated that official nation-wide suicide statistics are unavailable, but in the capital Jakarta, from 1995 through 2004, the rate was 5.8 suicides per 100,000 people.
Perusahaan Daerah; Sapi Perahan Kinerja Rendah, Gaji Tetap Besar
http://www.balipost.co.id/balipostcetak/2006/10/23/b20.htm
Perusahaan daerah di Bali sebagian besar mengalami kerugian. Itu diakui Gubernur Bali Dewa Beratha. Walaupun rugi, para pengelolanya tetap dibayar mahal. Satu contoh untuk Dirut PDAM gajinya saja Rp 9 juta per bulan. Belum lagi pendapatan lainnya seperti tunjangan, THR dan bonus lainnya.
Hal yang paling miris terjadi di Tabanan. Perusahaan Daerah Dharma Santhika (PDDS) yang mengelola seratusan hektar kebun kopi akhirnya gulung tikar. Sementara PDAM-nya dililit utang milyaran rupiah.
PDDS yang disuntik dana APBD tahun 2003 lalu sempat hidup sebentar hingga tahun 2005. Namun, kolaps lagi dan tidak jelas bagaimana nasibnya hingga kini. Sementara PDAM, walaupun telah bangkit dengan jajaran direksi baru, masih dililit utang sekitar Rp 20,5 milyar.
Pada tahun 2003 PDDS yang memiliki kantor mewah di Jalan Pahlawan Tabanan mengelola beberapa unit usaha, di antaranya perbengkelan, percetakan/sablon, kontraktor, konsultan dan kebun kopi. Karena adanya kepincangan pengelolaan, sedikit demi sedikit kondisinya memburuk, sehingga kolaps awal tahun 2005. Dua kali telah dicoba untuk dihidupkan kembali dan tahun 2005 PDDS dinonaktifkan untuk jangka waktu yang tidak diketahui.
Direktur Utama Agus Putu Ekananda bersama jajaran direksi yang dilantik pada April 2003, juga telah mengundurkan diri.
Sementara aset puluhan milyar rupiah milik PDDS hingga kini tidak jelas keberadaannya. Aset yang paling nyata terlihat adalah kebun kopi yang terletak di Kecamatan Pupuan seperti Pujungan, Padangan, Pajahan dan Batungsel yang berjumlah sekitar 114 ha. Kabarnya kebun itu telah lama dikelola oleh forum bendesa adat setempat. Tetapi, tidak jelas bagaimana kompensasinya terhadap pemda. Belakangan terdengar kabar bahwa telah dilakukan verifikasi terhadap utang-utang PDDS dan aset yang masih dimiliki serta ada investor yang berniat, tetapi hingga kini belum ada tanda-tanda untuk bangkit kembali.
Sementara PDAM Tabanan keadaannya sedikit berbeda. Sebelumnya PDAM juga dilaporkan selalu merugi, di samping berutang atas investasi milyaran rupiah. Bulan September tahun 2005 lalu dilaporkan utang yang dimiliki Rp 18 milyar dari utang investasi semula Rp 6 milyar. Dengan pemasukan setiap bulannya mencapai Rp 1 milyar, tetapi pengeluaran dilaporkan lebih banyak lagi. Untuk gaji 235 karyawan, pengeluaran mencapai Rp 900 juta. Belum ongkos produksi dan kerusakan alat. Tidak diperoleh informasi dengan jelas, berapa kerugian setiap bulannya.
Akan tetapi, sertifikat tanah tempat kantornya pun sempat digadaikan untuk memenuhi kebutuhannya. Ironisnya, PDAM juga menggerogoti APBD Tabanan.
Situasi buruk ini berubah setelah adanya pelantikan jajaran direksi yang baru, 5 Desember 2005 yang dikomandani Dirut IB Oka Sedana, S.T. Dalam beberapa bulan kepemimpinannya, Sedana menyatakan telah mampu membayar utang Rp 1 milyar serta telah mencicil utang Rp 75 juta per bulan. Dalam sebulan kabarnya PDAM telah mendapat keuntungan sekitar Rp 100 juta. Mulai tahun 2007, PDAM tidak akan mendapat suntikan dana dari APBD. Namun berbagai hal harus dihadapi, mulai dari adanya pelanggan liar dan pelanggan aktif pasif hingga memo tenaga kerja yang datangnya dari para pejabat yang kini bertumpuk di ruang dirut. Ini menandakan perusahaan daerah masih dijadikan tempat menampung ''antek-antek'' penguasa.
