Ilmu Komunikasi yang Interdisipliner

Pemahaman akan sifat ilmu komunikasi yang interdisipliner atau multidisipliner, umumnya telah disampaikan kepada para mahasiswa semester awal. Di antara buku pegangan yang cukup popular era 1980-an adalah karangan Onong Uchjana Effendy berjudul “Ilmu komunikasi: Teori dan Praktek”.

Buku ini terbit pertama 1984 dan terus mengalami cetak ulang beberapa kali. Prof Onong merupakan guru besar madya di Fakultas Ilmu komunikasi Universitas Padjajaran yang ditetapkan pada Oktober 1989.

Buku ini dibuka dengan pembahasan yang mengurai asal muasal “komunikasi” yang akhirnya dianggap sebagai suatu ilmu. Pada masanya, komunikasi baru dianggap sebatas “pengetahuan” belum sebagai “ilmu pengetahuan”.

Perkembangan berikutnya membawa kenyataan bahwa begitu kompleks bidang yang terkait dengan komunikasi, sehingga konsep dan teori terus berkembang. Termasuk mendudukan Ilmu komunikasi dalam rumpun Ilmu Pengetahuan Sosial, yang juga sekaligus menjadikan Ilmu komunikasi sebagai ilmu terapan (applied science).

Itu sebabnya, Ilmu komunikasi memiliki sifat interdisipliner atau multidisipliner. Menurut Onong, sifat tersebut karena objek material ilmu ini sama dengan ilmu-ilmu lainnya, terutama yang termasuk ke dalam ilmu sosial atau ilmu kemasyarakatan.

Dari berbagai bahasan, Onong kemudian menyusun sejumlah ikhtisar lingkup ilmu komunikasi, di antaranya diitinjau dari komponennya yang mencakup: komunikator, pesan, media, komunikan, dan efek.

Sementara untuk metode komunikasi, dibagi dalam delapan bidang: jurnalistik (journalism), hubungan masyarakat (public relations), periklanan (adversiting), pameran (exhibition/exposition), publisitas (publicity), propaganda, perang urat syaraf (psychological warfare), dan penerangan.

Dari aspek pengertiannya, istilah komunikasi atau dalam bahasa Inggris communication berasal dari kata Latin communicato, dan bersumber dari kata communis yang berarti sama. Sama di sini maksudnya adalah sama makna (halaman 9).

Penjelasan itu untuk menerangkan bahwa dalam proses komunikasi yang efektif, apa yang dimaksudkan oleh komunikator dalam pesannya, ditangkap dalam makna yang sama oleh komunikan. Bagaimana kalau tidak sama?

Maka terjadilah masalah, dan ini bisa ditelisik secara lebih luas dan mungkin juga rumit, sebab banyak komponen terlibat. Mulai dari cara komunikator mengemas pesan, media yang digunakan, pengetahuan dan wawasan komunikator maupun komunikan.

Era Kekinian

Buku karangan Onong ini ada dalam fasenya sendiri, ketika internet masih belum menjadi primadona saluran komunikasi seperti terjadi para era milenial ini. Maka pembahasan dalam buku ini juga belum mencakup peran internet yang ternyata banyak mengambil alih cara-cara orang berkomunikasi.

Tetapi, buku ini menjadi peletak dasar untuk memahami ilmu komunikasi di Indonesia, yang kala itu masih merupakan pendatang baru di jagad ilmu pengetahuan sosial. Apakah buku ini bisa dianggap sebagai buku klasik bagi ilmu komunikasi? Bisa jadi.

Para mahasiswa, dosen, praktisi komunikasi, bahkan kalangan umum yang memiliki ketertarikan di bidang ini, tetap bisa menjadikannya sebagai referensi, atau minimal bahan bacaan. Agar hal ihwal komukasi bisa dipahami secara benar, baik konsep maupun praksisnya.

Era milenial yang didominasi peran internet, misalnya (sekali lagi, meskipun belum terjangkau oleh bahasan dalam buku ini), telah menujukkan kepada kita semua, betapa bidang komunikasi telah banyak mengubah wajah dunia. Ambil satu contoh dengan maraknya kabar bohong atau hoax.

