Museum Asmat, Melihat Kebudayaan Suku Asmat Tanpa Pergi ke Papua

Untuk mengunjungi Suku Asmat di Papua sana, tentunya tidak gampang buat sebagian besar dari kita. Selain biaya yang dikeluarkan besar, waktu tempuh nya juga bisa lebih dari Seminggu untuk betul-betul bisa menikmati dan menghayati Budaya Asmat. Bagaimana pemecahannya ? gampang..tinggal kunjungi saja Museum Asmat Taman Mini Indonesia Indah.

Berada di atas lahan Taman Bunga Keong Emas dengan luas bangunan 6.500 m², museum ini dapat dicapai melalui dua pintu masuk: berjalan kaki melalui Taman Bunga Keong Emas atau melewati jembatan Taman Aquarium Air Tawar.Gedung museum mencontoh model rumah kariwari, yakni rumah pemujaan suku Tobati-Enggros, penduduk asli di tepi Danau Sentani, Papua, namun dikembangkan menjadi bangunan berarsitektur modern.

Gedung terdiri atas tiga bangunan utama dan dua bangunan penghubung yang masing-masing berbentuk segi delapan, diberi kesan rumah panggung. Atap berbentuk kerucut tiga setinggi 25 meter berbahan GRC dan pada permukaannya diberi kesan daun rumbia. Di berbagai bagian bangunan diberi ragam hias dengan warna khas Asmat, yakni merah, putih, dan hitam.

Ketiga bangunan utama digunakan untuk ruang pameran tetap koleksi museum, sedangkan dua bangunan penghubung sebagian dimanfaatkan untuk ruang pameran tetap dan sebagian lagi untuk ruang administrasi, serta ruang pimpinan museum.

Tema pameran bangunan pertama berupa Manusia dan Lingkungannya, memamerkan bermacam pakaian adat dan perhiasan, diorama mata pencaharian hidup (menokok sagu), perahu arwah kendaraan roh nenek moyang (wuramon), patung nenek moyang (mbis pole), dan berbagai hiasan perlambang yang menceritakan gejala kehidupan.

Pameran pada bangunan kedua bertema Manusia dan Kebudayaannya, memamerkan peralatan untuk membuat sagu, peralatan berburu, senjata, benda budaya dan upacara, perkusi (tifa), alat musik tiup dari bambu (fu), dan kapak batu (si).

Tema pameran pada bangunan ketiga adalah Manusia dan Hasil Kreatifitasnya, memamerkan seni kontemporer yang merupakan hasil pengembangan pola-pola rancangan seni tradisional. Benda-benda yang dipamerkan berupa hasil seni modern orang Asmat yang mengacu pada permintaan pasar tetapi masih berpijak pada pola rancangan tradisional.

Koleksinya antara lain :

Kalung merupakan salah satu perhiasan yang dipakai oleh laki2 dan peremuan Suku Asmat. Bahan terbuat dari kayu yang dipipih, diukir dengan lambang-lambang kepahlawanan, lambang nenek moyang dan lambang kekuatan. Untuk memperindah kalung tersebut dilengkapi dengan aksesoris dari bulu burung Kasuari dan buah manik-manik yang berwarna hitam.

Mbis adalah patung yang didirikan untk menghormati arwah dan memperingati jasa orang yang telah mati agar mendapat berkah dan keselamatan. Patung ini dibuat dari pohon bakau berakar pipih yang diukir indah, didirikan sehingga bagian akar menjadi puncaknya. Upacara pemasangan Mbis merupakan upacara penting yang diikuti oleh seluruh penduduk.

Ukiran motif tombak dibuat dari kayu besi atau kulit pohon sagu dan ujungnya yang tajam (mata tombak) diukir motif paruh burung enggang atau hiasan berbentuk kait. Tombak ini tidak dihiasi dengan bulu burung.

Yosim adalah jenis tari-tarian Asmat yang menggambarkan rasa kegotongroyongan antar keluarga. Biasanya dilakukan oleh para remaja dengan posisi melingkar dan bergandengan tangan. Ukiran melingkar dalam bentuk figur manusia ini, dibuat dari bahan kayu besi dan berfungsi sebagai benda hiasan.

Buaya bagi orang Asmat dianggap sebagai binatang keramat. Mereka percaya bahwa buaya-buaya yang hidup disungai mampu berhubungan baik sebagaimana halnya manusia, meskipun sering juga mengganggu keselamatan mereka. Buaya dalam dunia perlambangan dijadikan sebagai simbol kekuatan.

Piring Sagu (Jipai) dipakai sebagai bahan gerabah karena tidak terdapat tanah liat. Sehingga orang Asmat menggunakan bahan dari kayu sebagai wadah makan. Bentuknya pipih lonjong diberi pahatan nenek moyang, dimaksudkna agar arwah nenek moyang melindungi makanan yang ada di dalamnya dari arwah jahat. Bagian punggung diukir dengan indah agar dapat dinikmati keindahannya.

Sebelum mengenal logam orang Asmat menebang pohon dengan menggunakan kapak batu.Karena kondisi tanah tidak mengandung batu, benda ini diperoleh dari pegunungan atau barter dengan daerah lain. langkanya batu, menempatkan batu menjadi barang mewah dan sebagai simbol kekayaa, benda keramat, dan bahkan dijadikan mas kawin.

Terompet dibuat dari sepotong bambu, diambil dari satu bagian ruas yang diberi lubang kecil untuk tempat meniup.Ditiup sebagai tanda peringatan bahaya, dan juga sebagai tanda kemenangan berperang. Motif ukiran biasanya ekor kus-kus yang merupakan lambang pengayauan.

Tas dibuat dari anyaman sagu muda atau sejenis daun pandan. Untuk wanita biasanya ukuran polosannya lebih besar dari laki-laki. Dpergunakan untuk membawa hasil tangkapan ika, umbi-umbian dan sagu mentah. Dipakai dengan cara melilitkan talinya dikening dan bagian bebannya diletakkan di punggung.

Cara lain untuk memperingati arwah keluarga dilakukan dengan cara menyimpan tengkorak orang yang telah meninggal. Tengkorak ini disimpan di rumah digunakan "bantal waktu tidur". Penyimpanan tengkorak ini dimaksudkan sebagai ungkapan rasa cinta kasih yang amat dala, dan pada waktu dibutuhkan arwah dari tengkorak dapat hadir memberikan bantuan.

By : AMGD

Sumber: http://www.mlancong.com

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Oscar Lawalata: Exploring Indonesia`s rich textile heritage

Jakarta - Dressed in simple black pants and a white T-shirt with a length of textile draped around his neck and shoulders for a splash of color, Oscar Lawalata sits on a large soft-white leather ottoman in front of a huge raw timber-framed mirror in his Blok S, South Jakarta, boutique.

The 30-year-old fashion designer speaks English gracefully, delicately choosing his words and constructing sentences so lovely they flow like silk. The flawless skin of his attractive face is bordered by the long, perfectly straight black hair that falls halfway down his back.

He begins by saying that he has been drawn to the arts for as long as he can remember, in particular, fashion and textiles.

"I appreciate textiles ... it‘s something you can feel on your body, it‘s art but different to other art, like architecture, as it moves with you," he tells The Jakarta Post.

After graduating from Don Bosco Catholic high school in Jakarta, Oscar applied to study fine art at the Bandung Institute of Technology, but he was not accepted. He then enrolled at Esmod, an international fashion school based in France with branches in 14 countries, including Jakarta.

At Esmod, he planned to complete a three-year program to obtain an international diploma in fashion design. However, he had to leave halfway through his studies in 1998 due to the Asian monetary crisis.

"The tuition fees were in U.S. dollars. We were an ordinary family and my mother was a single mum ... we just couldn‘t afford it," he says. "But I really enjoyed my time studying at Esmod, it offered a different method of teaching ... it opened my mind."

He decided to use what would have been his tuition money for the remainder of his studies to start up a small business. In 1999, he opened his Blok S boutique -- from where he still runs his business -- and focused on "learning by doing".

He says a limited number of brands and lack of fashion choices at the time, coupled with the fact he couldn‘t find clothing for himself that he actually liked, led him to create a small collection of ready-to-wear garments at his boutique. His initial customers included friends and people from the fashion community in Jakarta.

After the economic crisis, he says, the "lifestyle" in Jakarta experienced a boom -- with shopping malls popping up all over the city, as well as more clubs, cafes and other lifestyle and entertainment venues. He began to receive more orders as local products became more affordable.

Not long after he opened his boutique, the Indonesian Fashion Designers Council invited him to participate in the 1999 ASEAN Young Designers Competition in Singapore. Although he says it was hard to "sell" the idea of traditional-style garments and textiles, he came second in the competition after showcasing his own version of a "baju bodo", a traditional piece of clothing from South Sulawesi.

After this event, Oscar became better known among celebrity circles and orders from artists such as Titi DJ and Krisdayanti started coming in for his gowns and couture items.

Shortly afterward, the Matahari department store chain commissioned him to design new uniforms for its staff. And that is how his uniform division started; he has since designed uniforms for companies such as Telkomsel and for several hotel chains and airlines.