Sementara itu, Pemkot Denpasar memiliki tiga perusahaan daerah (PD), yakni PDAM, PD Parkir, dan PD Pasar. Dari ketiga PD yang ada, PDAM mengalami kerugian dalam operasionalnya. Sedangkan PD lainnya mampu memperoleh keuntungan.
Direktur I PD Pasar Denpasar Ir. I Made Westra mengatakan dari jumlah pendapatan selalu mengalami peningkatan. Hanya, untuk setoran ke kas daerah yang dilakukan berdasarkan persentase mengalami fluktuasi.
Pada tahun 2005 lalu pendapatan PD Pasar Denpasar mencapai Rp 10,1 milyar lebih. Saat itu setoran ke kas daerah mencapai Rp 342,4 juta. Namun, pada tahun 2006 ini target pendapatan mencapai Rp 11,4 milyar. Untuk setoran ke kas daerah hanya Rp 241,3 juta.
''Dibandingkan tahun 2005 setoran ke kas daerah mengalami penurunan. Hal ini akibat beban biaya meningkat tajam, sehingga mengurangi laba. Padahal, persentase setoran ke kas daerah dihitung dari besarnya laba/rugi,'' katanya.
Justru Rugi
Pemkab Badung memiliki dua perusahaan daerah yakni PD Pasar dan PDAM. PDAM Badung yang sebelumnya sempat merugi, sejak tahun 2005 lalu sudah mampu berkontribusi ke pendapatan asli daerah (PAD) Pemkab Badung. Namun, PD Pasar yang awalnya untung lumayan, belakangan justru melorot.
Dirut PDAM Badung Ir. Nyoman Sukanada mengatakan, tahun 2001 lalu PDAM Badung juga sempat meraup laba Rp 143 juta. Namun, sebelum dan sesudah tahun itu PDAM terus merugi. Baru tahun 2005 lalu PDAM kembali meraih laba sekitar Rp 450 juta, 55 persen atau Rp 182 juta di antaranya disetor ke kas daerah.
Sementara PD Pasar Badung mengelola sembilan pasar. Kesembilan pasar itu yakni Pasar Petang, Sembung, Kerta Sari Latu, Pasar Umum Beringkit, Pasar Hewan Beringkit, Pasar Kuta I, Pasar Kuta II, Pasar Yadnya Kapal, Pasar Nusa Dua. Selama lima tahun ke belakang, PD Pasar memang mendapat keuntungan, namun berfluktuasi. Bahkan, tahun 2005 mengalami penurunan yang cukup drastis. Tahun itu, perusahaan daerah yang memiliki 321 pegawai ini hanya meraup keuntungan Rp 5,2 juta lebih. ''Penurunan laba itu dipengaruhi oleh daya beli masyarakat akibat terjadi tragedi bom dua kali,'' ujar Plt. Dirut PD Pasar Nyoman Predangga didampingi Kabag Keuangan I Made Suarka.
Data yang diperoleh Bali Post menyebutkan keuntungan PD Pasar tahun 2001 dari target Rp 46.559.835, terealisasi Rp 49.379.111. Tahun 2002 keuntungannya Rp 138.440.905 dari target Rp 165.753.983. Tahun 2003 laba yang diperoleh Rp 149.957.980 dari target Rp 175.404.799. Tahun 2004 Rp labanya Rp 141.426.605 dari target Rp 196.684.506. Sementara tahun 2005 keuntungannya hanya Rp 5.287.549 dari target Rp 259.248.974. ''60 persen dari laba itu disetor ke kas daerah,'' katanya.
Kondisi serupa juga terjadi di Jembrana. Direktur Perusda Jembrana I Gusti Ketut Mulyarta, S.Pt. mengatakan pihaknya sering tidak bisa memenuhi target setoran PAD ke pemkab. Padahal, menurutnya, bila dikalkulasikan pendapatan perusda setiap bulan bisa memenuhi target, namun setoran bersih ke pemkab selalu tidak bisa tercapai. Ini jadi rancu karena kemampuan memenuhi target PAD dijadikan indikator keberhasilan perusda.
