Soothsayers foresee gloom
By Reiner S. and Sugianto Tandra
The outgoing 1998 may have had its bright points, but there is no doubt that overall, politically and economically, it was a very bad year. Can things get any worse? Unfortunately, according to some soothsayers, the answer is yes. This article looks at what these soothsayers have to say about the new year. As a note of caution, readers are asked to take these predictions with a grain of salt. Sometimes they do get it wrong. For example, none of the soothsayers presented here predicted that president Soeharto would resign in 1998. While many were right in predicting that 1998 would be a chaotic year for Indonesia, none thought it would be this bad.
JAKARTA (JP): Politically, what does 1999 have in store for Indonesia?
Soothsayers are divided on the issue; some predict a smooth general election in June, while others foretell violent turmoil, or even a social revolution.
At least two soothsayers say a new leader will emerge next year.
On the economic front, they seem to be in agreement that 1999 will remain a difficult year. They point out that 1999 will be, in the Chinese calendar, the Year of the Rabbit, which is simply a continuation of 1998, which was the Year of the Tiger.
The paranormals and astrologers also predict more calamities, with the outbreaks of new kinds of deadly diseases, earthquakes and floods.
The following are excerpts of their predictions:
Permadi Satrio Wiwoho, a paranormal:
1999 will be worse than 1998. I have described 1998 as the year of calamity and karma. Those who sowed the wind reaped the tempest. Next year will be the climax. There will be a social revolution and the country will plunge deeper into economic crisis. There's nothing Mr. Neiss (Hubert Neiss, the IMF Asia Pacific director who oversees Indonesia's economic reform programs) can do.
Soeharto and his cronies, who caused deep sufferings for the people during the past 32 years, will be given their just punishments.
Indonesia's path to the new millennium was undermined by our grave mistake of holding the (last) general election in May 1997, the month of Suro in the sacred Javanese calendar. That was a costly mistake and God has withdrawn Indonesia's authority to command its soil and its great resources.
We should not hold any political activities in the holy month of Suro, not even a blessed celestial ceremony like a wedding. I repeatedly reminded Soeharto at the time, but he decided to ignore me. And, believe it or not, Soeharto fell in the month of Suro (May 21).
Soeharto has sowed the wind and has reaped the tempest, but we have not yet seen the peak. The worse is still to come.
President B.J. Habibie has the same karma as Soeharto. He was installed in office in the month of Suro. Since then, the riots and protests have not ceased.
All those responsible will get their just dues next year.
Every action and statement from government and military officials will be received negatively by the public, even if the officials mean well. There will be disagreements that may lead to a social revolution, which would mean that the general election slated for June would not occur.
Based on Javanese mythology, a new leader will emerge after the social revolution. This new leader is called the Satrio Piningit, which means a leader concealed by God who will only emerge at the right moment.
The new leader will not come from any of the political parties. Current political figures only appear for one episode and then fade away. They are merely supporting actors in a soap opera; they appear for one episode and then are gone.
The new leader will be very charismatic and he will lead Indonesia to prosperity. That may be the only good news in 1999.
On a global scale, there will be major natural disasters and widespread diseases that will claim a large number of casualties. This will be caused by various factors, including permutations in the solar system, the recent solar eclipse and a friction between Jupiter and comets. People's behavior will be more violent because of the permutations in the solar system. This will not be specific to Indonesia; it will be a global disaster.
Laurentia Pasaribu, a soothsayer:
1999 is the "wipe clean" year. It is a continuation of the "karma year" of 1997 and the "cleansing year" of 1998. 1999 will not be the Year of the Rabbit, but the Year of the Golden Giant Cat, which will eat all our resources.
Overall, 1999 will be marked by three kinds of floods which will sweep across the country from April to August: one flood will come from the sea, another from broken dams and the last will be a flood of blood.
The election will not take place because turmoil and bloodshed will break out between April and May. Too many conflicts will foil the poll. Instead, a presidium will be formed to govern the country.
The political situation will affect the economic sector. Do not expect any upturn in the economy in the first half of the year. The economy, however, will begin to recover in September. But it will take up to seven years for the economy to be fully recovered.
During the "wipe clean" year, evil doers must repent. God is always benevolent; God always gives us alternatives.
Jymmy Kawijaya, an astrologer (summarized from Mistik tabloid):
In the Year of the Rabbit, a strong and authoritative young man will emerge as this country's new leader.
However, the economy will continue to flounder and it will take around five years before it is fully recovered.
The year will witness the death of several national figures, including high ranking government officials.
New techniques of fraud and deception will emerge in the Year of the Rabbit, as people will make every effort to build a fortune.
Putri Wong Kam Fu, alias Leoni Fatima, an astrologer and soothsayer (from Mistik tabloid):
1999 will be colored dark. Very few economic sectors will do well. These include the sectors of food, basic needs and fitness centers.
People who enter a business not linked to their hobby will suffer great losses.
The political condition will return to normal, except for some minor tensions.