Aside from his uniform division, Oscar‘s business also covers three other divisions, including a ready-to-wear (off the rack) label, an exclusive boutique, where he explores and incorporates Indonesian culture and textiles into his pieces, and a party wear division which produces gowns and couture items.

Oscar‘s designs have featured in many local and international fashion shows and he has regularly participated in fashion weeks both nationally and in the region, including the fashion weeks in Jakarta, Bali, Malaysia and Singapore. He took his designs to Taiwan in 2002 as part of an Indonesian government program to promote Jakarta.

He rates a trip to Japan in 2006 as one of the highlights of his career so far; he was invited by the Japan Foundation to join the "Asia-5", a program that gives promising young Asian designers the opportunity to broaden their knowledge of textiles and fashion design on an international level.

Oscar was born on Sept. 1, 1977, in Pekanbaru, Riau province. His mother, Reggy Lawalata, a well-known sinetron (TV soap) and film actress from the 1980s and 90s, is of Javanese-Ambonese descent.

His father, who left the family when Oscar was four, is from Minado and has Dutch and Chinese ancestry. Oscar has a younger brother, Mario Lawalata, 28, who followed in the footsteps of their mother to become a sinetron and film actor.

Oscar says his mother, who helps manage his team and the four divisions of his business, is a very positive influence on him.

"We have good communication ... she was always strict, but open-minded, fair and supportive. She was a single mother ... it made me tougher not having a father. I learned a lot about life early on and grew up faster than other people my age."

Oscar says he has long been interested in exploring ikat (traditional weavings) and other Indonesian textiles, but added he has found it hard to find information on them.

"I don‘t know why, but it‘s difficult to find books and information on Indonesian textiles, like batik, even in national libraries. The ikat and batik-making processes are very involved, and we need to learn more about them.

"Our textiles have important stories; they are a heritage treasure for me. Behind the textile there is an idea -- of course, there is the history in that they were perhaps once used, or are still used, for cultural reasons, like for ceremonies et cetera. But I believe the ideas and techniques are also very important."

Oscar says he is particularly interested in exploring the textiles of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and last year was invited by the wife of the Alor regent to visit the region.

"It was sad to see the situation there (in NTT) ... they are really creative but they don‘t have the means or the channels to promote their textiles. It is different to the textile industries in Java, Bali and Sumatra, which have already been built up ... but not there, it‘s quite sad."

During his trip to Alor, Oscar spoke with local government officials and urged them to open a library on textiles and to work on marketing strategies to promote their textiles so the "creativity would not die". He then traveled on to Flores and Kupang to meet other traditional textile producers and establish networks.

While in NTT, he says he discovered that producers in the region are facing difficulties in finding cotton, as supplies are slowly dwindling. He plans to hold an exhibition and show in Jakarta this June, which will feature garments made from NTT cotton and highlight the cotton-supply dilemma threatening the region.

Through his work he hopes to inspire fellow Indonesians to love and appreciate their country‘s cultural heritage and open their minds to their own unique cultures and the beauty of their textiles.

For the past two years he has stayed out of the celebrity spotlight; declining interviews and appearances on TV shows and opting to focus on his work.

"I want people to know me for my profession," he says, adding that many current TV gossip shows embellished the facts and used celebrities for their selling power.

"They often don‘t know what they are talking about ... it‘s just advertising to them, it‘s not at all educational. So, I didn‘t want to waste my energy that way. I wanted to refresh my vision, focus my creativity and network with those who share the same vision. To me, that has been much more worthwhile."

Oscar is now preparing pieces for the opening of his new boutique, which will feature garments that he says "explore Indonesian textiles".

He acknowledges it is not easy to change tradition, but says people need to be open to some form of change to prevent cultural art from vanishing forever. For example, he says, ikat and batik designs and colors can change to suit the style of the times, but the art itself should not be neglected and lost.

While he doesn‘t want to tell people what to wear, he is concerned that Indonesians are becoming too "Western minded" and are forgetting their own culture by opting for mass-produced international brands and labels over locally made fashion items.

"I don‘t want Indonesian people to look at our textiles as mere heritage items or fabrics to be used for interior design. For me, yes it‘s a costume, but it is also fashion.

"We are fortunate to have a textile-rich culture and we should take the time to explore this, learn more about it and carry this heritage into the future ... not leave it in the past."

Source: old.thejakartapost.com (15 April 2008)

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Ancient artifacts found in cave

Maitum, Sarangani, Philippine - Ancient secondary burial jars where found in a mountainside cavity that was accidentally uncovered by quarry workers on April 5. The cave lies on the same mountain in Barangay Pinol here.

An operator of a bulldozer accidentally tumbled upon what possibly could be a repository of ancient skeletal remains that may date back to pre-historic times.

Earthen jars and broken bones were recovered from the site, located in the village of Pinol, some 17 kilometers away from the Maitum town hall.

Sarangani is approximately 1,200 kilometers south of Manila.

Maitum Mayor Elsie Perrett immediately ordered the site sealed off to prevent looting and contamination of the area.

She also requested experts from the National Museum to inspect the site and conduct a study of the historical significance of the find.

The quarry site is half a kilometer away from Ayob Cave. The archaeological find at Ayob Cave consisted of anthropomorphic burial jars that date back nearly 2000 years ago. The anthropomorphic potteries of human figures depicting various facial expressions are associated to the Metal Age in the Philippines.

When Lingling Jabel, owner of the two-hectare land including the quarry site, came to know of the cave, he immediately entered the cave and found potsherds similar to those found in Ayob Cave.

Jabel, 36, immediately linked the new find to the ancient burial jars excavated in 1991 near his farm in this coastal village.

Jabel was one of those who helped the National Museum team of Dr. Eusebio Dizon in the excavation of Ayob Cave.

Dizon, Curator 1 of the Archaeology Division and Head of the Underwater Archaeology Section of the National Museum, has described Ayob Cave as "the most significant cave in Mindanao" and its finds as "unparalleled in Southeast Asia."

Jabel, knowing that these newly found jars are of much value, immediately informed Barangay Captain Lamia Mala, who informed the mayor right away.

"I feel happy that we‘ve found more valuable artifacts that would help us understand more our history as a people not only in the Philippines but probably in the whole Southeast Asia," Perrett said.

The mayor has ordered Mala to secure the cave and have the opening sealed while waiting for the arrival of a team from the National Museum.

The cave opening is about 7 feet high from ground level, with opening of more or less 2 1/2 feet.

From the cave opening, the main chamber is some 25 to 30 feet wide, with a pocket of about 15 feet towards the west, another pocket northwest, and a deeper pocket on the east.

The cave has an approximate height of 7 feet with unstable ceiling and this is more apparent on the entrance. There was no presence of stalactite or stalagmite. The cave material is loose limestone, with a pool of water on the eastern side.

There are signs that the cave is disturbed. Outside the cave on its right side is a rice field.

"Most probably there is a connection to Pinol (Ayob) Cave. The best that you could do is to take pictures, inventory the jars found inside the cave, secure the place and wait for our visit," said Professor Rey Santiago in a text message.

Santiago was the partner of Dr. Dizon in the excavation of Ayob Cave.

Ayob Cave‘s "Maitum Jars," as they are referred to now, bore radiocarbon dates of "1930 plus or minus 50 BP (calibrated date of 5 BC to AD 225) and 1830 plus or minus 60 BP (calibrated date of AD 70 to 370)."

They are unique in that "they are like portraits of distinct individuals, of specific dead persons whose remains they guard," Dizon and Santiago said in their book, "Faces from Maitum."

In another text message, Santiago said: "Keep the site secured from looters and treasure hunters. Don‘t let people enter the cave and destroy or even move or pick any materials from surface or below. You can only photograph the present condition of the site for documentation. We need to preserve the site."

Sarangani Governor Miguel Rene Dominguez said he is excited about the new find.

"I have given orders to secure the area. We do not want to have a repeat of Pinol cave where vandals and looters desecrated the area," Dominguez said in an interview.

This time, he added, the local government will make sure the new find will be preserved and protected.

"These finds, if proven to be pre-historic, will be our legacy to the Filipino people," he added.

In 1991, similar artifacts were found less than a kilometer away from where bulldozer operator Eriberto Ayson accidentally scraped a portion of a quarry hill less than a kilometer from the highway.

Looting, however, left the Pinol cave in utter disarray and neglect.

But experts from the National Museum were able to recover substantial number of ancient items, some of them still intact. These are now deposited in the museum.

Jabel, who owns the land adjacent to the hill, was able to recover a jar with a shape of a human head. The head was, however, already broken and its bottom already missing.

Also found were broken sections of what appeared to be a human skeleton. A large broken clay jar was also shown to reporters Wednesday morning. A bowl with intricate design at its base was likewise among those recovered from the site.

Mayor Perrett said all artifacts found in the site should be declared national treasures and told residents in the area that these would be subjected to carbon dating to establish their age.

Source: www.sunstar.com (15 April 2008)

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Promoting Islamic Poetry Among Youths

Bandar Seri Begawan - In an effort to encourage youths` interests in Islamic poetry, the Mosques Affairs Department held an Islamic Poetry Recital at the Sultan Sharif Ali mosque in Sengkurong yesterday.