Ia mencontohkan, pemasukan perusda dari penarikan retribusi pasar mencapai Rp 600 juta setiap tahun. Namun pemkab mematok setoran bersih ke dinas pendapatan mencapai Rp 500 juta. Menurutnya, hal itu cukup sulit dilakukan karena perusda tidak mungkin menggunakan sisa dana Rp 100 juta untuk membayar semua biaya operasional. Sementara perusda harus membayar gaji pegawai, cetak karcis retribusi dan upah pungut.
Anggota Komisi C DPRD Jembrana Iskandar Alfan menilai selama ini di luar retribusi pasar, tidak ada kontribusi perusda bagi PAD. Menurutnya, perusda kurang inovatif mengelola unit yang ada, misalnya soal parkir. Dia belum melihat ada inovasi yang dilakukan perusda untuk mendongkrak pemasukan dari parkir itu. Selain itu, tokoh asal Singaraja ini juga menyoroti soal Air Megumi yang hingga kini produknya seret dan belum memberi keuntungan. ''Kadang pemkab membuat program tanpa memikirkan efek dan cara pengelolaannya ke depan. Selain itu banyak potensi daerah yang belum dikelola secara optimal,'' ujarnya.
Tetap Payah
PDAM Karangasem, satu-satunya perusahaan daerah selain Bank BPD Bali yang dimiliki pemerintah bumi lahar. Namun tampaknya, PDAM Karangasem tetap payah. Meski di bawah kepemimpinan Direktur baru I Gede Putu Kertia, S.E. mulai ada keuntungan dari hasil menjual air, namun mesti dibayar dengan kekisruhan manajemen. Diduga ada banyak karyawan yang resah karena tak siap dengan manajemen baru yang dirasakan menghilangkan sumber pendapatan sebelumnya.
Dua bulan lalu, ratusan karyawan PDAM itu bergolak. Mereka berdemo ke aula kantor Bupati Karangasem. Mereka menuntut agar Putu Kertia diberhentikan dari jabatannya. Gerakan itu dikomandoi orang dalam yang diduga tak puas dengan kepemimpinan Putu Kertia membenahi manajemen PDAM sampai mulai tampak memperlihatkan keuntungan. Dengan perbaikan manajemen dan memberikan sanksi bagi yang tak bisa bekerja dengan baik, Putu Kertia pun digoyang. Dia juga dilaporkan kepada Bupati Geredeg oleh karyawan setempat telah melakukan korupsi.
Sementara kisruh belum tertangani, pelanggannya juga menjerit. Pelanggan unit Abang, terutama di Desa Tista selama dua bulan air PDAM tak mengalir ke pelanggan.
Pelanggan PDAM di desa lainnya seperti Bungaya juga mengeluh karena aliran air PDAM tak mengalir sampai ke sana. Bupati Wayan Geredeg dan Wabup Drs. I Gusti Lanang Rai, Senin (9/10), membantah macetnya air PDAM akibat kisruh manajemen. Atas laporan korupsi yang menimpa Putu Kertia, Bupati Geredeg telah menurunkan tim pemeriksa dari Bawasda dan tim pengawas. Namun, dari hasil pemeriksaan tim itu tak ditemukan adanya korupsi.
Ngadatnya air PDAM, kata Lanang Rai, rutin terjadi saat musim kemarau. Hal itu karena debit sumber air PDAM mengecil. ''Di rumah jabatan Wabup di Susuan, mungkin karena tempatnya agak tinggi aliran air PDAM belakangan ini melemah bahkan sering ngadat,'' katanya.
Sejak Juni, keuangan PDAM tampak menggembirakan karena mulai ada surplus (keuntungan). September ini, kata Putu Kertia, keuntungan mencapai Rp 79.053.975,4. Sementara bulan sebelumnya, Agustus, tercatat surplus keuangan Rp 76 juta lebih.
