Slamet: Caring for Karno a grave task

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Fri, 08/22/2008 10:20 AM | Lifestyle

Leaning on a long cupboard in the Blitar graveyard's administration office, Slamet jots down data of visitors to the grave of Indonesia's first president, Soekarno.

"I've been a caretaker for the grave of Bung Karno (brother Soekarno) for the past 29 years," he told The Jakarta Post.

Slamet became the official caretaker of Soekarno's grave on July 18, 1979 -- nine years after Bung Karno was buried in Blitar.

"At the time I had only finished elementary school and I needed a job. All the people working here turned down this opportunity. Instead, I accepted it," Slamet recalled.

The grave of Bung Karno, as he was -- and still is -- affectionately known, is located in the Bendongerit sub-district of Sananwetan Regency, in Blitar City, East Java.

Blitar, which is located 170 kilometers south of Surabaya, is the final resting place of Bung Karno, who was buried there on June 21, 1970.

Blitar is known as "Soekarno City" because it is the location of the Palace Gate, the place where Soekarno's father, mother and sister lived.

Every June, Blitar honors Bung Karno and celebrates the birthday of Pancasila (the five basic principles of the Republic).

Yet not every resident in Blitar cares for the late president, especially since his political career was colored with unexplained events surrounding the alleged 1965 attempted coup by the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

Slamet, himself a Blitar-born resident, initially didn't care that Bung Karno was head of the state.

"At that time I only knew Soekarno as the proklamator of the Republic," he said.

At the beginning, working as a caretaker wasn't something to be proud of, he added. The job only entailed cleaning the late president's grave and maintaining some of the monuments and buildings at the graveyard.

For his efforts, Slamet received a starting salary of Rp 12,000 per month (US$1.20 today, although about US$6 back then).

"I could only be patient and accept the wages by understanding that this was the situation for someone who had only finished elementary school."

His patience was rewarded. Six years and seven months later, on March 31, 1986, Slamet's fate improved when he was appointed a member of the government staff under the Tourist Department of Blitar City.

"Since then, my fate has gradually changed; my wages have risen to Rp 1.8 million per month (US$200)," the father of three said.

Yet, after 29 years of taking care of Soekarno's grave, Slamet confessed he did not know much about Soekarno's philosophy nor his political stance.

"I only know that Soekarno was the first president of liberated Indonesia."

"I do remember Bung Karno's statement: 'I entrust this nation to you'," said Slamet, referring to Soekarno's speech to the new nation's youth.

Slamet said many people still visit Bung Karno's grave. On an average day, the number of visitors is between 700 and 1,000. During the holiday season, the number increases to up to 6,000 a day.

And the visitors aren't just Indonesians, Slamet said. They also come from abroad.

"Most foreign visitors are from Holland and France."

He said some people came to visit the grave for research, while others came to pray.

"Many visitors come and want to stay for a long time. But according to a government decree, this is not allowed. If a visitor comes at night, they are only allowed to pray for 15 minutes."

As a grave caretaker, Slamet often sleeps near Bung Karno's grave, which he believes is surrounded by strong, mystical elements. One example, said Slamet, was a dream he had after sleeping at the sight for seven consecutive Friday nights.

"When I slept I dreamt I heard a person's voice who gave me a white kerosene lamp, and within ten days I was appointed as a government employee, praise God."

According to Slamet the mystical elements and Bung Karno's charisma have encouraged many important people to visit his grave. They include President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, former president Abdurahman Wahid, former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, Agum Gumelar, Wiranto and Sutrisno Bachir.

Other visitors have been candidates seeking election seats as regional heads.

"The late President Soeharto visited the grave only once when it was built in 1979.

"My children are proud because I was the person this grave was entrusted to. But not one of my children wishes to follow in my footsteps," Slamet said with a chuckle.

Expensive fuel, high tides batter Banyuwangi fishermen

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Banyuwangi | Wed, 08/13/2008 11:05 AM | The Archipelago

High fuel prices and high tides have fishermen in Muncar in Banyuwangi, East Java, reluctant to set out to sea, leading to a shortage of fish in the market and higher prices.

The market has had a shortage of fresh fish for the past two weeks. The availability of several local fish varieties, such as lemuru, tongkol and layang, the main stocks of fishermen in Muncar, has gradually depleted in local markets, with prices skyrocketing where the fish are available.

"Fish stocks have been diminishing over the past two weeks. Many fishermen prefer not to sail out to sea," a fish trader in Muncar, Syaiful Johan, told The Jakarta Post recently.

A lack of fish is fishmongers' greatest nightmare. One fish seller at the Muncar fish market, Jumaiyah, said business was slow because of the high fish prices.

"Tongkol usually sells for Rp 6,000 (65 US cents) per kilogram but currently costs Rp 9,000 per kg. Not many people will buy fish at a price like that," she said.

Banyuwangi is 239 kilometers east of the provincial capital Surabaya. It is home to the Ketapang port, where the ferry crosses to Bali.

Fishing is a major source of income for many of those living along the coast. The Muncar fish landing facility, in Muncar district, is one of the biggest fishing harbors in East Java.

Muncar is also home to dozens of fish-processing businesses. Fish stocks are canned or processed into burgers or nuggets.

Most of the products are exported to Hong Kong and Singapore and even as far as the Netherlands. Other by-products include fish oil, which residents sell or further process.

The government's decision to increase fuel prices earlier this year has adversely impacted fishermen in Muncar. Most of the time, their catch does not cover the cost of their diesel fuel.

