Extravagant excess

Extravagant excess

From Kompas

The live broadcast of artist Roger Danuarta's birthday
celebration on TV7 (May 19), reportedly costing around Rp 700
million, should arouse public concern. One can imagine what that
money could have meant for the thousands of Aceh war refugees and
thousands of street children still in desperate need of shelter
and education.

The super-luxury program of wealthy TV star Roger Danuarta
consumed such a large amount of air time in one night (perhaps
even one hour). It is of course Roger's right to give as big a
party as he can afford and also the right of TV7 to broadcast it
live. But amid the nation's economic trouble it is a saddening
experience to watch the show, while regional proposals for
community advancement still have to be postponed for the lack of
funds.

The media should thus be wiser in reporting entertainment
programs, and artists or whatever circles with excess funds at
their disposal can spend them through various institutions and
concerned individuals on humanitarian aid.

MUNA YASTUTI MADRAH, Jakarta