Sebelum dipimpin Kertia, PDAM Karangasem belum pernah membukukan keuntungan, tetapi rugi terus. Pemkab bahkan terus norok ratusan juta bahkan pada 2003 pemkab sampai norok rekening listrik PDAM sampai sekitar Rp 900 juta. Sampai kini utang PDAM Karangasem sekitar Rp 4 milyar di Depkeu belum dibayar. Kertia mengatakan dengan cara membenahi seluruh manajemen, termasuk tertib administrasi dan kinerja karyawan dapat dilakukan banyak efisiensi. Pengetatan pencatatan meteran air juga dilakukan. Namun, dengan cara itu dirinya justru menghadapi kendala. ''Ini risiko kami berani melawan arus dengan melakukan perbaikan demi pelayanan kepada pelanggan.''
Di Gianyar juga setali tiga uang. Bukan saja PD Mandara Giri yang kondisinya saat ini masih jauh pangang dari api. Gianyar yang mempunyai tiga perusahaan daerah (PD), yakni PD Mandara Giri, PD BPR Werdhi Sedana, serta PD Air Minum (PDAM), ketiganya masih mengalami sakit parah. Perlu diberikan solusi pengobatan untuk lebih mengoptimalkan kinerja dari PD tersebut, sehingga mampu memberikan kontribusi lebih bagi PAD Gianyar.
Modal kerja yang diberikan oleh Pemkab Gianyar dalam hal pemberdayaan perusahaan daerah tersebut masih belum mampu menunjukkan data kinerja yang signifikan. Berdasarakan data yang diperoleh, Senin (9/10), Pemkab Gianyar sebelum tahun 2002 telah memberikan modal kerja sebanyak Rp 4,2 milyar kepada ketiga perusahaan tersebut. PDAM mendapatkan suntikan dana sebanyak Rp 3,5 milyar, PD BPR Werdhi Sedana sebanyak Rp 600 juta, dan PD Mandara Giri mendapatkan suntikan modal kerja sebanyak Rp 100 juta. Tentunya dana yang diberikan oleh pemkab ini untuk mengencangkan operasional dari perusahaan tersebut, sehingga mampu memberikan kontribusi yang diharapkan.
Sejalan waktu, dari tahun 2002 hingga tahun 2006, pemkab melalui APBD telah memberikan modal kerja kepada ketiga PD sebanyak Rp 4,6 milyar. Dari jumlah tersebut, PD Mandara Giri mendapatkan bantuan suntikan dana sebanyak dua kali pada tahun 2005 dan tahun 2006 masing-masing sebesar Rp 100 juta. Sedangkan PD BPR Werdhi Sedana di tahun 2002 mendapatkan suntikan modal kerja dari APBD Gianyar sebesar Rp 125 juta.
Di Klungkung, terdapat dua perusahaan daerah yakni Perusahaan Daerah Air Minum (PDAM) dan Perusahaan Daerah Nusa Kerta Kosala (PDNKK). Kedua perusahaan daerah itu kondisinya memprihatinkan. PDAM saat ini dililit utang mencapai Rp 5,6 milyar. Utang itu tak mampu terbayarkan sejak tahun 1993 sampai sekarang. Untuk tahun 2006, pendapatan per bulan PDAM hanya Rp 460 juta dari biaya operasional yang dihabiskan Rp 505 juta, termasuk biaya penyusutan Rp 60 juta per bulan. Sehingga kerugian yang dialami per bulannya mencapai Rp 45 juta. ''Untuk kerugian itu, kami berusaha menutupinya dari biaya penyusutan yang dianggarkan setiap bulannya. Sebisa mungkin, anggaran penyusutan itu tidak terpakai,'' ungkap Direktur PDAM Made Suyastra. (bal)
Lagi, Ceking Dipasangi Seng
http://www.balipost.co.id/balipostcetak/2006/10/17/b14.htm
Gianyar (Bali Post) -
Karena hanya sebagai objek penderita, lagi-lagi salah satu petani di Ceking berang. Ceking sangat terkenal karena pemandangan sawahnya yang berundak-undak. Petani itu, seperti protes dulu, memasang seng sehingga wisatawan yang ada di seberang barat menjadi silau.
Dari pantauan Senin (16/10) kemarin, tampak deretan enam lembar seng dipasang oleh warga Banjar Tangkup, Kedisan, Wayan Klas. Selain itu, dua rancangan tempat pemasangan seng juga sudah nampak di lahan persawahan terasering ini dengan luas sekitar 10 are.