The poetry recital was held in conjunction with the Maulidur Rasul celebration, where the guest of honour was Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Jawatan Luar Perkerma Raja Dato Seri Utama Dr Ustaz Hj Awang Mohd Zain Hj Serudin.

Apart from to enliven the Maulidur Rasul celebrations, the event was also to strengthen ties among youths through religious activities.

"The recital event is hoped to open a path for students into having a deeper understanding of poetry, its not just reading or writing about it," said Abd Rahim Hj Durahman, an officer from Department of Mosque Affairs.

The eight male participants from mosques in the district had undergone training two weeks prior the event. "There have been talks of including females into the event, but when that happens, it would be exclusively a female event," said Abd Rahim.

During the event, participants recited several poems by local writers, among which was by Haron Hj Hamzah titled: Mencari Damai Di-Hati which all could be found in a book with a title Puisi Hidayat.

Yesterday`s event was the second to be organised by the department. Similar event will be held on April 18 at the Mohammad Jamalludin Mosque in Belait.

Source: www.brudirect.com (15 April 2008)

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5 major int`l donors pledge support for Mindanao peace, development

Manila - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), European Commission, Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), Japan government and Philippines Country Director of World Bank and PDF Co-Chair, have pledged their continued support to peace and development initiatives in Mindanao.

The USAID will support the government`s peace and development agenda by improving education in poorest affected areas in Mindanao; the European Commission committed to support health sector; AuSAID will work with parties in building the foundation for peace in Mindanao while Japan government will invest capital and technical assistance with the on-going review of the l996 Peace Agreement.

During the recently concluded 2008 Philippines Development Forum, Bert Hofman Philippines Country Director of World Bank and PDF Co-Chair said that donors agreed to work through a unified strategy and mechanism for conflict-affected areas so that assistance will be used effectively during and after the peace process.

Other matters agreed upon during the forum include addressing and pursuing the negotiated peace settlement between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front; improving harmonization of Official Development Assistance and alleviating poverty in the poorest regions as priority agenda for Mindanao.

Source: www.pia.gov.ph (15 April 2008)

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Tengku Faris: Don`t question Malay rights

Kuala Lumpur - The special rights and privileges of Malays should not be questioned but the community should make every effort to improve and stay united, the Tengku Mahkota of Kelantan said.

Tengku Mohammad Faris Petra Sultan Ismail Petra reiterated that nobody should challenge Malay rights and privileges, adding that these developments were becoming apparent following the recent general elections.

“The Malay Rulers will act as a source of unity and loyalty among all the people as stated in the Constitution and Rukunegara.

“As such, the people should be united and no one should question the special rights and privileges of the Malays because it is quid pro quo in return for providing citizenships to 2.7 million people of other races who joined the Malay Federation.

“It is not appropriate for the other races to demand equal rights and privileges after they had already acquired their citizenships,” he said in his opening address at a Malay unity gathering held in conjunction with the Maulidur Rasul celebration at the Putra World Trade Centre yesterday.

The theme of the event, organised by a group of Malay NGOs named Barisan Bertindak Perpaduan Melayu (BBPM), was “Malay Unity is the Core of National Unity.”

The NGOs included the National Writers Alliance (Gapena), Federation of Peninsula Malay Students, Pekida and the Malaysian Islamic Consumers Association.

Tengku Mohammad Faris, however, reminded them that while they pursued stronger Malay unity, they should not ignore the rights of other races, such as freedom to practise their religions.

Source: thestar.com.my (15 April 2008)

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“Greening Campaign” To Mark Health Day

Bandar Seri Begawan - Over 300 trees were planted at Berakas Recreational Forest Reserve yesterday to mark the World Health Day 2008 celebration.

The World Health Day is a campaign that aims at reducing the impacts of climate change to health with a clean and pollution-free environment.

Present as the guest of honour at yesterday`s event was Minister of Health Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman, who launched the event by planting a tree.

The objective of the "greening campaign" was to create awareness of the effects of climate change on health.

Acting Director of Scientific Services and coordinator of the event Dayang Cheong Poh Yee said yesterday, "The campaign is just one of the opportunities to share information through teamwork, in order to enhance commitment and cooperation towards improving the changes in climate."

One of the ways to minimise the effects of climate change on health, she added, is to have a green, clean and pollution-free environment.

Meanwhile, apart from invited guests and senior government officials, the campaign was also joined by 40 students from the Sixth Form Centre Berakas, and 10 students from International School Brunei.

The campaign was supported by the Ministry of Health, the Forestry Department, the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources, and the Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation, under the Ministry of Development.

Source: www.brudirect.com (15 April 2008)

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First Indonesian festival in South Australia

Brisbane - Indonesian Ambassador to Australia and Vanuatu TM Hamzah Thayeb on Sunday dedicated the first Indonesian festival in Adelaide aimed at introducing this world`s largest archipelagic country to urban people in South Australia.

Held in the 14.5-hectare Rymil Park, the ambassador dedicated he event at about 11:00 local time attended by some local officials, spokesman for the Indonesian embassy in Canberra, Basriana Basrul, said.

The visitors visited at least 12 food courts offering Sumatra, Bali, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi and Java foods, in addition to an exhibition of artifacts and handicraft articles such batik, songket cloth and paintings, he said.

The Indonesian festival is expected to prompt an interest of more Australians in knowing more about the arts, music, history and food of Indonesia, he said.

With the development of public knowledge in South Australia, their understanding of Indonesia will certainly contribute to the revival of the Australian youngsters` spirit and interest in Indonesian language and culture, he said.

Source: www.antara.co.id (14 April 2008)

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Climate change-related diseases kill 150,000 yearly in Indonesia

Jakarta - Indonesian Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said Sunday climate change-related diseases kill about 150,000 people annually in the country, calling on the people to help reduce the impact of climate change.

“We are reminding people of the need for them to heed their environment and help reduce the impact of climate change on health," the minister was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying, while addressing a function held to observe the World Health Day here on Sunday.

According a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), climate change was estimated to have killed 150,000 people a year since the 1970s.

Siti said that climate change has caused increase in the vectors` population of a number of diseases, including malaria, chikungunya and dengue fever.

She called on the people to help safeguard the environment and reduce the impact of climate change on health by preserving water resources, clearing mosquito nest and increasing their nutritional intake.

Source: news.xinhuanet.com (14 April 2008)

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Al-Azhar University opens branch campus in Malaysia

Negeri Sembilan- The opening of Al-Azhar University`s branch campus here would attract thousands of Muslim students from Southeast Asia and enhance Malaysia`s image to the world, said a representative of the university from Egypt, Dr Umar Abdullah Kamil.

The establishment of the branch campus outside the Middle East also marked the changing of the Al-Azhar mindset in its history of over 1,000 years since the beginning of its foundation during the reign of the Fatimiyyah dynasty, he said.

"Just like in Cairo, the branch campus will have a mosque and students` organisation. We have worked hard to make this come true and Alhamdulillah (God willing), we will succeed,” he told reporters after the ground-breaking ceremony for the branch campus at the Yayasan Sofa Negeri Sembilan Complex, near Kampung Bukit Sembilan, today.

He said the Al-Azhar university council planned to establish a smaller branch campus in Thailand in the future.

He is confident that due to Malaysia`s image and the Islamic development in this country, students from Indonesia, Thailand and India will prefer to futher their studies at Al-Azhar`s Rembau branch.

Rembau Al-Azhar, established in 975, currently has about 28,000 students, with about 7,000 of them coming from this region.

Asked why the university council chose Malaysia, Umar said: “You have a large Muslim population and the Malays are known among Arabs as having strong faith in the religion and follow the Sunnah Al Jamaah.” He hopes the branch campus will be a step for Al-Azhar to broaden its influence in the western world.

Meanwhile, Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said discussions between Al-Azhar, Yayasan Sofa and the Malaysian government were ongoing, including on the costs involved, and the size of the campus and student intake.

Negeri Sembilan Fatwa Council member Sheikh Muhammad Fuad Kamaludin said the branch campus would initially offer Syariah and Usuluddin degree courses.

Syariah court judge Mohd Shukor Sabudin said its establishment would be a most significant moment for Muslims in this region.

"We hope it will not only become the nerve centre for Islamic studies and intellectual discourses, but also a reference centre for Muslims with problems or questions relating to Islamic teachings and Islamic law.”

Source: www.nst.com.my (14 April 2008)

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President asks South Sulawesi governor to reduce poverty rate

Makassar - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has asked South Sulawesi`s newly-installed governor, Syahrul Yasin Limpo, to reduce the province`s poverty and unemployment rates in stages starting in 2008, the governor said.

"This was president`s message to me when I met him in Jakarta on Thursday (April 10) to report my installation as governor and Agus Arifin Nu`mang as vice governor," Syahrul said, adding that the installation was conducted by Home Minister Mardiyanto on Tuesday (April 8).

Syahrul made the remarks during his visit in Gowa district, South Sulawesi.