Mengapa hoax bisa terjadi? Pasti karena ada masalah besar dalam keseluruhan proses komunikasi. Dalam kasus hoax, komunikator (entah siapapun dia) memahami betul kelemahan komunikan era kekinian yang lemah dalam hal wawasan dan pengetahuan. Maka, apapun informasi yang muncul, serta merta dianggap kebenaran.   

Maka, meski buku ini jadul, rasa-rasanya cukup kuat alasan untuk tetap menjadikannya pegangan untuk menyimbangkan pengetahuan semua orang tentang proses komunikasi yang hakiki. (SvE)

USAID, NGO launch orangutan exhibit

Severianus Endi, The Jakarta Post, Ketapang | Fri, 05/04/2012 8:43 AM

Great apes: The International Indonesian Animal Rescue Foundation (YIARI) and several other conservation groups have organized a photo exhibition to mark the launch of the Indonesian Forest and Climate Support (IFACS) Program in Ketapang, West Kalimantan. JP/Severianus EndiVeterinarian Adi Irawan described how a young orangutan was ensnared by a wild boar trap set by residents in a forested area of Kalimantan.


“We will amputate its wrist in the near future to save its life. It is severely infected due to the trap,” Adi, who is also the administrative manager of the International Indonesian Animal Rescue Foundation (YIARI), said.


A photograph of the orangutan was one of several on display at a recent exhibition sponsored by YIARI at the Hotel Aston in Ketapang, West Kalimantan.


YIARI and several other conservation groups organized the exhibition to mark the launch of the Indonesian Forest and Climate Support (IFACS) Program in Kalimantan.


The program is the result of a cooperative agreement between Indonesia and the US, and had been sponsored by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).


Photographs of the 20 adult and 30 infant orangutans currently housed in YIARI’s shelter are on display at the exhibition, and depict how the apes have been confiscated, nurtured and reintroduced into nature.


“We are handling a higher number of infant orangutans than adults. People tend to keep young orangutans because they are regarded as cuter, but as this is a violation. We, together with the BKSDA [Natural Resource Conservation Agency], are conducting confiscation,” Adi said.


The YIARI and the BKSDA have been successful in a campaign to buy the endangered primates from local residents who originally purchased the apes from traders and poachers.


According to Adi, infant orangutans were typically obtained by slaughtering their mothers, as immature orangutans were dependent on their mothers until the age of eight.


“It is sad because whenever an infant orangutan is kept by people, its mother certainly has been killed to get its baby,” Adi said.


YIARI’s keepers typically faced difficulties in controlling orangutans as they neared adulthood, Adi added. Some became violent and had to be transferred to a conservatory.


The foundation has been keeping its orangutans at a temporary shelter while waiting for a permanent camp to be complete on 24 hectares in Sungai Awan village in Ketapang.


The facility will be equipped with a clinic and training enclosure, with most of the area reserved as forest to reintroduce the apes into the wild.


“One individual is now ready to reproduce at the age of 17. The regeneration process is quite long,” Adi said.


Another orangutan habitat is located in a peatland forest in Pematang Gadung, about 30 kilometers south of Ketapang.


Abdurrahman, the head of the Ketapang Biodiversity Keepers (KBK) said that he had planted 2,000 ketiau tree seedlings to help feed the 50 or so orangutans that remained in the area.


“The vegetation in peat forests is dominated by ketiau trees, whose fruit is apparently sought after by orangutans. They help to sow the seeds in other areas from their waste,” said Abdurrahman.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/05/04/usaid-ngo-launch-orangutan-exhibit.html

USAID helps curb deforestation rate in Kalimantan

Severianus Endi, The Jakarta Post, Ketapang | Tue, 05/01/2012 8:03 AM

The United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) mission director, Glenn Andres, seemed to enjoy the multiethnic dance being performed in the ballroom at the Hotel Aston Ketapang in West Kalimantan on Monday during the initiation of the Indonesia Forest and Climate Support (IFACS) scheme in Kalimantan.


