Youth

New MataMassa app empowers regular people to help monitor elections

Khabar Southeast Asia

New MataMassa app empowers regular people to help monitor elections

by: Yositha Nirbhaya

Free mobile application encourages citizens to monitor violations during the election, inviting greater engagement in the democratic process.

A smartphone app offers greater Jakarta area residents a way to help ensure free and fair upcoming 2014 general elections.

The Jakarta branch of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and the ICT Laboratory for Social Changes (iLab) launched MataMassa (“Eyes of the Public”) in November as a way for citizens to monitor and anonymously report administrative, criminal or ethical violations during voting or campaigning.

Those could include installation of campaign banners in houses of worship, highways, or hospitals; vote buying; or other violations as defined by the General Election Committee (KPU) and the Election Supervisory Committee (Bawaslu).

Nelson Simanjuntak, Bawaslu committee commissioner, said the app encourages direct societal participation of the process.

“It needs to be understood that MataMassa really helps us improve the 2014 election,” he told Khabar Southeast Asia.

Users can download MataMassa for free and use it to submit a report of a violation by text, photo or video to AJI Jakarta. Project personnel investigate and submit verified reports to Bawaslu.

Between December 15th last year and March 13th, MataMassa received 1,249 reports, and verified 1,154 of them, according to AJI. Because of limited funding, project personnel could only verify violations in Jakarta and outskirts including Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi, AJI Jakarta Chairman Umar Idris told Khabari.

Direct participation

Renanda Laksita, a Partai Demokrat candidate for the House of Representatives (DPR) wished the app could be more widely used.

“I think this is a new innovation to invite society to participate in our democratic process, as we know that many Indonesian people love to use gadgets. I hope society takes advantage of it,” the candidate from Bali told Khabar.

“It would be better if it is applicable all over Indonesia than greater Jakarta only,” she added.

Stefani Bilwa tried, but failed to submit a violation in the form of a massive poster of a candidate in Setiabudi.

“Unfortunately, I was unlucky in submitting it directly through my iPhone,” she told Khabar. “Therefore I have to submit it through the website, which is not as efficient.” Still, Stefani liked the idea of the app to help deliver a fair election.

Reports can also be submitted through SMS center to 081370202014 or via email at lapor@matamassa.org for people without a smartphone or the app.

Indonesians lament celebrity drug use

Khabar Southeast Asia

Indonesians lament celebrity drug use

Following a high-profile-drug bust, parents and children’s advocates demand entertainers set a better example for the nation’s youth.

In the wake of the latest celebrity drug arrest, Indonesians are concerned such individuals are undermining the country’s effort to become drug-free.

“We are worrying with the increasing number of drug users in our society,” said Agus Hendrawan, an officer at the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), when asked about the late January arrest of popular television presenter and actor Raffi Ahmad.

“Many youths admit that their interest to use drugs is influenced by the environment, including public figure such as celebrities,” he told Khabar Southeast Asia.

Even though law enforcement on drug use is improving, the government is still facing big challenges, he said. According to a BNN survey conducted at the end of 2011, there are 3.8 million to 4.2 million illicit drug users in Indonesia, many of them young professionals.

Drug bust grabs headlines

Authorities arrested 17 people in a raid early January 27th on Raffi’s South Jakarta home and seized 14 ecstasy pills and two marijuana joints. Reports of the drug bust went viral, as several well-known people were involved.

Nine people were found innocent and released in following days, including actor Irwansyah, 27, and his actress wife, Zaskia Sungkar, 22, as well as the National Mandate Party’s (PAN) Wanda Hamidah, a 34-year-old member of the Jakarta Legislative Council.

One person was charged for not reporting drug use, while six others were sent to rehabilitation and face up to four years in prison if convicted under Indonesia’s 2009 anti-narcotics law.

Five of those arrested tested positive for drugs in initial urine tests on January 27th. But Sumirat Dwiyanto, a BNN spokesman, told reporters that two people who originally tested negative were later found to have cathinone in their system.

Cathinone, a drug related to the stimulant khat, found in Arab and East African countries, is relatively new in Indonesia.

