Indonesian Too Open to Foreign Culture

Culture and art experts applauded Megawati Soekarnoputri and Prabowo Subianto on Sunday after the two pledged to tackle the foreign culture invasion, which they considered the main reason for Indonesians’ poor awareness of local culture and heritage.

“Our elites now are too ‘polite’ to foreigners; they are too welcome. Without realization, foreigners have slowly occupied Indonesians,” Prabowo of the Greater Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party said on a talk show “Cultures and Presidency” held at The Jakarta Playhouse (Gedung Kesenian Jakarta).

“This nation has been too naive, accepting every country and believing that they always have good intentions,” he added.

Four panelists, Thamrin Amal Tomagola, Budi Dharma, Radhar Panca Dahana, and Sapardi Djoko Damono, along with an audience of hundreds crowding the hall, applauded Prabowo who attended the show with his running mate, Megawati of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

During the one-hour show, Megawati and Prabowo repeatedly cited the negative effects of the foreign invasion when answering every question from the panelists.

“Your statements are substantially good, but still a bit too general,” Rhadar responded to Prabowo.

“I need concrete solutions from you, when facing the fact that the Western lifestyle has influenced our poor neighborhoods under bridges and slum areas along riverbanks. I noticed that a farmer in a remote area sold his farm because his child had been asking him to buy a Tamiya [a toy car made in Japan],” he added.

“I would say that this is because of our elites, whose lifestyles are too Western. They have idolized [Western culture],” Prabowo said.

Megawati added that mixing culture and tourism could be bad for Indonesian culture. “Selling culture for tourism may be good economically, but not for the culture itself,” she said.

“I have seen it in Bali, where Western culture has slowly influenced local traditions. Balinese artists have become inconsistent because of financial concerns,” she added.

“I see that many culture and art practitioners are reluctant to be inside the political ring. That is an obstacle too,” Megawati said, a statement followed by applause.

Budi Dharma acknowledged that the two had given hope for the future of Indonesia’s culture. “Good answers, still too general though. However, their concepts have given us a good insight,” he told reporters after the show.

“However, Megawati and Prabowo will definitely face a lot of challenges in applying what they have said if they are elected. Because, any president, whoever they are, will be greatly involved with political interests during their tenure,” Budi said. (The Jakarta Post)