He said the dance, performed by teenagers, was inspirational. He said curbing the rapid pace of deforestation should be carried out together with a variety of stakeholders from various backgrounds.


“As was depicted in the multiethnic dance that was full of diversity, we call on every party to work together to curb deforestation and boost economic growth, because West Kalimantan’s natural wealth can provide for future generations,” Glenn said.


The IFACS launch was a manifestation of a US$40 million program, which covers Kalimantan, Aceh and Papua over a four-year time span. For West Kalimantan, USAID–IFACS will work in five regencies — Ketapang, Melawi, North Kayong, Sekadau and Sintang.


“Cooperation between USAID and the Indonesian government has been established for 20 years. The recent memorandum of understanding [MoU] between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and United States President Barrack Obama has made the partnership more comprehensive,” said Glenn.


Although he did not present data, Glenn claimed that the cooperation had significantly improved the management of national parks and forest areas. The only regency head who attended the event was Sintang Regent Milton Crosby.


“We are aware of the impact of global warming, so we need a precise strategy and policy to curb deforestation. On the other hand, when managed wisely, forestry resources, which support life, can be a means of development and absorb manpower,” Milton said.


He explained that Sintang regency, in which forested areas span 1.32 million hectares, or 61 percent of the regency’s total size, has a national park, tourist forests, protected forests, production forests, industrial forests and community-based forests.


USAID-IFACS had earlier signed an MoU with the West Kalimantan administration on Aug. 8, 2011. West Kalimantan’s deputy governor for economics, development and people’s welfare, Lensus Kandri, said the province, which was quite vast and part of the earth’s lungs, spanned 14,687 square kilometers, or 7.5 percent of Indonesia’s total territory.


“The province, which is 1.13 times larger than the island of Java, is facing various forestry issues, such as forest fires, illegal logging and poaching of wildlife,” Lensus said.


The USAID–IFACS launch also coincided with the signing of technical documents between the donor organization and five regency heads.


The partnership program is part of cooperation between the Indonesian government and the US in terms of forestry and climate change and is an integrated program for sustainable forest management and reducing carbon emissions.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/05/01/usaid-helps-curb-deforestation-rate-kalimantan.html

Lawyers called on to help ‘criminalized’ citizens

Severianus Endi, The Jakarta Post, Pontianak | Tue, 04/10/2012 10:29 AM

Efforts to provide people with legal assistance need to be stepped up in the wake of what many call the “gross criminalization” of communities by palm-oil companies.

“It is very important to add the number of pro-citizen lawyers to handle cases of the criminalization of traditional communities, especially because the Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP) and Criminal Code (KUHP) are discriminative in nature and have not accommodated customary laws,” director of the Bela Banua Talino Institute (LBBT) legal resources center, Abdias Yas, said at a seminar on agricultural and forestry laws at Hotel Merpati, Pontianak, West Kalimantan, on Monday.

The seminar, organized by the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) and Sawit Watch, focused on strengthening the Constitutional Court’s decision on agricultural and forestry laws in managing natural resources in West Kalimantan.

This is associated with the granting of a judicial review requested by the community in the court last
September.

The court’s decision is considered as a form of recognition of traditional communities’ access, control and living on land, negated by the state and capital owners.

Abdias said many KUHP articles have been exploited to implicate people defending their own rights, such as Article 335 on discontent action and Article 333 on seizing other people’s freedom.

From 2008 to 2010, LBBT recorded that from the 196 palm-oil plantation permits issued in 10 regencies in West Kalimantan, 58 court cases were heard between companies and residents.

That number only covered cases involving the LBBT.


Tanjungpura University Law School academic Hermansyah said the differences between state and customary laws have led to differing beliefs held by the government and traditional communities, particularly over rights and responsibilities.