Raffi, 25, faces multiple charges and up to 12 years in prison if convicted. Once the presenter on television’s most popular music program, Dahsyat, he is now jailed in a BNN detention facility in East Jakarta, awaiting further investigation and a court trial.

Banned from television?

Many celebrities in Indonesia — and abroad — have faced legal problems over drug use. Senior Indonesian rocker Ahmad Albar was convicted of drug use and sent to jail for several years after his arrest in 2007.

Fahria Ade, an Indonesian actress who was arrested for possession of shabu (crystal meth) in 2010, told reporters it is very common to use drugs at filming locations.

“I used to be asked to use drugs by the film director so I would not be tired and could act maximally,” Ade said, according to entertainment news site Kapanlagi.com.

Celebrity drug use has a potentially negative impact on children, according to the Indonesian Commission on Child Protection (KPAI).

“Celebrities are idolized by children. We’re calling on celebrities to adopt a healthy lifestyle without narcotics. We’re even encouraging them to become ambassadors in the fight against drugs,” M. Ihsan, the head of KPAI’s child protection task force, told reporters following the arrests.

Nocky Chandra, a 25 year-old university student from Yogyakarta, agrees.

“Celebrities, who actually can be a role model for young people, should really watch their behaviour and lifestyle, because everybody is watching them,” Nocky said.

Ayu Sekarsari, 36, the mother of a 9-year-old boy, thinks celebrities convicted of drug use should be banned from television.

“My son often watches ‘Dahsyat’,” she said. “He often found that Raffi is a cool young man.”

“As a parent, I always tell my son the danger of drugs. I just don’t want my son to think that it is also cool to consume drugs… they are relatively easily influenced by their idols,” she added.

“Banning celebrities who are convicted of drug use is one way to prevent children from using drugs. Unless they have been going to rehabilitation and are willing to fight against narcotics openly through mass media,” Ayu told Khabar

Islamist vigilantes lead teens into trouble

Khabar Southeast Asia

Islamist vigilantes lead teens into trouble

A July 29th police notice posted on the door of Café de’Most bans it from operating based on local laws governing entertainment venues during Ramadan. [Elisabeth Oktofani/Khabar]

A hardline group that raided a bar in late July recruited local teens for the illegal attack. Two of them now face prison time.

Jakarta residents are applauding police for arresting members of a hardline group that raided a bar for serving alcohol during Ramadan, and enlisted teenagers for the illegal vigilante attack.

About 150 members of the Prophet’s Defender Council (Majelis Pembela Rasulullah, or MPR) swarmed into Cafe’ de’Most in South Jakarta late on July 28th and ransacked it, shattering windows, breaking bottles, and assaulting employees.

Police apprehended the group as they left the club on motorbikes, and seized a machete, a sickle, four samurai swords, a golf club and four wooden poles, as well as musical instruments stolen from the bar.

“We arrested 62 people. But we released 39 juveniles without charges because they were not directly involved in attacking the bar,” South Jakarta police chief, Senior Commander Imam Sugianto, told Khabar Southeast Asia.

Among the 23 not released were two juveniles who were carrying a sickle and a machete, Imam said.

“They could face up to six years in prison under the Emergency Law No 12, 1951 for carrying weapons, and two and half years for destroying private property,” he said. Also arrested was MPR’s 29-year-old leader, Habib Bahar bin Smith, who organised the attack and was able to influence minors to take part in it, according to Imam.

Bahar and another adult identified only as S.Y. have been charged with the same offenses as the teenagers but face up to 12 years in jail terms because they are adults.

The remaining suspects were charged with aggravated assault on several bar employees and could face up to five and a half years in prison.

Mia Trisnawati, a waitress at a bar in South Jakarta, was happy to hear it.

“I have always been afraid to work during the fasting month because a number of hardline groups have threatened bars and night clubs,” Mia told Khabar.

“But I think that the police have done something different to protect their citizens by arresting the hardline group that acted as if they were the police with their raid,” Mia said

Vigilante organisations, notably the Islamic Defenders’ Front (FPI), say they are acting to protect Islam, but critics say their tactics are violent, illegal and also redundant, as authorities have already moved to limit the activities and operational hours of nightclubs and other entertainment venues during Ramadan.

