Wimar's dangerous ordinariness
Wimar's dangerous ordinariness
Menuju Partai Orang Biasa (Toward the Ordinary People Party);
By Wimar Witoelar; PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama, Jakarta, Second
edition, March 1999; 323 pages.
JAKARTA (JP): Is Wimar Witoelar a dangerous man? goes the
editorial of Golkar's affiliated tabloid Siaga, the content of
which is primarily dedicated to shift public opinion toward
supporting Habibie's election as the next president.
The answer is not an easy one. Depending on whom the question
is posed to, it can vary from a flat "no" to "absolutely". For
the ordinary people he thinks he belongs to, what he says is the
reflection of their aspirations and unspoken passion. To the
powerful elite and those with vested interests, he is indeed a
dangerous man that can substantially hinder their "hard dying"
and machiavellian struggle to stay at or get to the top. To
ordinary people, he is an amicable, down-to-earth, sympathetic,
sincere, witty, gentle and egalitarian, if rather portly, talk
show host.
To the "non-ordinary" people, he commercializes the political
crisis, he takes sides, is a partial moderator, a wicked
commentator and he talks too much. He is even a provocateur,
according to the Republika's group's tabloid, Adil, which happens
to be closely related to the Association of Indonesian Muslim
Scholars. In a recent edition, the publication plastered his
round face on the cover and dedicated a special eight-page spread
analyzing his strategy.
In his book Menuju Partai Orang Biasa (Toward the Ordinary
People Party), a compilation of his monthly contribution to the
Kompas' satirical column, Asal-Usul, he defines an ordinary
person as "a person who has no vested interest. An 'ordinary
person' wants to live peacefully and carry out his/her tasks
well. He/she wants to be rich but doesn't have a will for
corruption.
"An 'ordinary person' actually wants to do his/her job well,
but he/she is also not a hero(ine) who would sacrifice his/her
family's interest for an unclear end." (Listening to "Ordinary
People", p. 26.)
In his foreword, he reveals another way of seeing "ordinary
people", namely "those whose innocence are not obscured with
attributes of interest". Ordinary people are neither experts or
apathetic, neither pure idealists nor total pragmatists. Neither
pandito (revered men) nor bandito (bandits). Throughout the book
the term is repeatedly used and defined in different ways to
denote how wide-reaching the category that embodies ordinary
people, the country's silent majority, is.
Being ordinary does not mean a diminished ability to threaten
power holders' sense of security. His "The Sinking of the
Titanic" and "Together With Pak Harto We Shall Find A New
President" were rejected for publication.
In "Titanic" he wrote that even though a ship was beginning to
sink, the riches were still putting on their makeup and taking
care of their money and diamonds. "How could TITANIC have sunk?
We used to discuss Professor Robert Allinson's finding, a
disaster specialist here, that the cause of disaster was the
failure of ethics." (p. 268)
Writing about the genesis of the second piece, he said: "I was
lying down in front of the TV one night in October 1997. Out of
the blue Pak Harto offered to resign on the nationally broadcast
Golkar anniversary ... Instead of being duly responded to, there
was a flood of comments that lauded Pak Harto's big heartedness.
Harmoko straight away conducted an instant survey and declared
that all Indonesian people were behind Pak Harto. It occurred to
me that it was like being offered a salted egg by a passenger
sitting next to you in a train. Normally, it should be refused,
but this time why not take it politely? So the writing was born,
full of nonsensical courteousness. Unfortunately, Kompas perhaps
felt that such innocence or humor didn't have a place in the
time's psychology of fear." (p. 261)
That is Wimar Witoelar. He is sharp yet sweet. He criticizes
unforgivingly but still sounds mellow. Before Soeharto's
downfall, he astutely wrapped his criticism in subtle sarcasm and
humor. This is one example: "In the newspaper people often refer
to Pak Harto as a wise man, but in monetary matters, newspapers
reported as follows: 'President Soeharto considers that the
weakening of the rupiah against the US$ is hard to understand.'
This means even though Pak Harto is already the most
knowledgeable man, there are things he still doesn't comprehend."
("Is It Wrong To Be A Fool?", p. 167)
During the May riots, his talk shows and columns, such as the
one titled "Ibu Wawah" provided comfort to the persecuted ethnic
minority.
His penchant for humor does not prevent him from being poetic,
somber and melancholic. Take his writing "Tragedy": "Standing the
morning after the Trisakti incident, in the place where several
students were shot, the feeling was sad and lonely. Teenage
children, in the dawn of their prime time, their lives were taken
away from them by hinter shots. Why? They were on campus, were
not rioting, they were even running for shelter ... It felt so
lonely that morning in Trisakti, prior to the people's storm that
swept Jakarta." (pp. 197-198)
Being so unpretentious and ordinary, he has come a long way to
become an extraordinary "ordinary person". Only ordinary people
will understand and justify his "partiality" toward a party he
perhaps did not even vote for because ordinary people do not
possess self-interest for Megawati Soekarnoputri to become
president. Only ordinary people can sit in front of the TV or
read his columns and chuckle at his sarcastic, smart comments on
"cute" Habibie.
On the other hand, only "non-ordinary" or perhaps
"extraordinary" people will waste eight pages badmouthing such a
kind, portly man-next-door. And indeed, only "non-ordinary"
people would ever contemplate how dangerous this comfortingly
vivacious father of two with the afro hairstyle can be.
Fortunately for them, the Ordinary People Party did not contest
the recent elections and was only alive in his playful words.
The book is titillating -- the caricatures featuring him are
amusing -- and it will be hard for ordinary, decent people to
disagree, whether smiling or laughing out loud, with what Wimar
Witoelar has to say.