“The customary community and their wisdom existed before the country was formed, so their recognition should not be symbolic in nature, but they should get legal protection over their rights,” he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/04/10/lawyers-called-help-criminalized-citizens.html

Female candidates to liven up W. Kalimantan gubernatorial race

The Archipelago

Severianus Endi, The Jakarta Post, Pontianak | Sat, 03/24/2012 2:12 PM

Female candidates are set to liven up the gubernatorial race in West Kalimantan this year, among them House of Representatives member Erma S. Ranik, from the West Kalimantan constituency. 

Erma registered herself as a vice gubernatorial hopeful at the West Kalimantan Democratic Party secretariat office in Pontianak on Wednesday. The party has opened registration for gubernatorial candidates and their running mates for a week from March 19.

"I'm ready to become the West Kalimantan vice governor. As a female politician, I have weighed up everything, including the consequences. I firmly believe registering with the Democratic Party and bow down to party mechanisms," said Erma.

When asked who she would accompany in the race, Erma said she was still waiting for the surveys on a number of figures conducted by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI). 

"The Democratic Party has assigned LSI to conduct surveys on all nominees, including my partner. I will submit to whatever results are delivered," said Erma.

In addition to Erma, another female figure who has registered for the gubernatorial election was Harti Hartijah from the Democratic Party Central Executive Board, who registered through her staff.

The West Kalimantan General Elections Commission (KPUD) has scheduled Sept. 20, 2012, for the gubernatorial election, which would cost up to Rp 132.8 billion (about US$15.5 million) to organize.

"As much as 87 percent of the funds are allocated to KPUD offices in the regencies and mayoralties, and to organizers at the lower levels," said West Kalimantan KPUD head A.R. Muzammil.

The KPUD will immediately update the eligible voters list in May. 

In the previous West Kalimantan gubernatorial election, Cornelis and Christiandy Sanjaya emerged as winners. Their tenures will end on Jan. 13, 2013.
If the election proceeds to the second round, the West Kalimantan KPUD has scheduled the repeat election for Nov. 8, 2012.

Besides Erma and Hartijah, a number of names familiar to the West Kalimantan public will register at the Democratic Party offices, such as incumbent Vice Governor Christiandy Sanjaya, Bengkayang Regent Suryadman Gidot, former Kapuas Hulu regent Abang Tambul Husin, Sintang Regent Milton Crosby, West Kalimantan Chinese Cultural Council chairman Harso Utomo Suwito and several other names. 

Christiandy has stated that he would still team up with incumbent Governor Cornelis, the West Kalimantan Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's Regional Representatives Council chairman.

Solar phenomenon casts no shadows

Archipelago

Severianus Endi, The Jakarta Post, Pontianak | Wed, 03/21/2012 9:26 AM
 
Replica: The Khatulistiwa Monument stands in the heart of Pontianak, West Kalimantan, ready for visitors for the solar culmination on March 21 to 23. The visible columns are replicas of the original monument, built in 1928. JP/Severianus Endi

The atmosphere seemed quiet at the Equatorial (Khatulistiwa) Monument in North Pontianak, West Kalimantan on Monday. Despite being only two days ahead of the equatorial culmination phenomenon, preparation activities were not yet noticeable in the complex located on Jl. Khatulistiwa in the city.

"Preparations for the culmination event will be carried out tomorrow," Pontianak Tourism Office technical implementation unit head Misbar said.

Solar culmination is a natural phenomenon that occurs when the sun is exactly located directly over the equator, to the extent that every shadow of objects on the earth's surface disappears. Shadows of the monument, people or any other standing objects will simply vanish.

The amazing solar phenomenon takes place twice every year, from March 21 (Wednesday) to 23 and from Sept. 21 to 23. The natural spectacle has been packaged as a tourist attraction for many years.

According to Misbar, the number of visitors usually reaches more than 1,000 people during the solar culmination event, while the number of visitors tapers to around 100 on normal days. 

Khatulistiwa Monument maintenance technician Ramli, 36, said the number of visitors usually rises during weekends and holidays.

According to 2011 data, 5,708 foreign tourists visited the monument last year, mostly coming from Malaysia (2,789).
March's culmination moment will be a subtle affair compared to the more joyful event held in September, which coincides with Pontianak's anniversary.