The number of poor people in South Sulawesi stood at 594,938 families and that of unemployed at 235,684 out of a population of about 7.4 million.

Source: www.antara.co.id (14 April 2008)

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Singapore Continues to Inculcate Racial Harmony

Singapore - Singapore continues to inculcate racial harmony by improving interracial relations, including between the other races and the minority Malays.

Today, 24 non-Malay students were adopted by 10 Malay Muslim foster families in a homestay programme organised by the Harmony Centre of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) and Language Centre of the Education Ministry in Bishan.

"The programme is aimed at enlightening the participants on the life and culture of the Malay families," said Education Ministry`s Senior Parliamentary Secretary Masagos Zulkifli when launching the programme at the An-Nahdhah Mosque here today.

He hoped the participants would interact and forge new friendship with their foster families in an effort to enhance their understanding of Muslims. Masagos said the exposure could nurture mutual respect and improve interaction in a courteous and responsible manner in a multiracial and mulreligious society.

He said a participant who joined the programme last year, Toh Jia Yu was full of praise for the programme in her article which was published in a Malay daily, Berita Harian of Singapore.

She was mesmerised by her experience and the opportunity to forge friendship with a Malay family and marvelled at the open house and visits during Hari Raya Puasa as well as their traditional attire. Jia Yu experienced the Malay Muslim culture and their relationship prevailed, said Masagos, adding that participants treasured the gifts from their foster families.

Source: www.bernama.com (14 April 2008)

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Muslims urged to be resilient to face on-going challenges

Singapore - Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister-In-Charge of Muslim Affairs, has spoken of the challenges the Malay-Muslim community here would have to tackle in the years ahead.

Speaking at the Islamic Religious Council or MUIS Workplan seminar on Saturday, he noted that there is a general trend of increasing interest in religion including Islam.

This, he said, brought about another challenge - the widespread availability of information on Islam and Muslims, not all of which is true or faithful.

Dr Yaacob, who is also the Environment and Water Resources Minister, said that unfortunately, there is no way for Muslims to verify all information or prevent undesirable influences.

The minister warned that Singapore has seen manifestations of these trends in a small number of youth who had embraced extreme interpretations in their search for a deeper understanding and involvement.

Also, the Singapore Muslim community itself is becoming more diverse.

Dr Yaacob pointed out that there would be new Singaporeans including Muslims from different parts of the world, and there is a need to embrace them and make them feel comfortable in Singapore.

The fourth challenge faced by the Malay-Muslim community in Singapore is the impact of incidents around the world on Singapore.

Minister Yaacob expressed concern that it did not help when events and conflicts targeted the faith of a people. He warned that more of such incidents where individuals or groups offend Muslims could be expected.

For Singaporean Muslims to face and tackle these challenges, the minister urged them to be resilient.

He said Singapore must deal with these challenges rationally and put the community`s concerns and arguments within the larger context of harmonious existence rather than confined within parochial interests.

On Islamic education in Singapore, Dr Yaacob said MUIS will this year revamp the Islamic learning programmes for adults.

It will also develop a new adult Islamic education programme. Among the aims of the programme is to equip adults with the necessary skills to make them effective members of the family and the community, as well as to help adults lead their religious life confidently in the context of a secular state and a globalised world.

Dr Yaacob said that 2007 has been a good year for the Muslim community here, and the inclusion of Muslims under the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA) was a significant development.

He said: "Over the last 20 years, the community has moved from a position where it was completely excluded from all forms of human organ transplantation to voluntary donation under the Medical Therapy Education Act and finally to the point where all Muslims are now included under HOTA.

"This would not have been possible without the strong support of the community. Our Muslim community understands that Islamic virtues such as kindness and compassion require us to find solutions to problems, actively help people in pain and save lives. This is an achievement which we should all be proud of.

"The inclusion of Muslims under HOTA will benefit not just our current generation, but future generations as well."

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com (12 April 2008)

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Carbon scheme will help save Aceh forest

Banda Aceh - An Australian company has secured an international corporate deal, that will save 750,000 hectares of rainforest in Indonesia.

The company, Carbon Conservation, has persuaded Wall St banker Merrill Lynch to sink $9 million into local businesses in Aceh.

The deal could be worth $400 million in carbon credits for the bank.

Carbon Conservation chief executive, Dorje Sun, says the forest will be guarded by 1000 heavily-armed former Free Aceh rebels.

He says 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide will now stay locked in the rainforest.

"Never before in history has there been a commercial bank, with commercial returns in mind to actually pay people, community owners in Aceh, for the protection and the utility the rainforests provide there."

Source: www.abc.net.au (12 April 2008)

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Malay Unity Action Front to Hold Malay Unity Assembly Saturday

Kuala Lumpur - A group of 250 Malay non-governmental organisations have joined hands to form the Malay Unity Action Front aimed at safeguarding the rights and interests of the Malays in the context of the country`s multiracial populace. It`s chief Osman Abu Bakar said the front, formed on March 20, was established to chart the direction of the Malays in view of the current political, social and economic development affecting the community.

The front would also seek to uphold the sovereignty of the Malay rulers, the special privileges of the Malays and Islam as the official religion of the federation as enshrined in the Federal Constitution, he told a media conference here today. He said the front would hold its first programme, to be known as Perhimpunan Perpaduan Melayu (Malay unity assembly), in conjunction with the Maulidur Rasul celebration at the Merdeka Hall of the Putra World Trade Centre on Saturday.

A forum on "Enhancing Unity for the Country`s Prosperity" to discuss issues affecting the Malays, would be the highlight of the event which is expected to be attended by more than 3,000 people including academicians, politicians, professionals and graduates, he added.

The panel members for the forum are Datuk Prof Muhammad Uthman El-Muhammadi, Datuk Dr Hasan Ahmad and the Federation of National Writers Associations chief Tan Sri Prof Emeritus Ismail Hussein. Former Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka director-general Datuk A. Aziz Deraman will be the moderator. Osman said resolutions passed at the assembly would be sumbitted to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, and the Council of Malay Rulers as well as the country`s leadership for actions.

Source: malaysia.news (12 April 2008)

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New Malaysia rule on Islamic conversion

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia will soon require non-Muslims to inform their family before converting to Islam, a move welcomed Friday by minority religious groups who said it will help ease ethnic and interfaith tensions.

The planned rule is aimed at preventing the kind of religious disputes that have frequently erupted in this multireligious country after the death of ethnic Chinese or Indian converts. In many cases families were unaware of the conversions, and were angered when Islamic authorities seized the bodies for Muslim burial.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced after meeting Islamic authorities Thursday that the government wanted to avoid such controversies.

"If people want to convert, there is nothing wrong, why must they hide?" he was quoted as saying by The Star daily.

Anger over religious discrimination, including the destruction of Hindu temples by the state, partly led to the ruling National Front coalition`s heavy losses in last month`s general elections.

Abdullah said Muslim converts would have to produce documents stating they had told their family members. He didn`t say when the new rule will come into force.

"We do not want the religious department saying the deceased was a Muslim but the family members disputing it because he or she converted on the quiet," Abdullah was quoted by the national news agency Bernama as saying.

Abdullah`s aides could not immediately be reached Friday.

Minority religious groups cautiously welcomed the announcement.

"It`s a move in the right direction," said A. Vaithilingam, president of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism. But he expressed caution about the policy before knowing "the real details."

Islam is Malaysia`s official religion, but non-Muslims — mostly ethnic Chinese and Indians — make up 40 percent of the population and generally practice their religions freely. However, non-Muslims have often complained that Islamic authorities refuse to look at interfaith disputes with compassion while flaunting their powers over minorities.

Vaithilingam also said the new requirement won`t address other issues, such as conversions out of Islam, which are rarely granted, and the dual system of Shariah law and secular courts for civil matters.

In interfaith disputes involving Muslims, the Islamic Shariah courts often get the last word, which has infuriated non-Muslims who say they do not get fair justice in those courts.

The new move is apparently aimed at showing the minorities that the government cares about them even though large numbers of Chinese and Indians voted against it in the March 8 elections.

The historic polls returned Abdullah`s National Front coalition to power but with a greatly reduced majority. It lost 82 of 222 parliamentary seats and five of 13 states in its worst showing since independence in 1957.

Source: news.yahoo.com (12 April 2008)

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Agreement on ancestral domain seen within year

Zamboanga City - The head of the government`s Mindanao peace panel is optimistic an ancestral domain agreement with Moro separatists would be signed within the year.

This was after the government hired the services of legal experts to "calibrate" the key points and the content of the draft ancestral domain agreement.

"We carefully went through all the legal issues [in the ancestral domain draft]," former Armed Forces general Rodolfo C. Garcia told BusinessWorld after several weeks of silence.

An ancestral domain agreement is the last hurdle to a peace pact with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The government and the MILF have already struck agreements pertaining to security, rehabilitation and development.

Source: www.gmanews.tv (12 April 2008)

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Most workers in North Sumatra left unprotected

Medan - Similar to labor conditions in other provinces, a majority of workers in North Sumatra have been left unprotected due to rampant law violations by companies and the absence of law enforcement.

