MOVERS AND SHAKERS

While 2009 was by no means an annus horribilis for Indonesia, with its economy in relatively good shape and the national elections proceeding smoothly, there were issues to be dealt with. These included natural and manmade disasters, terrorist attacks, political scandals, electricity problems and flooding, as well as social trends aplenty.

Here, the WEEKENDER team makes its pick of the most important faces and phenomena of the past year, in our opinion.

SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO

Claim to Fame: In 2009, Yudhoyono became the first president in the country’s history to be democratically elected twice, this second time around in a landslide, a feat that further bolstered his popular appeal both at home and abroad. He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME magazine this year, right behind US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Vital Statistics: In the election, he swept 61 percent of the vote, way ahead of runner-up Megawati Soekarnoputri at 27 percent. He was so popular that his Democratic Party — otherwise an uninspiring entity with little ideological appeal for many members of the public — became the largest political force in the House of Representatives. Although he never really got specific on what he would do in his second term in office, voters bought into his clean and trustworthy image, polished by a multi-million-dollar PR campaign, and chose to ignore the criticism of perceived indecisiveness.

2010 Prediction: As with the past five years, the pace of change and reform next year under Yudhoyono is likely to be excruciatingly slow.


SUSNO DUADJI

Claim to Fame: In his case, perhaps that should be notoriety. He’s the local equivalent of America’s financial scam rogue, Bernie Madoff, someone who grabbed the spotlight for entirely the wrong reasons and has become a much-lampooned figure in the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) scandal. He coined the term “gecko versus crocodile”, a “poor me” allusion to the efforts by the anticorruption watchdog to implicate him in a bribery case. In doing so, he unwittingly provided the slogan for the biggest popular movement in the country since the 1998 street demonstrations that ended the authoritarian rule of then president Soeharto.

Vital Statistics: As the National Police’s chief detective, Susno was entrusted with the important job of going after the bad guys. Instead, he was implicated in a plot to protect suspects in a corruption case. His name was also mentioned in a conversation, wiretapped by antigraft officials, among individuals plotting to take down the KPK. Bowing to huge public pressure, including more than a million Facebook users who demanded that heads should roll within the police force, Susno was suspended in early November and made a tearful speech about his loss of dignity before national legislators. Two weeks later, he was back in the job, before finally being put out to pasture at the end of November.

2010 Prediction: He is likely to become a curious footnote in the country’s history of fighting graft, our equivalent of Deep Throat, secretaries and sinister figures who were part of the Watergate ensemble. Or he may reemerge and reinvent himself in another role.


BIBIT SAMAD RIANTO & CHANDRA M. HAMZAH

Claim to Fame: If not for the alleged plot to frame the KPK, commission deputies Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah would be little-known figures toiling thanklessly to put corrupt officials in jail. The full disclosure of the plot made them household names overnight, and also elevated them to martyr-like figures in 2009’s cause célèbre.

Vital Statistics: The story of the two men, especially of Bibit, smacks of a Shakespearian tragedy. A former police chief in East Kalimantan, Bibit now faces the bitter irony of being prosecuted by his former colleagues in the police force. Understandably, because of his police background, treatment has been relatively lenient during his detention. Toward Chandra, coming from civilian ranks, it’s no doubt been a little frostier. Eventually, thanks to the public outcry, the right thing was done by the two men and the charges against them were dropped by the end of the year.

2010 Prediction: Don’t expect them to get rich off book or movie deals anytime soon – they will be back catching the crocodiles still among us.


THE MALLARANGENG BROTHERS

Claim to Fame: The Mallarangeng brothers’ political acumen and perseverance paid off this year. Andi, the eldest at 46, was appointed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as the sports and youth affairs minister, although some say this fell short of his expectations of becoming the first civilian home affairs ministers. Rizal, a year younger, secured a seat in the leadership of the Golkar Party under the chairmanship of businessman Aburizal Bakrie. Choel, the youngest at 43 and least known, successfully ran a Barack Obama-style campaign that helped deliver a landslide for Yudhoyono.

Vital Statistics: Andi’s telegenic face may have helped him stay out front in the political limelight, but of no less importance is his eloquence, first as a political analyst and later as spokesman for Yudhoyono. Rizal, for his part, is a political animal par excellence, one who can conveniently wade through the murky waters of Jakarta politics and work out alliances with the powers that be. Choel carries on the tradition of working behind the scenes for bigwigs and making them look good. He was first employed by Bakrie to work for his news portal, before setting up the Fox Indonesia political consultancy earlier this year.