Pontianak municipal councilor Arif Joni Prasetyo said the monument tended to have received less attention because the land is owned by the military.

"However, lobbying efforts have been made so the area can be upgraded to take advantage of its potential as a tourist attraction and educational area. The monument and surrounding areas must be renovated," said Arif.

Local resident Lorens, 39, whose house is just 200 meters from the monument, said that the site was disorganized and chaotic. He hoped the government would organize it better and raise the tourism awareness of local residents. "Especially at night when the place is dark, people don't see it as an interesting tourist site," said Lorens.

The head of the West Kalimantan chapter of the Indonesian Tour Operators Association (HPI), M. Tasuri, 44, who has been involved in the tourism industry as a guide for 18 years, said most foreign clients tended to accept the condition of the facility as it is.

"Nature has created something such as the culmination of the sun, and the monument is even located in the city, which is a very big benefit," said Tasuri, who is better known as Alex Afdal by foreign tourists.

The Khatulistiwa Monument is located only 3 kilometers from the heart of Pontianak. The four columns that can be seen from the road today are replicas, as the original smaller monument, built in March, 1928, is located inside a square domed structure at the foot of the replica.

Information on its history is available on the walls inside the dome, including old photographs and detailed explanations. As the information center explains, an international expedition team, led by a Dutch geographer, arrived in March, 1928 to set the equatorial point or milestone in Pontianak.

Today's monument differs from the original, as it has undergone four changes. When it was built in 1928, the monument little more than a simple milestone with arrows. In 1930, the monument was revised, adding a circular structure around the arrows.

It further revised in 1938, and again in 1990 by adding a dome to protect the original monument and constructing the replica monument, which was five times bigger than the original. The monument, as it stands today, is made up of four black wooden pillars. 

Tour packages, including visits to the monument and the charms of the Kapuas River, offer visitors an interesting glimpse of Pontianak. Visitors can stop at Kadriyah Palace, built by Sultan Syarif Abdurrahman Al Kadrie on Oct. 23, 1771, and the nearby Jami Mosque with its unique wooden pillars, and finish the tour at the Khatulistiwa Monument via a boat ride along Kapuas River.

Two potential ecotourist attractions offer breathtaking panorama

Archipelago

Severianus Endi, The Jakarta Post, Pontianak | Fri, 03/16/2012 11:33 AM

Beautiful panorama: Motorists pass by Kuri Hill — one of several potentially untapped tourist destinations in Ketapang, West Kalimantan. JP/Severianus Endi

Two potential tourist attractions in an isolated part of Ketapang regency, West Kalimantan, are in need of extra attention from the regency administration as not many people know about the Kuri and Keruat rocky hills in Sungai Laur district or the legend surrounding them.

The Ketapang Council deputy speaker, Budi Matheus, said the administration should think of a way to develop the location as a conservation area. "The area is very exotic and should be developed into a resort area. Obviously, the hills should receive official status, too," Budi said.

Kuri and Keruat hills are located next to each other in an area of natural forest and small hills. Ketapang is located around 245 kilometers from the provincial capital Pontianak and can be reached by traveling on the Trans-Kalimantan highway, which connects with Central Kalimantan.

The head of the Ketapang Tourism and Culture Office, Yudho Sudarto, said there was very little accurate information about the two hills. "Both the hills provide habitat for an endemic bat species, which lives in caves within them," said Yudho. 

During the fruit season, the area is known for its local durian. Yudho said the hills were potential ecotourism destinations. "The cliffs on Kuri Hill could be turned into a rock-climbing arena. We have yet to obtain information on what would be needed. So far, we only have personal accounts from locals," said Yudho.

Breathtaking views of Kuri and Keruat hills can be enjoyed from several places along the road, such as Kalam hamlet, located around 5 km from the Sungai Laur district capital, Aur Kuning.

The peak of Kuri Hill appears like a pyramid, while Keruat Hill resembles a giant dome with vegetation covering its surface. The village of Aur Kuning offers a relatively clear view of both hills.

