Jackson still indisputable king of pop: Local fans

Jackson still indisputable king of pop: Local fans

M. Taufiqurrahman and Armando Siahaan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Devoted local fans rejoiced at the acquittal of singer Michael
Jackson on child molestation charges, saying in unison that the
criminal charges against the self-appointed king of pop were
designed to sap his already-depleted coffers.

They added that although Jackson might have committed the
offense in the past, in the current case he was convincingly not
guilty of the accusations leveled against him.

"We have learned from the court proceedings that evidence
against him has been exaggerated; this supports our conviction
that he is not guilty," Olivia Naida, 28, an avowed Jackson fan
told The Jakarta Post.

Olivia, who stopped listening to Jackson's post-Dangerous
records, said that the singer could have committed the sexual
perversion in the past, but it would not, in any way, diminish
his contribution to the world of pop music.

"He created the bulk of his good music while at the peak of
his career -- that is enough," said Olivia, who runs her own
clothing company. She turned into a Jackson fan after listening
to the singer's early records such as Thriller and Off the Wall.

Another fan said that although the singer had done crazy
things like changing his skin color, living in a fantasy land and
allegedly engaging in sexual activities with children, he
remained the best performer to date.

"He knows how to produce perfect entertainment. He knows how
to write good music. He was also a trend-setter in music. Long
live Michael Jackson," David, 24, told the Post.

He said that although Jackson did not do much for kids these
days, for those who grew up listening to his tunes, he was indeed
the indisputable king of pop.

Dita Saraswati, a 20-year student who had listened to
Jackson's songs from early childhood also shared the belief that
the singer was innocent.

"The trial was set up by people who wanted to get money from
him. After all, the trial was held in America, where the justice
system ought to be flawless," she said.

However, there are those who beg to differ.

"The verdict is unbelievable. The acquittal is just another
perfect example of the fact that having celebrity status means
that someone could bend the law," Farry Ongko Widjaja, 20, told
the Post.

Farry said the fact that there were two child molestation
charges against Jackson was a proof that he had some serious
problems.

"To me this is similar to the Indonesian court system. There
is no certainty that a fair decision will be made; the power that
the defendant is perceived to possess makes such a big
difference," he said.

In the run-up to the verdict, Indosiar TV station organized a
poll on its website, asking fans whether Jackson was guilty of
all charges.

The poll found that 18.5 percent of respondents believed that
Jackson was guilty of the child molestation charges, as against
12.5 percent who believed the opposite.

The poll also revealed that a further 50 percent of
respondents were of the opinion that Jackson ought to be sent to
jail if he were found guilty. Another 19 percent said they did
not care about the court proceedings.

The Internet survey received opinions from 232 respondents.

In his heyday, Jackson had a cult following here and his
undoubted influence is still felt even now.

A local dangdut singer known only as Alam has sold hundreds of
thousands of records from imitating Jackson's singing style and
his Moonwalk dance move.