Embassies, clubs unmoved by World Cup fever

Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The live broadcast of the World Cup on television will soon be upon us. For many Indonesians, the one-month-long competition, due to start on Friday, will be an exciting time and is likely to disturb many people's daily lives.

Jointly hosted by Japan and South Korea, the live broadcast of games will be on air from the afternoon to late evening between May 31 and June 29.

Employers and decision makers are apprehensive that the day- time viewing hours will prompt less productivity or even absenteeism.

But it is apparently not the case for many foreigners living in Indonesia. Embassies and community clubs asked by The Jakarta Post gave the impression that life would be business as usual.

Definitely, there will be no changes in working hours.

Diplomats and staff officers at the Japanese, British, Italian, Brazilian, German, Argentinean and French embassies, said there would be no World Cup-related activities hosted by their offices.

"We don't have any program held in our office to enliven the big event in my country," said one Japanese diplomat, who, like many members of staff from other embassies contacted, requested anonymity.

However, the Japanese Embassy will entertain questions from Indonesians seeking information concerning the World Cup through its website, he said.

Mitia Musar, a senior Indonesian official at the Italian Embassy, said her office planned no activities linked with the games.

Ambassador Alessandro Merola will fly home next month as his term of office in Jakarta ends, she said.

"His homegoing has nothing to do with the World Cup," she said.

The German Embassy also has no special programs to hail the World Cup.

"Working schedules here remain unchanged," said a female staff officer.

Asked whether diplomats and other officials in her embassy will be allowed to watch the German team playing, she simply said: "TV sets are not available here".

The Brazilian and Argentine embassies, among the world's soccer super powers, have not arranged any special program either.

Asked whether they thought watching soccer games on television alongside Indonesian fans would be an interesting program, a staff member at the Brazilian embassy said: "Most people already have a TV at home here".

The South Korean Embassy seems to be the only embassy holding some activities ahead of and during the World Cup.

It hosted a soccer match between junior high schools for expatriates in Jakarta in March, in which an Indonesian team won, said Jeung-Chil Song, the press and cultural attache at the South Korean Embassy.

He added he would be visiting big cities across Indonesia to promote his country as the World Cup matches are being played.

During these trips, he said, he would distribute World Cup souvenirs and leaflets to Indonesian journalists and soccer fans.

Some international organizations based in Jakarta also seem to have no special program either.

"We don't have any activities here to celebrate the World Cup. Everything will proceed as normal," said M. Zakih, an employee with the International Sports Club of Indonesia (ISCI).

A man, who claimed to be a security guard at the Jakarta International School, said no special program was planned by his office to welcome the World Cup.

"As far as I know, we don't have such an activity," Amaludin said.

Kaori Yajima, secretary of the Japan Club, said her organization would carry on its own regular daily activities during June.