Marsia Milan, 22, a local midwife, has climbed to the peak of Kuri Hill on several occasions. "From close up, Kuri Hill looks like a giant boulder planted on the ground," Marsia said in Sungai Daka village, which is located less than 3 km from Aur Kuning.

In November last year, Marsia and several of her friends hiked up Kuri Hill, only taking an hour to reach the top. "When we were near the peak, we had to hold on to tree roots to maintain our foothold," Marsia said.

With regards to the legend surrounding the hills, an elder from Sungai Daka village, Elisius Kendek, 81, said both hills were fragments that had broken away from another larger hill called Batu Daya Hill.
Batu Daya Hill is located in Simpang Dua district, some 25 km from Aur Kuning. In the local dialect, residents call it Botuh Daya. Some call it Unta Hill, because it resembles the hump of a camel.

"[Legend has it that] a giant bird became enraged when an animal disturbed its eggs. In its anger, it tore at the peak of Batu Daya Hill with its talons and some of the fragments landed near Aur Kuning and became the Kuri and Keruat Hills," said Kendek, grandfather to 13 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

 
"According to folklore, an old man from the village, named Kek Terenggau, who was a giant, picked up the broken rocks and arranged them into a sabar bubu (fish trap) and a grindstone for his machete," added Kendek.

The sabar bubu was made by damming up the Laur River. It can still be seen when rapids form near Sepotong village, which is located 10 km from Aur Kuning.

 
Magdalena Ande, 54, a local grandmother, said before being attacked by the giant bird, Batu Daya Hill was reputed to have been very tall — almost reaching the sky. "In the story passed down to us through the generations, the gigantic bird was called the burung Garuda," added Ande.

Rubber cultivated to protect family lands

Severianus Endi, The Jakarta Post, Pontianak | Fri, 03/09/2012 9:14 AM 

Budding prospects: Teenage girls and boys, trained by a program for young farmers, inspect the stems of rubber seedlings grown on peatland in Teluk Bakung in Kubu Raya, West Kalimantan. JP/Severianus Endi

A group of teenage girls seems oblivious to the intense mid-afternoon sunlight in Loncek hamlet. They happily inspect the stems of rubber seedlings grown in a 1-hectare farm located in peat land.

They are replacing rotten seedlings. The previous week, the farm was flooded and a number of seedlings had withered. Some teenage boys clear tree stumps with chainsaws and later gather and burn them.

Loncek hamlet is located 60 kilometers from the West Kalimantan capital, Pontianak. It is accessible by the smoothly paved Trans-Kalimantan Highway, which connects with a 10-kilometer dirt road through an oil palm plantation to Loncek.

Loncek is one of the seven hamlets in Teluk Bakung village, Kubu Raya regency. It has 876 inhabitants, or 124 families. The surrounding forest has been encroached to make way for oil palm plantations.

The teenagers are members of the Palambon Pucuk Baguas Young Farming Group (KTM). In the local Dayak Kanayan dialect, palambon is the name of a local rubber variant. Pucuk baguas means waving branches.

"Each weekend, we plant and take care of the rubber saplings. We have planted 3,000 rubber seedlings," said Nani, 23, secretary of Palambon Pucuk Baguas KTM, at the rubber farm.

The farm is only around 3 kilometers from the their hamlet. A 16 square-meter thatched bamboo shelter serves as their base camp. Nearby is a small plot of rubber saplings, planted in sawdust.

An NGO in Pontianak provides counseling especially to teenage school-dropouts in the hamlet. It has chosen rubber farming to protect residents' land from expanding oil palm plantations.

Nani is the only group member who finished her education at a polytechnic, while the others only have an elementary or junior-high school education or dropped out of senior-high school.

They learn bud grafting at the Pontianak Diocese Dharma Bhakti Rubber Seedling Center located in Nyarumkop, Singkawang, some 160 kilometers from Pontianak.

Every guest must plant a seedling which will be recorded in the database. So far, 400 seedlings have been grafted. The process is quite tricky and sensitive. If the seedlings are contaminated by just a small amount of water, they will be damaged.