2010 Prediction: With 2009’s turbulent political scene likely to be back to a state of normalcy next year, the Mallarangeng brothers will have ample time to gather their resources and plan strategy in getting a head start for 2014.


CYBER RESISTANCE

Claim to Fame: The cry was still that people weren’t going to take it anymore, but this time they turned to their computers and started blogging instead of hitting the streets.

Vital Statistics: Mother-of-two Prita Mulyasari became the unwitting David against the supposed Goliath of a major hospital when her cyber entry about its services kicked up a furor. A public outcry ensued when she was arrested, with Facebook groups springing up in her name and users of the social networking site declaring their support for her in their status updates and notes. It has become part of a groundswell of cyber resistance, with Indonesians willing to stand out from the crowd in their blog entries and social network participation. Facebookers joined forces for the Chandra-Bibit movement (see above) at the end of the year, in another show of solidarity against the (authoritarian) powers-that-be.

2010 Prediction: No stopping them now.


BLACKBERRY

Claim to Fame: The BlackBerry is where it’s at in Indonesia, and it has nothing to do with a frozen yoghurt topping.

Vital Statistics: In tech-savvy, trend-driven Indonesia, cell phones are now sooooo five seconds ago. The BlackBerry and the iPhone are the handy gadgets that trend-loving people want. The distinctive ping-ping of incoming messages and an eyes-downward-glance are an everyday sight, with the term “BB-ing” – e.g. “I was BB-ing with friends when …” – entering the lexicon. With lots of tempting offers available, the BlackBerry is, as they say, the real deal.

2010 Prediction: It’s here to stay – until the next must-have gadget sweeps through town.


BATIK

Claim to Fame: Once fuddy-duddy duds unveiled for a wedding or stuffy formal occasion, batik has become the beloved fabric of the nation.

Vital Statistics: Although many have tirelessly toiled in the fashion trenches for the love of the Javanese textile, it was designer Edward Hutabarat who raised his impassioned voice for the beauty of batik a couple of years ago. With his classy Part One collection, he reached out to the country’s socialites – once averse to wearing anything but the most chic foreign brand names – who lo and behold decided that batik was fit to be tried. And so they did, and the hoi-polloi of the rest of us followed en masse to show our national pride (especially with certain neighbors of ours trying to lift a motif or two and claim them as their own). Friday has become a showcase for batik in all its variety – let’s be big enough to admit that it’s not always pretty – although there is still the odd holdout against the “Javanization” of national dress.

2010 Prediction: With batik’s selection by UNESCO as a part of world cultural heritage, it’s going places even if, like everything, the home-front passion may wane a wee bit over time. Batik Friday today, tomorrow the world?


TRAFFIC

Claim to Fame: As in congestion. As in jams. As in sitting for hours in a standstill wondering if that’s really the light at the end of the tunnel, or if it’s just the reflection from the 1,000 vehicles stopped in front of you.

Vital Statistics: Jakarta’s traffic jams have long been the stuff of legend and perhaps a bit of hyperbole (and a convenient excuse for chronic lateness). But with more and more vehicles coming onto the roads, especially the phalanx of motorbikes, and the much-maligned Transjakarta busway, they have emerged as a real-life daily horror show for anyone making a journey of more than 1 kilometer. It seems that we, and also our city administrators, have become resigned to this headache that has now developed into a full-grown, head-splitting migraine.

2010 Prediction: From bad to worse to the unthinkable. Although TIME Asia quipped that Jakarta is the place to learn about patience from its jams, it’s really not a good enough reason to let the present stagnant situation drag on.


FROZEN YOGHURT

Claim to Fame: A cold, fast one – yoghurt, not beer – has become the fast-food trend of the year. Frozen yoghurt is found in abundance at malls great and small across the city.

Vital Statistics: There is no accounting for taste, or taste trends, and frozen yoghurt emerged as the most popular diversion for Jakarta’s well-heeled and sweet-toothed. It all started with Sour Sally, with its skinny and endearing brand icon promising a nonfat dessert (the Oreo and chocolate mochi toppings may not be the best bet for the waistline, but nobody’s telling). At one time, it was selling like hotcakes, or at least like Bread Talk in its heady early days. Sour Sally has proved the tip of the yoghurt iceberg and, in the time-honored tradition of imitation being the best form of flattery, many Sallies-come-lately have now joined the frozen yoghurt ranks.

2010 Prediction: More varieties will come on the market – we’re hedging a guess at 75 – before famously fickle Jakartans find their next food diversion. But with 12 million Jakartans to choose from, and that healthier-than-ice-cream message, it will still have a market, a la Bread Talk.

Back to The top page