Soothsayers refuse to talk politics
By Ida Indawaty Khouw
JAKARTA (JP): While people can now express their opinions more freely thanks to the massive reform movement, fortune-tellers in the busy Glodok business district in downtown Kota were less forthcoming than many people.
Of three tukang ramal offering their services on the second floor of the three-story Gloria shopping complex in the bustling Chinatown district, only one would openly speak about his predictions for the country's economy and politics and the next president.
The others refused to accommodate questions on political issues, such as what will happen during and after the June 7 elections, and who will be the country's next president.
"I don't serve people asking about political matters. It's dangerous because if I give the wrong forecast I could be handcuffed and jailed," one of them said.
In Indonesia, fortune-tellers are not so common in business centers. So three in one shopping complex is almost a prophetic event in itself.
While his two colleagues kept refusing to reveal their political prophesies, fortune-teller Sung Wei Tjhung decided to take the other path.
He prophesied, through the medium of a deck of playing cards, that the election would be canceled and sporadic small-scale social disturbances would take place in Jakarta and other areas across the country.
Wei Tjhung then lit an incense stick on a table behind him, shuffled the cards again and spread them on the table in front of him.
After seriously examining the cards, Wei Tjhung continued his prediction, explaining that the polls would be postponed until next year.
"It's mainly due to the small outbreaks everywhere, but people don't have to worry as the government will be able to handle it," said the 59-year-old soothsayer.
The brutal scenes of May 1998 will not be repeated but "shop looting will still occur". However, "there will be no killings and damaging of other people's property," Wei Tjhung added.
"The authority will be able to handle the situation before things get worse," he said, before reaching for the red wine he sipped every time he answered a question.
According to his cards, the unrest will not be ignited by the contesting political parties but "a third party led by a man who has his own political agenda".
Unfortunately, Wei Tjhung, who has read the future professionally since 1983, refused to name the person, saying that this would not be a good idea. Moreover, he added, he did not have the guts to do so.
Using the same cards, plus a piece of paper covered with Chinese characters, the fortune-teller also predicted that incumbent President B.J. Habibie would be replaced by a woman in June or July this year.
It could be on June 16, or June 26 or perhaps on July 6, he said.
"But please remember, it (the date) is not definite," Wei Tjhung said after reading a character on the paper, which, he explained, he used to "see" things related to time elements.
According to him, Habibie's female successor will only rule the country for a short period, because the same third party who will cause the predicted unrest dislikes the woman.
"The man (who leads the party) will continuously obscure her, so will be in power for only a matter of months, even though she is supported by a great number of people," Wei Tjhung said.
He explained that the man may topple the woman leader by making use of various conflicts.
"That's why unrest will continually occur until the polls are conducted successfully," he said.
His predictions, he explained, are of course just stories to be believed or otherwise. Wie Tjhung said he was not afraid of being arrested simply because of what he predicts.
"After all, it's just a prophecy, isn't it?" he said.