"Usually, proceeds from the catch are just enough to cover the cost of fuel," said fisherman Subairi, saying the high fuel price was one of the reasons fishermen were not fishing. Some are even selling their boats and moving to other activities.

"I've sold my fishing boat and now I've set up a small grocery stall," Subairi said.

Residents in Muncar who continue to earn a living by fishing are selective about when they fish. If they think the waves will be too strong, they choose to stay on land.

The Surabaya weather station of the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) warned of huge waves in the Indian Ocean last week. According to the BMG, the waves in waters off West Nusa Tenggara reached 2 to 5 meters with wind velocities of up to 60 km per hour, dangerous conditions for fishermen. The BMG advised fishermen not to go to work.

Muncar fishermen apparently do not heed the BMG's advice, having their own set of guidelines.

"Usually, many fishermen refrain from fishing in the middle of the month, from the 12th to the 17th, when waves are high," said Subairi.

They prefer to use that time to repair their boats and inspect their nets on land.

"Muncar fishermen are not afraid of the high tides. ... We simply drive through them. But lately, following the increase in fuel prices, we tend to think twice because we won't profit much but still put our lives at risk," said Subairi, adding they used to venture into the waters off West Nusa Tenggara, and even as far as the Indian Ocean, bordering Australia.

Another strategy to offset the fuel price rise is selecting only fish varieties with a high market value, such as shark, which has a relatively stable price.

Fish trader Syaiful said the price of a shark with its fins intact was around Rp 20,000 per kilogram, if it was around 1.5 meters long, with 30 to 40 centimeters of fins and a weight of around 100 kg.

"Fishermen usually sell their shark catch even though there's not much of it," Syaiful said.

Shark fins can fetch a high price on the market. Fins from a black or white shark, for instance, can fetch Rp 1.2 million per kg.

"However, there are not many of them because fishermen seldom set out to sea nowadays," said Syaiful.

Turning plastic trash into valuable products

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Tue, 08/05/2008 10:26 AM | Lifestyle

Instant noodle wrappers usually end up as landfill, but in the hands of a group of housewives in Wonokromo, Surabaya, they can be transformed into valuable products.

The products generate cash and also help clean up the neighborhood and reduce the risk of flooding during the rainy season.

The group's recycling project was initiated by Liestin "Lies" Irsan, whose village was one of the dirtiest areas in Wonokromo.

During a recent visit to her home, Lies' living room was covered in trash, mainly plastic waste.

"The trash is brought to my house by housewives who are members of the neighborhood environment cadre," she told The Jakarta Post.

"It is then sorted and grouped."

The plastic waste, ranging from instant noodle wrappers, to plastic fabric softener containers and straws, is transformed into valuable products including handbags, table cloths and photo frames.

"Many things here, including the sheet on which we're sitting, are made from instant noodle wrappers," Lies said.

The recycling program began in 2005 after 42 Wonokromo residents took part in a workshop organized by the Surabaya administration and ESP-USAID. At the time, the residents were appointed as environment cadres.

"The cadres' main task is to raise awareness about reducing the amount of neighborhood trash," Lies said.

With the village located near Surabaya River, Wonokromo residents were previously blamed for dumping their trash, and other domestic waste, into the river. This gave added impetus to the green program's importance in protecting the area's environment as well as preventing floods and the spread of waterborne diseases.

In practice, each environment cadre is responsible for managing trash from 10 families. Dried trash can be recycled while wet, and toxic waste is taken to a landfill site.

Instant noodle wrappings, straws and used plastic wrappings from fabric softener are the most sought-after items, with the remaining plastic waste sold to garbage collectors.

"The wrappings and others are then washed, dried and recycled," Lies said.

The recycling process is not easy. An instant noodle wrapping is cut into two and then folded to hide its brand. The last step is to shave and turn it into a plaited sheet.

"Each wrapping can be turned into a two-centimeter-wide sheet," she said.

The sheets are then joined together to form one long plastic mat. The sheet is then cut up to make patterns for handbags and table cloths.

A one-meter by 20-centimeter table cloth takes 2,000 noodle wrappers and two months to make. A handbag requires between 1,200 and 1,500 wrappers.

"The most difficult process is to make the sheet from instant noodle. It has to be done carefully or it will fall apart during the making process," Lies said.

The easiest items to work with are the fabric softener containers, because they come in a bigger size and are more easily formed into wide sheets.

Drinking straws undergo much simpler process. They are cut into small pieces and threaded together. A small handbag requires at least 1,000 straws.

Through their work, the housewives have inspired many people, and draw representatives from cities as far away as Banda Aceh and Jakarta to visit Wonokromo to learn the craft.

A handbag made out of used instant noodle wrapping retails for about Rp 60,000.

Despite the relatively high price, the group sometimes fails to meet demand because of a shortage of raw materials.

"Before, it was easy to get the trash. But now it's harder because other residents have started to do the same," Lies said.

In addition to bringing in extra income, the activity has helped free the neighborhood from garbage, foul smells and floods.

"Previously, whenever it rained, our homes would be flooded instantly. But, not anymore," Lies said.

She added apart from handling trash, Wonokromo environment cadres had built a "garbage house" -- a place to gather dry trash before turning it into valuable products.

The 15-square-meter shack was built by residents with the money they saved from selling unused dry trash to garbage collectors.

"The garbage house is now standing, but since we do not have sufficient savings, it still has no roof," Lies said.