Data from the state-owned insurance company PT Jamsostek show less than 10 percent, or 450,000 of around 5 million workers in the province, have participated in social security programs.

Executive head of PT Jamsostek`s northern Sumatra regional office, Mas`ud Muhammad, blamed the lack of participation in social security on the absence of law enforcement and local governments` failure to protect workers.

In the informal sector, hundreds of thousands are facing an even bleaker future as many are dismissed due to the prolonged energy crisis in the province.

"The campaign since 1992, using a persuasive approach, has been found to be less effective and local authorities should start using a stricter approach and take harsh actions against companies violating the law," Mas`ud told The Jakarta Post here Monday.

He called on regional heads to deploy labor inspectors to check on working conditions, and for police and prosecutors to take action against companies violating the law.

Mas`ud said there was no excuse for employers to be exempt from the obligatory social security program, since the economic crisis that hit the country in 1997 had long since passed.

The law requires companies employing 10 or more workers, or those paying at least Rp 1 million in wages per month, to register its workers with PT Jamsostek. Failure to do so carries a maximum six-month jail sentence or a maximum Rp 500 million fine for the offending company.

Mas`ud praised Tebingtinggi municipality, which has started enforcing the law to protect workers, including those in the informal sector.

He said at least 4,600 companies employing more than 450,000 workers in the municipality have been registered with PT Jamsostek.

Some companies had falsely reported that they employed fewer workers or declared only a part of their gross monthly salaries in a bid to reduce their premiums, he said.

Chairman of the Confederation of Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (KSBSI), Rekson Silaban, called on regional administrations to deploy a team of labor inspectors to check on employers` compliance with core labor standards, including the social security program and the payment system.

"The tripartite team should crack down on companies violating the law and hand them over to law authorities for further investigation," he said.

Most companies in the province pay their workers below the provincial minimum wage, recruit workers from outsourcing companies and employ contract-based workers in their core business, actions which are all against the 2003 law on labor, Rekson said.

He said he was also worried about hundreds of thousands of workers facing dismissal because of the prolonged energy crisis in the province.

Businessmen have often threatened to relocate to other countries in protest of the blackouts imposed by state-owned company PT PLN and the decreased gas supply to industrial areas in the province.

Tebingtinggi Mayor Abdul Hafis Hasibuan and Simalungun Regent Zulkarnaen Damanik said separately on Monday that the social security programs were part of core labor standards that depended on regional heads to be implemented.

Abdul said his side had approached professional organizations for maids, cleaning services and becak, ojek and bus drivers to participate in the programs to help protect themselves.

Source: old.thejakartapost.com (11 April 2008)

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Jakarta demands Malaysia block illegal loggers

Jakarta - Indonesia`s forestry minister, MS Kaban, has accused Malaysian companies of buying illegal timber to fuel the booming furniture industry.

In an interview with Radio Australia`s Connect Asia program, the minister says smuggled timber from Indonesia is also exported to China, Vietnam and other Asian countries through Malaysia.

As Enny Sobana reports, World Research Institute data shows Indonesia has lost 72 per cent of its forests, and some estimates place illegal logging as costing the Indonesian government more than $US3.2 billion a year.

Now, Indonesia`s forestry minister, MS Kaban, is calling on the Malaysian government to set harsh sentences on businessmen buying timber illegally from Indonesia.

"With documents obtained by the Indonesian police there is enough evidence to show the delivery of illegal timber from Indonesia to a company in the Malaysian state of Sarawak," he said.

"Therefore we are sending a protest note to the Malaysian government through the department of foreign affairs."

Mr Kaban describes forestry crime in Indonesia, notably in Kalimantan and Sumatra, as well organized and like a mafia network, involving elements at the highest local level.

In March, the Indonesian National Police intercepted 19 boats carrying 12,000 cubic metres of timber at Pawan River, in Ketapang, east Kalimantan, suspected of being smuggled to Malaysia.

The forestry minister is calling for closer cooperation between the Customs Office, Police and Forestry to stamp out timber smuggling from Indonesia.

"There needs to be sanctions on countries taking illegal timber," he said.

"As long as the market`s there, timber theft will always exist."

The latest arrests have been welcomed as a daring, move, with the environmental group WALHI Indonesia saying up until now, the destruction of a large part of Indonesia`s forests is the result of slack law enforcement.

WALHI says the Indonesian forestry department talks more about sanction than action, Rully Syumanda, a forest campaign officer with the group, says consequently illegal logging is out of control.

"More than 10 million metre cubics timber goes to Malaysia illegally every year so far, based on the data on the year 2006,"he said.

"The problem also because the weakness of Indonesian government itself to prevent or to protect everything goes to Malaysia by land or by sea."

Mr Syumanda says the flow of illegal timber from Kalimantan or Sumatra to other parts of Indonesia has declined in the past few years, amid a government crackdown on the area.

But he says that`s only temporary, and corruption is still allowing loggers to move more timber in to Malaysia.

"Any particular area, the police or the minister involved in this muzzling practice, for example in Saba or in West Kalimantan the illegal logger bribe the military so that they can move to Malaysia," he said.

Mr Kaban says the Indonesian government is taking a tough stance against those smuggling within Indonesia, but the Malaysian government needs to to do more to stop the flow of illegal timber into its country.

"The market in Malaysia is so close to the Indonesian border, and usually the boats say they`re trading timber locally when leaving, but then in the middle of the sea they change course towards Malaysia...and then they`re taken care of by securities, by Malaysian companies, given some sort of protection," he said.

"In this current operation, all involved will be investigated, including the port master who gives the permission for the boats to sail."

A West Kalimantan newspaper reports Malaysia`s director of forestry for the Malaysian state of Sarawak, Datok Lan Talif Saleh, as saying because the violation occurs in Indonesia, his country has no legal right to interfere, and will leave the handling of illegal loggers fully to Indonesia.

He says Malaysia is committed to stamping out illegal logging, when it happens in Malaysia.

But Mr Kaban is calling for increased international support in the fight against illegal logging, urging Malaysia and others to not accept illegal timber or products they know have been made from Indonesia`s forests.

"You can ask them which of their forests are being logged, how can they export timber?" he said.

"Malaysia should be introspective and not just protect itself with the formal legalities performed by its institutions, stamping any documents that enters the country."

Source: www.abc.net.au (11 April 2008)

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Malaysia Does Not Condone Timber Smuggling From Indonesia, Says Chin

Putrajaya - Malaysia does not condone any timber smuggling from Indonesia, Commodities and Plantation Industries Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui said.

He said this in response to a recent Antara News Agency report which quoted Indonesia`s Forestry Minister M.S. Kaban as saying that Malaysia was behind the smuggling of timber from Indonesia.

"The Malaysian government wishes to make it clear that in supporting the trade in timber products, it does not condone any illegal activities," he said at a media conference here.

Chin also confirmed that Malaysia had until now not received any formal protest note on the issue from Indonesia`s Forest Ministry.

Kaban was reported to have said that he had given a protest note to Indonesia`s Foreign Ministry to be forwarded to the Malaysian authorities.

Chin said that cross-border trade between Malaysia and Indonesia was being regulated through bilateral agreements, the Border Crossing Agreement and the Border Trade Agreement of 1967.

"Timber products from Indonesia are allowed to be brought into Malaysia only after the prescribed documents are produced for review," he said.

In the case of Sarawak, Chin said there are approved documents and procedures that have been agreed upon by parties in the cross-border Social, Security, Economic and Cultural Cooperation Committee or SOSEK Malindo, which stated that legally-harvested Indonesia timber could be allowed into Malaysia only via authorised points of entry.

"It is our view that traditional trade should be allowed to improve the standard of living of local communities at our common border areas," he said.

Chin said the Malaysian government had strictly imposed several measures on timber, including ban on imports of Indonesia round logs on June 25, 2002, and ban on the import of squared logs (sawn timber measuring more than 60 square inches) on June 1, 2003.

He said Malaysia believed that regulated trade offered a chance for a win-win solution in combating illegal activities.

Both countries have embarked on negotiations with the European Union (EU) on the voluntary partnership agreements under the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade.

"With the appropriate technical and financial assistance extended by the EU and member states, we foresee the implementation of measures to strengthen existing mechanisms to overcome the problem of trade in illegal timber," he said.

Chin also said that Malaysia was seeking Indonesia`s cooperation to have a dialogue on how to resolve common problems with regard to trade in timber and to find practical solutions that will regularise the timber trade and ensure greater transparency.

Source: www.bernama.com.my (11 April 2008)

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Brunei Halal food attracts Chinese

Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei distributors at the 4th China-Asean Expo (CAExpo) were amazed to find that their Halal food was much sought after in the Chinese market.

Representatives from the Halaqah Company said that the food exhibited at the CAExpo aroused keen interests of many trade visitors, who asked for samples, showing intent for cooperation according to the press release.

As quality products featuring clean and distinctive cultural flavour, the Halal food meets the new demands of modern people with a healthy outlook. Muslim people are not the only ones who rely on Halal food, those from other ethnic groups and with different religions are also interested in it.