Sawah Klas berada di sebelah selatan empat petani dari Banjar Kebon, Kedisan yang dahulunya juga sempat melakukan protes serupa. Bedanya, empat warga itu yakni Punia, Kantun, Misi, dan Payu telah mendapatkan retribusi dari Tim Penataan Objek Wisata Ceking, Tegallalang.
Camat Tegallalang, Ketut Suweta, membenarkan adanya aksi protes tersebut. Camat telah mempertemukan kedua pejabat dari Desa Kedisan dan Desa Tegallalang. Selain itu, Tim Penataan Objek Wisata Ceking dan pihak tramtib juga dilibatkan dalam membahas permasalahan tersebut.
Lebih lanjut dijelaskan protes yang dilakukan oleh warga tersebut akan diteruskan ke Pemkab Gianyar. Pasalnya, Tim Penataan Objek Ceking mengatakan kesulitan untuk memberikan kontribusi kepada warga tersebut. Menurut Made Sudana, salah seorang anggota tim, dengan kondisi pariwisata yang terpuruk ini, pihaknya tidak bisa memberikan kontribusi lebih lagi. Namun, dalam hal ini bukan berarti pihaknya tidak setuju untuk membantu warga Tangkup.
Pihak tim memberikan solusi untuk memotong retribusi parkir beserta pedagang acung yang ada di kawasan objek wisata Ceking. Jika diambil dari pedagang (artshop) yang ada, sudah tidak mungkin. Para pemilik artshop dikenakan retribusi Rp 250 ribu per bulan guna diberikan kepada empat warga dari Kebon. Suweta berharap permasalahan ini cepat dicarikan solusinya. (dar)
Balinese 'Babad' and unhealthy reverence for the past
Balinese 'Babad' and unhealthy reverence for the past
I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Ubud, Denpasar
In a serious tone, the island's senior historian Anak Agung Putra Agung warned the attending participants of the 2006 Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (UWRF) not to interpret Babad in a literal way.
"It employs a lot of symbols, metaphors and allusion. Reading and interpreting it literally will only result in chaos and confusion," he said.
"Not to mention that many Babad contain numerous inaccuracies, hidden political agenda and unverified claims," noted writer Putu Setia added.
Putra Agung and Setia were speaking as panelists of the UWRF's "Defining Bali Through the Eyes of Babad" session.
Babad is a large body of Balinese traditional texts. It is estimated that there are over two dozen different Babad currently in existence. Combining narrations on supernatural powers and mythological events with hard, historical facts, each Babad tells the glorious past exploits of a certain clan and its leader.
Babad Dalem, therefore, details the victories and achievements of the Dalem clan, the ruling clan in the period following the conquest of Bali by the East Javanese Majapahit kingdom. On the other hand, Babad Pasek narrates the glorious achievement of the Pasek clan, the island's rulers prior to the arrival of the Majapahit.
"Babad exists in two forms, prose and poem. It is a valid source for a scientific study on the island's history. But we must examine it in critical and unbiased way," Putra Agung said.
By nature, Babad is not an objective text, and tends to glorify a certain clan while ignoring the significance of another.
While Putra Agung promoted a critical approach to Babad, Setia argued for skepticism; a large number of Balinese, however, revere Babad with blind conviction.
Such readers not only view their own clan's Babad as an historically accurate text, but also as the most correct version of Balinese history. Thus, when two Babad present two different versions of a single historical event, it usually results in two clans with conflicting views.
This unhealthy fixation on Babad and the uncritical acceptance of its claims, Setia warned, might divide Balinese into numerous, opposing clan-based groups.
"Let's not forget that most Babad are also filled with stories of victorious wars and humiliating defeats, of rising dynasties and falling royal families. The stories involve real persons, who are still revered by their living descendants," he said.
Babad, to some extent, could therefore foster hostility among various clans and royal houses in Bali.
"In this case, Babad could become the sole reason for the perpetuation of 'historical' animosity. A feud of the past is being inherited and nurtured by Balinese in the present. Babad is ... where they learn about the existence of such a feud in the first place," he stated.