In fact, police shut down Café de’ Most on July 29th because it was selling alcohol during Ramadan in violation of local regulations.

The involvement of minors in the raid is a cause for special concern. Arist Merdeka Sirait, Chairman of the National Commission for Child Protection, said parents and officials must declare a campaign against violence in society and make efforts to deter teenager involvement.

“Basically, teenagers tend to copy their idol’s behaviour. Therefore, it is very important for us, parents, teachers, government and religious leaders, to show how to live in peace and omit violence from daily life,” he told Khabar.

 

Jazz stars bring their talents to Jakarta mosque

Khabar Southeast Asia

Jazz stars bring their talents to Jakarta mosque

Producers of the Ramadan Jazz Festival say music can be a form of preaching, reaching out to young people, and showing them that mosques can be cool.

For two nights in late July, the Cut Meutia Mosque compound in Jakarta rang with swinging sounds as Indonesian jazz musicians and groups entertained thousands at the second annual Ramadan Jazz Festival.

“We want to send a message to Muslim youth that the mosque is actually a cool place for Muslim youth to hang out,” said Agus Setiawan of Jakarta-based jazz promoters Warta Jazz, which produced the festival together with the Cut Meutia Mosque Islamic Youth Association (RICMA).

“The mosque is actually not only a worship place. It is also a place to socialise,” Agus added.

Jazz is very popular among young Muslims in Jakarta, he said.

“The Q’uran verse says, ‘Preach with your own people’s language.’ Hence, we use jazz music as a medium to preach and approach young people, so there would be more Indonesian youth coming to the mosque more often,” he said.

Gilang Widodo is a 22-year-old who came to pray and lingered for jazz.

“I am not a big fan of jazz music. But I found this jazz festival to be unique because we could enjoy jazz music in a mosque after Taraweeh prayers, which is very unusual,” he said, referring to a special prayer said during Ramadan. “I decided to stay here to watch it.”

A focus on tolerance

This year’s festival featured 16 prominent Indonesian jazz musicians. They included Dwiki Dharmawan, Idang Rasjidi, Payung Teduh, Tompi, Endah N. Rhesa, Ari Pramudito, Barry Likumahuwa and also Jilly Likumahuwa.

Coming from different backgrounds, they brought diversity and high-calibre talent to an event where the emphasis was on religious as well as musical harmony.

“Through the Ramadan Jazz Festival, we want to share the spirit of togetherness without being concerned about our differences,” said Agus, the Warta Jazz representative.

“We want to show that Islam is a tolerant religion. For example, we not only invited Muslim jazz musicians, but also Christian jazz musicians such as Barry Likumahuwa and also Jilly Likumahuwa,” he explained.

The first Ramadan Jazz Festival, held in 2011, attracted 2,500 young audience members from the greater Jakarta area. This year, attendance at the July 27th-28th event topped 4,000.

Audience members also helped support local libraries. Instead of purchasing a ticket, those attending the event were asked to donate a children’s book.

Andhika Mauludi, a RICMA spokesman who chaired the event, told Khabar the books will be donated to ten libraries in East Nusa Tenggara Province.

“Every book was exchanged for an entrance ticket. For those who did not bring books, we sold a donation ticket for a nominal 20,000 rupiah ($2). The money will be used to buy more books,” he said.

“Last week, we were able to collect 1,600 books, which was more than our target of 1,000. We also raised one million rupiah ($106) in donations,” he said.

The books will be examined prior to delivery to ensure that none contains portrayals of violence, racism, or other sensitive issues, he said. RICMA plans to sort them that after Idul Fitri (Eid Mubarak). Then, they will be donated through the non-profit Sabantara Community at the University of Indonesia, which has a book donation programme.

Islam for a new generation

Andhika told Khabar that RICMA has been using non-conventional approaches to engage young Indonesian Muslims since the early 1990s.

“The jazz festival is actually not our first modern approach to preaching. Previously, we have held events such as Bike to Mosque and the Jakarta Islamic Fashion Guide,” he went on.

He believes that these are some of the best ways to reach Indonesian youth.

“We hope that by using a modern approach, we could attract as many young Muslims as possible to come to the mosque more often and be active and involved in mosque activities,” Andhika explained.