Halal food has numerous consumers in the global market, and in particular, it enjoys prominent market potential in China. Among the 1.3 billion Muslim people, approximately 30 million are in China, mainly living in the northwestern part of the country, including Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Gansu Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province, etc. The vast land and large population in China thus create a huge market with enormous business opportunities.

China`s economic growth maintains momentum and purchasing capabilities of the Chinese citizens are increasingly enhanced, which is one of the reasons why Halal food enjoys a good market potential in China.

Statistics of the China Customs show that the bilateral trade volume between Brunei and China reached US$354 million in 2007, with $242 million being the export volume to China from Brunei and $112 million of exports to Brunei from China.

During the 3rd CAExpo, Brunei`s Ministry of Industry & Primary Resources held a press conference at the Mingyuan Xindu Hotel of Nanning, Guangxi, where they briefed that the Brunei government was pushing the country`s economic diversification drive and Chinese entrepreneurs were welcome to invest in various sectors of Brunei.

Currently, petrochemical enterprises of China has invested in natural gas and oil downstream industries in Brunei, and the Chinese investors are expected to look into other fields like Halal food processing.

Source: www.brunei-online.com (11 April 2008)

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The betel leaf: Its health properties and cultural significance

Bali - Last week I told you a tale about daluman, that "ominous green leafy drink that is revered by the Balinese".

But as the world, including Ubud, falls into a heap of ill health (have you noticed how many people are getting sick these days?), maybe it`s time to start getting into some serious tonics to ward off those "evil spirits" that wreak havoc with our lovely bodies. Or are the evil spirits simply ourselves?

Enter daun sirih, or what is otherwise known as betel leaf. Heart-shaped and as glossy as a polished green apple, the betel leaf is surrounded by myths and magic.

Its use can be traced as far back as 2,000 years and it is even described in the most ancient books of Sri Lanka. A native of India and south-east Asia, it traveled the high seas in those old sea-faring days, venturing as far as Madagascar and East Africa. And what an impact it made.

Betel leaves are one of the key players in Balinese offerings. You must have seen them because they are everywhere. At the Ubud market, on any day, they can be found on sale in piles and any grandma making offerings will have them neatly stacked beside her, as she wields her knife to create the day`s leafy talismans.

But betel leaves are not exclusive to holy deeds. They are a major ingredient in Indonesian health tonics and play an important role in most Asian cultures, from India to the Philippines.

"The betel begins the conversation", is a saying in Vietnam that refers to how the practice of chewing betel in formal occasions can "break the ice". In traditional Vietnamese weddings, the groom offers the bride`s parents betel leaves and areca nuts (among other things that hopefully include wads of cash) in exchange for the bride. The betel and areca are such important symbols of love and marriage, that in Vietnamese the phrase "matters of betel and areca" is synonymous with marriage.

Offering betel leaves with areca nut to guests in India is a common courtesy. In fact, it is safe to say that all traditional ceremonies governing the lives of Hindus use betel and areca. In India, when paying a priest, the money is placed next to betel leaves and set by his side.

"Areca nut?": I hear you ask. Any discussion about betel leaf needs to include those cosmic seasonings that make up the renowned betel trio: the areca nut (often inaccurately called betel nut) and hydrated or mineral-slaked lime (calcium hydroxide), otherwise known as pamor in Bali.

Pamor is that chalky white powder that is used in offerings and cooking. It gives jackfruit curry a pinkish glow and turns palm sugar irresistibly sweet. It happens to also be loaded with calcium, as you can imagine.

These three ingredients served together are known as the "betel chew" or "betel quid" and also represent the Balinese trinity of Brahma, Siwa and Wisnu. Tobacco follows the line-up but nowadays people in Bali often add a pack of cigarettes as a modern option. In Bali, priests and special guests are presented with a plate of betel chew when they arrive at ceremonies. Just think how old that tradition is!

A few years ago in Singapore, I saw the most glorious exhibition about the ceremony of the betel chew. In the early days, the sharing of betel was almost like a tea ceremony with elaborate carved vessels made to hold each precious ingredient. Don`t you just love the majesty of Asia?

The downside is that betel chew tends to produce a brilliant red color on the lips, a look that was once prized by Indians and who knows, maybe it was a forerunner to lipstick. But on my first visit to Bali in 1974, when everyone seemed to chew betel leaves, I thought they all had tuberculosis!

The never-ending list of health properties of betel leaves is about as long and intriguing as the River Ganges. In Ayurvedic medicine -- that holistic system of healing that originated in India some 3,000 to 5,000 years ago -- the leaves are said to be an aphrodisiac (of course they are) and a breath freshener, which clearly helps in the amorous department.

The claims for the aphrodisiac qualities of the betel may be due to the alkaloid arakene, present in the leaf, which has properties allied to cocaine.

Beyond the bedroom, betel leaf has been used since ancient times as an aromatic stimulant and anti-flatulent (we really are getting up close and personal now!). It has been used to relieve headaches, sore throats, constipation, toothaches, arthritis and joint pain.

In India, the betel leaf is used as a suppository to cast out worms. In Indonesia it is said to rid a warm body of Candida, blemishes and mouth ulcers and is praised for its digestive powers.

But wait. There`s more. The betel leaf is credited with diuretic properties and is claimed to be an ever-so-powerful antibiotic. It kick-starts the nervous system and aids respiratory disorders. Applied topically, it heals boils and wounds and will even have a mother`s milk overflowing like Balinese holy water.

Indian author Naveen Patnaik in his book The Garden of Life -- one of my favorite books on the planet -- states: " ... the pleasure which the betel leaf gives is so great that Indian mythology says even gods and goddesses long for it."

Did I ever tell you about my tooth-filing ceremony a few years ago? I still remember the short shot of tonic they served after filing my front teeth. It was the perfect blend of turmeric, lime, honey and the juice of betel leaves. The tonic was served as an antibacterial mouth wash on completion of the filing. I held the precious liquid to my nose and smelled the earthy bouquet like a sommelier and then sipped it slowly. Perfect, I thought, made even more exciting by the fact that I was dressed like a princess. The glam factor always helps.

But let`s get back to the tonics, otherwise known as jamu in Indonesia. The key to a good tonic is, of course, the freshness and balance of the ingredients and I would have to say, I am shamelessly excitable about food and flavors. Here is a simple jamu recipe that includes the juice of betel leaves, and if you are living in Indonesia you have no excuse for not making it. Selamat minum!

Basic jamu recipe: 4 tbsp. fresh turmeric juice 1 tbsp. lemon or orange juice 2 tsp. honey 5 betel leaves and two cups of water « tsp. sea salt

Select the mother or central body of the turmeric. Wash thoroughly, peel and grate. Strain into a glass. Alternatively, push down the shoot of a juice extractor and collect the resulting liquid. Mix with the lime juice and honey. Mix the leaves robustly by hand with the water and sea salt. Strain and add to the other ingredients. Add extra honey if necessary.

Source: old.thejakartapost.com (11 April 2008)

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Malaysia Education Success Could Be Emulated, Says UNESCO Exec Board New Chairman

Paris - Malaysia`s achievements in the field of education could be emulated by others, says UNESCO Executive Board new chairman Olabiyi Babalola Joseph Yai.

"You have made a kind of revolution in education in the last few years, we are very proud... this is something to emulate in Africa," said the top educationist from Benin.

Speaking to Bernama, Yai said Malaysia was playing a leading role in international bodies, defending the interest of culture, heritage and education -- the key areas of UNESCO.

"Not only a leading role but a unifying role across continents... this is very important," said the 66 year-old specialist in African literatures and languages, literacy, oral poetry and the cultures of the African diaspora.

He was Benin Permanent Delegate to UNESCO before being elected as Executive Board chairman by the General Conference last November.

The 58-member board meets twice a year to examine the programme of work for the organisation and corresponding budget estimates. UNESCO has 193 members.

The on-going board meeting which began Monday will end on April 17.

Thai Education Ministry Deputy Permanent Secretary Dr Chinnapat Bhumirat agreed that Malaysia, which chairs the Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO), provided a strong leadership in the field.

"Thailand is willing to give all kinds of cooperation to Malaysia... we are good friends," said Dr Chinnapat, who is representing Thailand at the meeting.

"Malaysia and Thailand have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the area of education and now we have already developed the action plan," he said.

Source: www.bernama.com (11 April 2008)

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Call To Change Mindset About Islamic Graduates

Bandar Seri Begawan - Employers should not look down on university graduates who hold degrees related to Islamic studies.

This observation was made by the Deputy Rector of Sultan Sharif Ali Islamic University (UNISSA), Dr Hj Mohd Yusop bin Hj Awg Damit, yesterday.

Touching on the issue of unemployment among graduates with such degrees in the country, he said that there are still some employers who do not have high confidence when it comes to hiring them.

"There should not be any doubt on the (capability) of graduates with religious-related degrees," he said, adding that UNISSA structures its programmes to the needs of the current market.

In light of this, UNISSA has plans to introduce biotechnology studies such as Applied Science in Food Technology in the near future. According to Dr Hj Mohd Yusop, this will support the Brunei Halal brand initiative.

He explained that the biotechnology programme would not only be focussed on food but also in other areas such as `Halal` pharmaceutical products.