One example of such animosity took place in 2005, when Badung regency held its first direct regental election. The most promising candidate was the crown prince of the House of Mengwi, the descendant of a mighty 18th-century dynasty that ruled a large part of Bali.
The Mengwi's then archenemy was the House of Pemecutan, a royal dynasty that controlled a large part of Badung and Denpasar. With its allies, the House of Gianyar and the House of Bangli, the Pemecutan launched a decisive attack in the early 1800s that put an end to the Mengwi kingdom.
Upon learning about the Mengwi prince's candidacy in 2005, several Pemecutan princes held a closed meeting in Gerenceng palace, western Denpasar.
"We can't let a Mengwi prince rule Badung. We have defeated the Mengwi before and we shall defeat the Mengwi again," a young prince declared at the meeting.
The meeting took place in 21st-century Denpasar and the aforementioned prince held an engineering degree from a respected East Javanese university. Yet, the motive and the tone of the meeting clearly showed that these princes were still living in the past.
Their opposition was not based on any sound, legitimate political reason, and instead stemmed solely from the "historical animosity" they had inherited from their ancestors.
Slight or otherwise, similar biases still exist among the various clans in Bali. The Pasek clan, which ruled Bali before the Majapahit annexation of the island, still holds a grudge against descendants of the Majapahit nobility and royals -- who are grouped into several Arya and Dalem clans.
Besides nurturing historical feuds, noted poetess Mas Ruscitadewi pointed out, the unhealthy fixation on Babad would also prevent contemporary Balinese from aspiring to or attaining their own, individual achievements.
"When you are too busy bragging about how great, powerful and influential your ancestors were, there is a big probability that you will forget to do something great with and for your present life," she said.
"That's probably the main reason why modern Bali is characterized mainly by a lack of great figures, great achievements and great thinking," she added.
Born into the royal Kesiman family, Mas herself could actually boast about several illustrious ancestors, including the last ruler of Denpasar and Bali's ultimate king and poet, Ida Cokorda Mantuk Ring Rana, who was killed by Dutch colonial forces during the Puputan Badung battle of 1906. Yet, Mas has refused to glorify his legacy.
"I respect my ancestors. I will show my respect by trying to do something great for Bali so as not to desecrate their memories," she said -- and why she loves to answer questions about her family's royal lineage with a mischievous smile and a memorable joke.
In the end, she quipped: "Well, I belong to the clan of Pithecanthropus erectus."
Dua Siswa Denpasar Lolos ke Olimpiade Internasional
http://jawapos.co.id/index.php?act=detail_radar&id=140887&c=94DENPASAR - Siswa Bali kembali menorehkan keberhasilan gemilang di kancang olimpiada. Dua siswa yang kebetulan dari Denpasar lolos dalam 16 besar dalam lomba olimpiada tingkat nasional. Mereka ini berhak mengikuti Olimpiada Fisika Internasional yang menurut rencana akan dilangsungkan di Shanghai China 20 April 2007.
Dua siswa Denpasar yang masuk 16 besar dalam lomba olimpiada tingkat nasional itu adalah Made Surya Adhiwirawan dari SMUN 1 Denpasar dan Ridwan Salim Sanad dari SMU 4 Denpasar. Keduanya dinyatakan lolos dan berhak bergabung dengan 14 siswa lainnya untuk membela Merah Putih di China tahun 2007 nanti. "Setelah dites kedua anak-anak kita berhasil masuk 16 besar," ujar Kepala Sekolah SMUN 1 Denpasar Drs Made Tumbuh kepada koran ini Rabu kemarin.
Menghadapi Olimpiada Fisika Internasional ini, dua siswa asal Denpasar akan digembleng bersama 14 siswa lainnya di tanah air. Penggemblengan khusus itu dilakukan mulai 3 Oktober hingga menjelang keberangkatan. Lokasi pendidikan dipilih Bandung, Jawa Barat. Hanya saja pihak Diknas belum tahu persis di mana kedua siswa dan 14 siswa lainya akan melakukan penyegaran.