-- Rahayu Ratnaningsih
Menuju Partai Orang Biasa (Toward the Ordinary People Party);
By Wimar Witoelar; PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama, Jakarta, Second
edition, March 1999; 323 pages.
JAKARTA (JP): Is Wimar Witoelar a dangerous man? goes the
editorial of Golkar's affiliated tabloid Siaga, the content of
which is primarily dedicated to shift public opinion toward
supporting Habibie's election as the next president.
The answer is not an easy one. Depending on whom the question
is posed to, it can vary from a flat "no" to "absolutely". For
the ordinary people he thinks he belongs to, what he says is the
reflection of their aspirations and unspoken passion. To the
powerful elite and those with vested interests, he is indeed a
dangerous man that can substantially hinder their "hard dying"
and machiavellian struggle to stay at or get to the top. To
ordinary people, he is an amicable, down-to-earth, sympathetic,
sincere, witty, gentle and egalitarian, if rather portly, talk
show host.
To the "non-ordinary" people, he commercializes the political
crisis, he takes sides, is a partial moderator, a wicked
commentator and he talks too much. He is even a provocateur,
according to the Republika's group's tabloid, Adil, which happens
to be closely related to the Association of Indonesian Muslim
Scholars. In a recent edition, the publication plastered his
round face on the cover and dedicated a special eight-page spread
analyzing his strategy.
In his book Menuju Partai Orang Biasa (Toward the Ordinary
People Party), a compilation of his monthly contribution to the
Kompas' satirical column, Asal-Usul, he defines an ordinary
person as "a person who has no vested interest. An 'ordinary
person' wants to live peacefully and carry out his/her tasks
well. He/she wants to be rich but doesn't have a will for
corruption.
"An 'ordinary person' actually wants to do his/her job well,
but he/she is also not a hero(ine) who would sacrifice his/her
family's interest for an unclear end." (Listening to "Ordinary
People", p. 26.)
In his foreword, he reveals another way of seeing "ordinary
people", namely "those whose innocence are not obscured with
attributes of interest". Ordinary people are neither experts or
apathetic, neither pure idealists nor total pragmatists. Neither
pandito (revered men) nor bandito (bandits). Throughout the book
the term is repeatedly used and defined in different ways to
denote how wide-reaching the category that embodies ordinary
people, the country's silent majority, is.
Being ordinary does not mean a diminished ability to threaten
power holders' sense of security. His "The Sinking of the
Titanic" and "Together With Pak Harto We Shall Find A New
President" were rejected for publication.
In "Titanic" he wrote that even though a ship was beginning to
sink, the riches were still putting on their makeup and taking
care of their money and diamonds. "How could TITANIC have sunk?
We used to discuss Professor Robert Allinson's finding, a
disaster specialist here, that the cause of disaster was the
failure of ethics." (p. 268)
Writing about the genesis of the second piece, he said: "I was
lying down in front of the TV one night in October 1997. Out of
the blue Pak Harto offered to resign on the nationally broadcast
Golkar anniversary ... Instead of being duly responded to, there
was a flood of comments that lauded Pak Harto's big heartedness.
Harmoko straight away conducted an instant survey and declared
that all Indonesian people were behind Pak Harto. It occurred to
me that it was like being offered a salted egg by a passenger
sitting next to you in a train. Normally, it should be refused,
but this time why not take it politely? So the writing was born,
full of nonsensical courteousness. Unfortunately, Kompas perhaps
felt that such innocence or humor didn't have a place in the
time's psychology of fear." (p. 261)
That is Wimar Witoelar. He is sharp yet sweet. He criticizes
unforgivingly but still sounds mellow. Before Soeharto's
downfall, he astutely wrapped his criticism in subtle sarcasm and
humor. This is one example: "In the newspaper people often refer
to Pak Harto as a wise man, but in monetary matters, newspapers
reported as follows: 'President Soeharto considers that the
weakening of the rupiah against the US$ is hard to understand.'
This means even though Pak Harto is already the most
knowledgeable man, there are things he still doesn't comprehend."
("Is It Wrong To Be A Fool?", p. 167)
During the May riots, his talk shows and columns, such as the
one titled "Ibu Wawah" provided comfort to the persecuted ethnic
minority.
His penchant for humor does not prevent him from being poetic,
somber and melancholic. Take his writing "Tragedy": "Standing the
morning after the Trisakti incident, in the place where several
students were shot, the feeling was sad and lonely. Teenage
children, in the dawn of their prime time, their lives were taken
away from them by hinter shots. Why? They were on campus, were
not rioting, they were even running for shelter ... It felt so
lonely that morning in Trisakti, prior to the people's storm that
swept Jakarta." (pp. 197-198)
Being so unpretentious and ordinary, he has come a long way to
become an extraordinary "ordinary person". Only ordinary people
will understand and justify his "partiality" toward a party he
perhaps did not even vote for because ordinary people do not
possess self-interest for Megawati Soekarnoputri to become
president. Only ordinary people can sit in front of the TV or
read his columns and chuckle at his sarcastic, smart comments on
"cute" Habibie.
On the other hand, only "non-ordinary" or perhaps
"extraordinary" people will waste eight pages badmouthing such a
kind, portly man-next-door. And indeed, only "non-ordinary"
people would ever contemplate how dangerous this comfortingly
vivacious father of two with the afro hairstyle can be.
Fortunately for them, the Ordinary People Party did not contest
the recent elections and was only alive in his playful words.
The book is titillating -- the caricatures featuring him are
amusing -- and it will be hard for ordinary, decent people to
disagree, whether smiling or laughing out loud, with what Wimar
Witoelar has to say.
-- Rahayu Ratnaningsih