A new campus will be needed to make this project a reality, he said, explaining that the campus currently does not have the space to accommodate more laboratories and other necessary provisions such as hostels.

"The location for the new campus has been identified and we are now currently waiting for approval," he said. Commenting on an opinion by a public member who was frustrated over the poor marketability of Islamic graduates, Dr Hj Mohd Yusop insists that they are just as adaptable as any other graduate.

He encouraged graduates with degrees related to Islamic studies, who are currently unemployed, not be too choosy when it comes to accepting job offers.

They should also be open to the idea of seeking employment outside of Brunei Darussalam, he said, adding that they could work for embassies or associations that have ties with countries around the Arab region.

On August 6, 2007, UNISSA began its first academic year with 152 students who enrolled for various degree, Master`s and PhD programmes. More than half of the lecturers at UNISSA are international staff.

At UNISSA, students are equipped with ICT skills and will also be attached at various industries. Islamic finance, business information system, entrepreneurship, management sciences, multimedia, IT and Islamic civilisation are just some of the minor electives that UNISSA has to offer.

Source: www.brudirect.com (11 April 2008)

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2,000-year-old artifacts, cave found in Mindanao

Zamboanga City, Philippines – An ancient burial cave was discovered in the Philippine island of Mindanao, south of Manila, and officials have sealed the site to prevent looting of artifacts, many of them jars made from clay.

It was not immediately known whether there are other treasures in the cave which was accidentally discovered by quarry diggers on Wednesday in Maitum town in Sarangani province.

The latest discovery in the village of Pinol was near another ancient burial site discovered in 1991 where burial jars, shaped in different human forms, had been recovered inside Ayub cave.

Lingling Jabel, owner of the quarry site, informed local authorities about the find and the site was immediately sealed and security forces are guarding the cave where several burial jars have been recovered.

"The quarry site is more or less half a kilometer away from Ayub Cave. The archaeological find at Ayub Cave consisted of anthropomorphic burial jars that date back nearly 2000 years ago. The anthropomorphic potteries of human figures depicting various facial expressions are associated to the Metal Age in the Philippines," the local government said in a statement.

"I feel happy that we have found another valuable artifacts that would help us understand more our history as a people not only in the Philippines, but probably in the whole Southeast Asia," the mayor of Maitum, Elsie Perrett, said.

Dr. Eusebio Dizon, curator of the Archaeology Division and chief of the Underwater Archaeology Section of the National Museum, has described Ayub Cave as "the most significant cave in Mindanao" and its finds as "unparalleled in Southeast Asia."

A team of experts from the National Museum are expected to arrive in the town to inspect the new cave.

The site had been dated to A.D. 70 to 370 and 5 B.C. to A.D. 225. The radiocarbon dates were obtained from the soot samples taken from the small earthenware vessel found inside one of the anthropomorphic burial jar.

The jars are unique and they are like portraits of distinct individuals, of specific dead persons whose remains they guard, described the burial jars in a book entitled "Faces from Maitum," written by Dizon himself after the 1991 discovery of the Ayub cave.

The provincial government described the cave as a unique and fascinating assemblage of archeological find - human faces and figures in earthenware- that depicts Sarangani`s cultural wealth was excavated here.

It said the recovered potteries were used as secondary burial jars. Its coverings were molded as human heads emulating different facial expressions of happiness, contentment, and even a trace of desolation.

"Such were shaped artistically tracing the most conservative detail of the human face that can still be seen in the broken fragments of the jars outside the cave... retaining their natural color even up to now," it said.

Ayub cave is made up of Miocene limestone formation. The opening is about two meters wide and two meters high, sloping downward to at least 20 degrees angle and extending a length of 11 meters from the entrance.

Source: www.gmanews.tv (11 April 2008)

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Blora Butuh Dana Rp 320 Miliar Untuk Perbaiki Jalan Rusak

Blora - Dimilikinya peraturan daerah tentang Pengikatan Dana Anggaran Perbaikan Jalan dan Jembatan dengan Sistem Tahun Jamak (multiyears) oleh Pemkab Blora bisa jadi akan ditanggapi positif pemerintah pusat maupun provinsi.

Sebab menurut Seno Margo Utomo, salah seorang anggota DPRD Blora, adanya perda itu menunjukan komitmen Pemkab dalam pembangunan infrastruktur di daerah. Sehingga pemerintah pusat tidak akan segan membantu pengucurkan dana untuk pembangunan tersebut. "Perda multiyears bisa untuk ‘’gothek’’ (mendapatkan) dana bantuan dari pemerintah pusat," ujarnya kepada CyberNews.

Hal itu bukan tanpa alasan. Seno Margo Utomo yang juga anggota DPRD dari Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (PKS) menyatakan anggaran yang direncanakan dalam pelaksanaan pembangunan jalan dan jembatan dengan sistem multiyears (tahun jamak) sebesar Rp 400 miliar. Padahal secara riil dana yang ada hanya sekitar Rp 80 miliar. Sehingga masih ada kekurangan Rp 320 miliar.

Kekurangan itu diupayakan tertutup dengan adanya dana bantuan pemerintah pusat maupun provinsi. "Pemkab maupun DPRD tentu akan berupaya semaksimal mungkin mendapatkan dana bantuan dari pusat. Sebagai anggota Dewan saya juga akan turut serta. Namun saya belum mendapatkan kejelasan apakah jika ada dana bantuan dari pemerintah pusat itu bisa disatukan dalam anggaran multiyears," tandasnya.

Namun jika dana Rp 320 miliar itu tidak didapatkan, penerapan sistem multiyears, kata Seno, tetap bisa dilaksanakan. Yakni dengan anggaran sebesar Rp 80 miliar.

Sesuai perencanaan dana tersebut dialokasikan selama tiga tahun mulai 2012 untuk perbaikan jalan dan jembatan di ruas-ruas tertentu. Menurut Seno, dengan telah adanya pengikatan anggaran pembangunan jalan dan jembatan dengan sistem tahun jamak itu bukan berarti Pemkab tidak menganggarkan lagi dana untuk pembangunan insfrastruktur jalan setiap tahun dalam APBD.

"Setiap tahun tetap bisa dianggarkan dana pembangunan infrastruktur jalan di luar yang dimultiyearskan," katanya.

Raperda

multiyears sendiri telah disetujui bersama oleh Pemkab dan DPRD dalam rapat paripurna Senin (22/8). Sebelum diberlakukan menjadi peraturan daerah (perda), raperda tersebut terlebih dahulu dievaluasi gubernur dan ditetapkan DPRD Blora dalam rapat paripurna. ( Abdul Muiz / CN32 / JBSM )

Sumber: http://suaramerdeka.com

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Jalan Rusak Hantui Pemudik

Dharmasraya, Padek — Memasuki hari kelima jelang Lebaran (H-5), intensitas kendaraan arus mudik yang melintasi jalan lintas Sumatera (jalinsum) di Kabupaten Dharmasraya dan Sijunjung, meningkat hingga 25 persen. Pemudik diminta berhati-hati karena puluhan kilometer jalinsum dalam kondisi rusak. Bukan saja jalan negara, jalan-jalan kabupaten pun kondisinya tak lebih baik.

Pantauan Padang Ekspres dari Sungairumbai hingga Kotobaru, Dharmasraya kemarin, puluhan titik ruas jalan rusak sehingga rawan kecelakaan. Kalaupun ada perbaikan, pengerjaannya belum tuntas. Lubang-lubang jalan dibiarkan menganga, belum sepenuhnya ditimbun pasir batu (sirtu). Selain rawan kecelakaan, debu jalan sangat menggangu pengendara dan penduduk setempat.

Mobilitas kendaraan di perbatasan Jambi-Sumbar itu didominasi kendaraan pribadi. Mobil-mobil itu umumnya bernomor polisi Jakarta. Mereka tampak konvoi dengan atap mobil penuh oleh barang. Para pengendara harus berjalan merayap menghindari jalan bergelombang. Bagi para pemudik yang tidak menguasai medan, jalinsum di Dharmasraya terasa berat.

Sejumlah sopir mengeluh kondisi jalan negara di Kotobaru dan Sungairumbai yang tak kunjung mulus sejak 10 tahun terakhir. ”Jarak yang seharusnya bisa ditempuh delapan jam, sekarang bisa mencapai 10 hingga 12 jam. Tidak nyaman bagi penumpang dan kendaraan juga bisa cepat rusak kalau lewat rusak begitu,” kata Ujang, 42, sopir bus asal Padang yang membawa penumpangnya dari Jambi berhenti makan di Rumah Makan Omega, Gunungmedan, Dharmasraya, kemarin malam.

Pengendara sepeda motor, Dedi, 35, dan Zam, 23, mengeluhkan pendeknya jarang pandang akibat debu. Jalan-jalan tersebut hanya ditimbun dengan sirtu. ”Jika debunya tebal, terpaksa berhenti, takut kecelakaan karena lawan dari depan nyaris tak nampak,” ungkap Dedi, yang hendak menuju Padang.