Untuk diketahui Bali menurunkan 16 siswa ke Olimpiade Fisika tingkat nasional sebagai ajang seleksi Olimpiade Internasional. Namun hanya dua orang lolos. Sebelumnya keduanya juga telah melakoni seleksi bertahap dari tingkat kabupaten, provinsi, dan kemudian nasional.(tra)
Artist recounts the invasion of south
Artist recounts the invasion of south (The Jakarta Post)
Bruce Carpenter, Contributor, Denpasar
When the Dutch colonial invasion fleet anchored off the coast of Sanur in September 1906, its passengers included an odd guest armed not with guns but a drawing pen and paper. It was not the first visit to Bali by the young and idealistic artist, W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp. The prot‚g‚ of the G.P. Rouffaer, a staunch admirer and supporter of traditional Indonesian arts, Nieuwenkamp had toured the north of the island two years before and like countless visitors after him would return to the west gushing with praises. He would also bring back scores of drawings and notes which he would serve as the foundation of his masterwork and the first book on Balinese art and culture, Bali en Lombok (1906-1910).
His presence, between heavily armed soldiers and cavalry, on the deck of the battleship Bromo, was by accident. He had originally planned, as in 1904, to wander the island on his own but this, he would discover shortly after disembarking in Batavia after the long voyage from Europe, was impossible because he could not get a travel permit. He soon learned the reason why.
Governor-General van Heutz, nicknamed the `Iron General' after defeating the rebels in Aceh, was busy organizing an invasion of South Bali to teach the haughty princes of Badung kingdom a lesson. Resourceful and determined, Nieuwenkamp managed to plead his case directly to van Heutz who agreed to the request if he would join the invasion fleet.
Oblivious to the warnings of the military commanders, Nieuwenkamp had come ashore ahead of the first troops on Sept. 14 and positioned himself a bit further up the coast with his drawing pad. From there he sketched the gracious curve of Sanur Beach and the horizon of the Straits of Badung. The beautiful dated drawing, framed by a tree, a coral temple, and a group of beached
outriggers with their distinct elephant-fish bows, is not unlike the scene one sees today. If one looks closely, though, you see tiny Balinese figures staring out in the distance at the ant-like fleet, landing craft and troops disembarking on the beach. Their miniscule size suggests that Nieuwenkamp was rather underwhelmed by this `glorious' event. In his private letters he would write that the only resistance met by the 4000 troops, horses and artillery, was a pair of Balinese dogs who howled vociferously at the newly landed intruders.
Five days after landing, the major thrust to take the capital was begun. This began with an attack on the palace of the powerful lord of Kesiman. To everyone's surprise it fell with only minor resistance. That night the troops camped within its walls. After dawn they marched off towards the heart of the city and the palace of the young raja, I Gusti Ngurah Made Agung, who for two years had refused to negotiate with an increasingly impatient colonial government for the return of 3000 silver dollars supposedly ransacked by the inhabitants of Sanur from a Chinese schooner stranded on its notoriously dangerous reef. Since the 19th century the Dutch had been unbending in their demand that all stranded cargo be returned to its owners as required by international law. In contrast traditional Balinese law governing wrecks was
more akin to the children's rhymekeepers, losers weepers.
Spirits were high and the officers were already under the impression that the campaign to subdue Badung was about to end with a whimper that day. They would learn soon enough that the Balinese were hatching an ending they would never forget. In his book, Nieuwenkamp would cryptically sum up the final confrontation which ended over five hundred years of Balinese independence with the words, "In actual fact we cannot speak of a fight. The prince of Badung had been abandoned by his people who saw no point in resisting a vastly superior army. Thus he met his end surrounded only by his retainers, wives, children and blood relatives." Although it is not immediately evident today, this comment was a forceful denial of later claims by the colonial authorities of a great victory.
The truth of the matter is that the events that took place that day belong to the fuzzy world from which myths and legends spring. The unpredictable Balinese princes, faced with an invincible enemy choose to turn the tables on their overly confident foe by resorting to the unthinkable. Like the skilled dalang shadow puppet masters, they would set a trap in the form of a hollow victory that brought shame on their enemy. To do so and win eternal glory they were
willing to pay with their lives. There are those who say that the colonial authorities should have anticipated a possible puputan (mass sacrifice) because one had taken place some years earlier during the Lombok Wars. They should also not have forgotten the formidable reputation of the ferocity of Balinese warriors.
