Guess What? Marzuki Usman

Guess What? Marzuki Usman

Could Indonesia one day lose its famed cultural heritage of
Javanese shadow puppetry (wayang) and learn the art from
Westerners?

Minister of Tourism, Art and Culture Marzuki Usman says he is
afraid it could happen.

His assumption is based on Indonesia's lack of means to
innovate and promote its cultural riches.

If this situation persists, the innovation and promotion will
be taken over by bule (white people), he said on Monday when
addressing the launching of economic magazine Investor in
Jakarta.

"Wouldn't it be funny to see a wayang show with the
puppetmaster and singers imported from Australia?" he said as
quoted by Antara.

The Capital Market Supervisory Agency's former chief, who
remains a keen observer of the stock market, is also dismayed by
the plunging share prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange.

"I never imagined that shares could be cheaper than alen-
alen," he said. Alen-alen is food made from cassava, a typical
delicacy of Yogyakarta, where the minister studied economics at
Gadjah Mada University.

"It's appalling, but let's promote our culture and work hard
to improve share prices." (pan)