Tak hanya pengendara. Masyarakat pun kesal dengan kondisi jalan yang sejak lama rusak parah, tapi tidak kunjung selesai diperbaiki. Ade, warga Kotobaru, menuding pemerintah tidak serius memperbaiki jalan. ”Masak sudah dekat hari Lebaran, perbaikan jalan dengan anggaran puluhan miliar rupiah belum juga selesai. Bagaimana bisa nyaman orang lewat jalan sini,” ujar Ade, seraya menunjuk jalan di sekitar rumahnya.

Warga lainnya, Riko, menilai pembangunan sangat lamban dan terkesan mengutamakan daerah tertentu saja. ”Ada memang sudah diperbaiki dan bagus seperti di Gunungmedan. Sementara di tempat lain belum ada yang mulus,” katanya. ”Mestinya pemerintah sejak sebulan atau dua bulan lalu memperbaiki jalan ini, agar pas Lebaran tidak rusak dan debunya mengganggu pernapasan warga,” cetus Niko, warga yang tinggal di tepi jalan lintas, Kotobaru.

Wakil Ketua DPRD Dharmasraya, Sutarmanto Budi Sanjoyo menyebutkan, dana perbaikan jalinsum sudah disiapkan Rp 50 miliar. ”Kita meminta masyarakat dan pengguna jalan bersabar, karena perbaikan jalan butuh waktu lama akibat panjang dan luasnya kerusakan jalan,” ungkapnya.

30 Jiwa Tewas

Di Sijunjung, ruas jalan juga banyak rusak dan mengganggu kenyamanan pemudik, seperti di Tanjunggadang, Kupitan hingga Kiliranjao. Kondisi tersebut rawan kecelakaan. Data Satlantas Polres Sijunjung, dari 50 kasus kecelakaan di Sijunjung tahun ini, 35 di antaranya terjadi di jalinsum, dan memakan korban 30 jiwa. Lokasi kecelakaan terjadi di tiga kecamatan; Kupitan terdapat 9 kasus kecelakaan, Kecamatan Tanjunggadang terdapat 14 kasus kecelakaan, dan 12 kasus di Kiliranjao.

Buruknya kondisi jalan membuat pemudik kecewa. ”Tahun kemarin, jalan di Tanjunggadang sudah seperti ini juga (rusak), saya pikir telah selesai diperbaiki, ternyata belum. Masih rusak parah seperti itu dulu juga. Hanya sebagian kecil yang diperbaiki,” kritik Edi Setiawan, pemudik asal Solok yang baru pulang dari Jakarta.

Jalan Nagari Rusak

Lepas dari buruknya jalinsum, pemudik harus ekstra hati-hati melintas jalan-jalan kabupaten. Kondisinya setali tiga uang, banyak yang rusak. Sebut saja di Nagari Timbulun, Tanjuanggadang, Taratakbaru, Pulasan, Langki, Sibakur, dan Tanjunglolo, Kecamatan Tanjunggadang, kondisi jalan yang baik hanya sekitar 40 persen. ”Kalau jalinsum, itu tanggung jawab Dinas PU Provinsi,” ujar Kepala Dinas Pekerjaan Umum Sijunjung, Surya Efendi, ketika dikonfirmasi beberapa waktu lalu.

Begitu pula di Kecamatan Lubuktarok yang terdiri dari Nagari Lubuaktarok, Lalan, Buluahkasok, Kampungdalam, Latang, dan Silongo, kondisi jalan yang baik sekitar 65 persen. Di Kecamatan Sumpurkudus, ada Nagari Kumanis, Tanjung Bonai Aur, Tamparungo, Sisawah, Sumpurkudus, Unggan, Silantai, dan Mangganti. Kondisi jalan di nagari tersebut, bisa dikatakan baik sekitar 70 persen. Sama halnya dengan Nagari Limokoto, Padanglaweh, Guguak, Palaluar, dan Tanjung, di Kecamatan Koto VII. ”Jalan-jalan di nagari itu memang tanggung jawab kami, tapi sudah berangsur diperbaiki,” kata Surya Efendi.

Alasan Anggaran

Di Agam, perantau yang pulang diminta hati-hati karena kondisi jalan dan jembatan di hampir 82 nagari dalam kondisi rusak. Perbaikan tidak dilakukan, karena Pemkab Agam beralasan keterbatasan anggaran dan dijadikan prioritas tahun 2012.

Pantauan Padang Ekspres, kerusakan jalan tampak di jalan salingka Danau Maninjau. Selain jalan rusak, dekat kawasan objek wisata tersebut, juga terdapat tujuh titik jembatan yang menggunakan pohon kelapa sebagai sarana penyeberangan. Sangat membahayakan pengguna jalan.

Kerusakan jalan juga terdapat dari Jorong Pandan sampai ke Pangkatanjung sekitar 12 kilometer. Jalan Panta ke Bukittinggi, dan jalan alternatif dari Lubukbasung ke Bukittinggi juga tidak terawat. Bahu jalan ditumbuhi semak belukar dan badan jalan banyak berlubang. Nagari-nagari di Kecamatan Lubukbasung, ibu kota Kabupaten Agam, pun tak luput dari kerusakan. Hanya di Padangbaru, seputaran kantor Bupati Agam yang tampak ada pembenahan.

Pembangunan jembatan yang belum siap, terlihat di jalan Nagari Sitanang menuju Nagari Batukambing. Padahal, ruas jalan ini merupakan jalur alternatif mudik jika jalan utama tidak bisa dilewati. Jalan Lubukbasung ke Bukittinggi belum juga selesai dikerjakan mulai dari Lubuksao sampai ke Batangmaransi, Bayur dengan panjang jalan sekitar 10 kilometer, yang menjadi jalur alternatif dan jalan pariwisata arah Pariaman ke Bukittinggi dan Simpangempat Pasbar ke Bukittinggi. Pada jalur tersebut, beberapa ruas jalan bergelombang dan berlobang. ”Saya tidak tahu kenapa pemerintah tidak memperbaiki jalan sini. Padahal, di sini sudah sering terjadi kecelakaan,” kata E Dt Bandaro, Wali Nagari Koto Gadang Anam Koto, Kecamatan Tanjungraya, Rabu (24/8).

Usulan perbaikan jalan di nagari-nagari itu sering disampaikan masyarakat dan wali nagari khususnya Agam Timur. Namun, belum ada tindak lanjut dari Pemkab Agam. Seorang perantau Matur, Afrizal mengaku prihatin atas kondisi jalan-jalan lingkungan jorong, khususnya Jorong Paparangan, Kenagarian Maturmudiak yang menghubungkan Jorong Tanjongurah dengan Paparangan hingga ke jembatan Besi-Pasar Lawang. Jalan ini telah rusak parah terutama di pendakian menuju Pasar Ternak Matur.

Wali Nagari Palembayan Ampek Koto, Roni Akmal mengingatkan perantau berhati-hati menempuh perjalanan dari Matur hingga ke Palembayan dan Padang Koto Gadang. Pasalnya, banyak jalan berlobang dan hutan semak belukar yang hampir menutup badan jalan. Bupati Agam Indra Catri menambahkan, perbaikan terkendala keterbatasan anggaran dan menjadi prioritas tahun 2012. Hal itu disampaikan bupati dalam rapat paripurna perubahan APBD Agam tahun 2011, Selasa (23/8) lalu.

Jalan Aman

Secara terpisah, Kepala Dinas Prasarana Jalan, Tata Ruang dan Pemukiman Sumbar, Suprapto mengklaim jalan dari Padang sampai Kelok Sembilan, batas Sumbar-Bengkulu, Sumbar-Jambi, Sumbar-Sumatera Utara, dan Sumbar-Riau sudah aman untuk dilewati. Begitu pula jalan dari batas Bukittinggi sampai batas Riau, menurut laporan Pejabat Pembuat Komitmen (PPK), jalan-jalan tersebut sudah selesai dilakukan tambal sulam sejak sepekan lalu.

Sementara itu, megaproyek Kelok Sembilan, selama lima belas hari pekerjaan dihentikan, lebih kurang 100 orang pekerja akan pulang kampung berlebaran. Suprapto yang didampingi Kabid Jalan dan Jembatan, Yazin Fadli, juga mengingatkan ada 19 titik rawan longsor. Pada 19 titik rawan tersebut sudah disiagakan alat berat berikut operatornya. Dia menyarankan, untuk menghindari kemacetan panjang di jalur Padang-Bukittinggi, sebaiknya belok kanan ke Balingka dan terus menempuh jalan Malalak-Sicincin. Jalan tersebut sudah aman dilewati jika tidak hujan.

Sementara itu, untuk mengurangi kemacetan selama mudik Lebaran, Kementerian Perhubungan (Kemenhub) melarang pengoperasian mobil truk besar di jalur mudik mulai H-4 sampai H+1 Lebaran. Kasubdit Pengendalian Operasional Direktorat Lalu Lintas dan Angkutan Jalan Kemenhub, Pandu Yunianto mengatakan, larangan itu untuk menekan jumlah kendaraan berat selama Lebaran saja. (ita/x/ztl/mg7)

Sumber: http://padangekspres.co.id

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