In hindsight, the thick smoke billowing out of the Denpasar Palace, which the Balinese had set afire themselves, should have served as a warning that something unusual was afoot as marched into the capital. Otherwise everything was normal until they turned the corner of the walled lane that opened onto the now smoky main square facing the imposing main gateway of Denpasar Palace. One can only imagine the shock they got when over one thousand Balinese of all ages
poured out the open doors and down the stairways screaming like banshees. Wrapped in sacrificial white and adorned with flowers and jewelry, they brandished their jewel-encrusted wavy daggers as they charged the front line half in a trance-like state induced by a night of meditation, the singing of heroic myths and ritual preparations to make the ultimate sacrifice. Above them, lifted high on the shoulders of his retainers in a royal palanquin, the young raja of Badung urged them to meet their end.
From a military perspective it was an insane and totally incomprehensible maneuver. Battle hardened; the troops coolly prepared themselves for the oncoming assault. Nieuwenkamp does not mention if there were warning shots or not. It probably all happened too quickly to even recall. What is sure is that once the order was given to open fire chaos ensued as blood, screams, writhing bodies, smoke, dust and the smells of gun powder and sweat mingled in the tropical heat. The confusion was further amplified as older women from the palace wandered among the wounded stabbing them to death to ensure they would enter the Balinese Valhalla that day. Nieuwenkamp writes that another group of distinguished ladies entered the fray with bags of coins which they disdainfully flung at the soldiers while shouting out that it was payment for
their service! The official number of Balinese casualties, 450, was certainly an attempted cover up. Nieuwenkamp was dismayed if not disgusted.
Nieuwenkamp found himself trapped in a moral dilemma. In his private letters to his family, friends and various authorities he raved against the official reports pointing out that the discrepancy in casualties (0 versus over 1400) proved that the official reports were a travesty. Although he would finally write his account of events in a major Dutch newspaper, he still felt compelled to tone down his criticism to avoid trouble with the colonial authorities. Nevertheless he clearly supported the Balinese estimate that at least 1400 perished that day. He also poked fun at the courage of the Dutch officers who refused to venture away from the main force without at least fifty guards to protect them from the local inhabitants. In contrast, Nieuwenkamp wandered through the local lanes and villages alone with his sketchbook and writes that he was always treated with courtesy even a few days after the puputan.
The Denpasar puputan was not the last tragedy seen by Nieuwenkamp in 1906. In its wake the colonial troops marched to the border of Badung's main ally, Tabanan, and sent a message demanding the raja's unconditional surrender. The old man agreed but only with the guarantee he would not be exiled, as had happened to other troublesome Balinese princes in the past. He was told that only Batavia had the power to make such a decision and warned again. In the end
he arrived at the army camp accompanied only by his son and a handful of retainers. The frail old man was taken into custody as they waited word from Batavia but after a few days, captivity proved too much. Weaponless he committed suicide by slitting his own throat with a keplocakan, a blunt chisel-like tool used by toothless old men to finely chop betel nuts.
By the 1930s Bali had gained international fame. By this time Nieuwenkamp had been largely forgotten in spite of his seminal role in the chain of events that led to Bali's enduring fame as an extraordinary destination. The puputan, however, would continue to amaze and inspire. In 1937, Miguel Covarubbias would write about it extensively in his best seller, The Island of Bali. In the same year, the German author, Vicki Baum, would publish the Tale of Bali, a historical novel in which it serves as a backdrop.
A century has now passed since W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp witnessed the fall of south Bali. Its anniversary has been marked by several major performances, ceremonies and numerous articles in English, Indonesian and Balinese newspapers. The puputan story has endured but we must avoid turning it into a Hollywood movie or Indonesian soap opera. We must also not forget that Badung was one of the last of a long and illustrious line of Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms first
established in Indonesia as early as 400 CE which held sway over much of the archipelago for over one thousand years. South Bali's incorporation into the Dutch East Indies and later, the Republic of Indonesia, marked the end of this remarkable era. It also confronted the Balinese with the ongoing need to define what makes them who they are and how to best preserve it. Let's hope they will continue the process until the next centennial anniversary of the puputan.
The writer is an art expert staying in Sanur