"On regular days, our members work as rubber tappers and harvest cerucuk timber," said Nani. The cerucuk timber, taken from the forest, is sold as building material. The peaty soil in the area requires cerucuk timber to reinforce building foundations.

A cerucuk tree usually measures 8 centimeters in diameter and is 4 meters long. "We carefully select the cerucuk trees before felling them," said Leonardus, 27, leader of the Palambon Pucuk Baguas KTM.

Leonardus graduated from a vocational school in Pontianak. He said he was motivated to return to his village after learning of the threat from the expanding palm oil plantations.

"We are striving to protect our 20-hectare family plot like a fortress," said Leonardus, adding that the total palm oil concession area had increased to around 12,000 hectares.

"We have often been coaxed by palm oil companies to surrender the land, but we don't want to," he said.

Cutting down cerucuk timber remains a temporary option for now. Loggers usually set a target of felling 100 trees per day. If a tree is sold for Rp 1,800 (20 US cents), each of them can earn Rp 180,000 daily.

"The cerucuk trees will run out so we must think about the future. Rubber tapping is our preference because it can last a long time provided the rubber trees are well maintained," said Paulinus, 24, another group member.

A hectare of rubber trees can produce 30 kilograms of latex daily. "Let's say the price of latex is Rp 11,000 per kilogram, a rubber tapper can earn Rp 333,000 daily, which is quite promising," said Paulinus.

The youths also learn management and marketing. The rubber seedlings are attached with codes denoting the members who cultivated them and the members are provided with manuals and video CDs containing planting and maintenance tutorials.

Loncek hamlet chief Donatus Dino said the active participation of the teenagers was something to be encouraged.

"Through the youth participation, we have seen changes in our hamlet, which is already 105 years old," said Donatus.

Dual currency operates in border areas

Severianus Endi, The Jakarta Post, Pontianak | Wed, 02/29/2012 9:54 AM  

Crossing the line: People walk through a border post between Entikong, West Kalimantan, and Tebedu, Serawak in Malaysia, on Feb. 5. JP/Severianus Endi

It was still only 4:10 a.m. on a Sunday in early February but a long line of buses and cars had already formed at Jl. Malindo near the Entikong border crossing in Sanggau regency, which separates Indonesia's West Kalimantan from Sarawak, East Malaysia.

"It's busy at this time. They are lining up to enter Sarawak because the gate doesn't open till 5 a.m.," said a man having coffee in a nearby eatery.

The eatery is owned by Adi, 37, of Sambas regency, West Kalimantan. He has been running it for the past two years and transactions are carried out in both countries' currencies — the Indonesian rupiah (Rp) and Malaysian ringgit (RM).

Adi's eatery is located a stone's throw from the border. The area is called Pasar Baru, or Bandar Mutiara by Malaysian visitors. There is a passport checkpoint for residents who wish to cross over to Malaysia.

Adi said that in general he carried out transactions in both rupiah and ringgit. In a day, he said transactions could reach up to RM 200, or around Rp 600,000, with an exchange rate of RM 1 to about Rp 3,000.

His customers are mostly Malaysian tourists who have traveled to West Kalimantan. If they pay in rupiah, it indicates they have stayed in West Kalimantan for a day or two and still have a little rupiah left over.

Usually, Malaysian citizens traveling to West Kalimantan change large amounts of ringgit into rupiah at the money changer located a few doors down from Adi's eatery. However, Adi can also manage a small amount of currency exchange.

A waitress at the Bintang Kiki Hotel in Sontas hamlet, around 4 km before the Entikong border, said that those who do not travel by car or bus could take a public minivan to Sarawak.

"Indonesians prefer to shop for groceries in Serian, which is larger than Tebedu," she said.

Tebedu is a bustling transit town where business can still be conducted in rupiah as it is relatively near the border. Tebedu is often visited by visitors from West Kalimantan to shop or just have lunch.

The distance between Tebedu and the Entikong border is only 4 km and costs RM 2 by public van.

"But the border gate closes at 5 p.m. If you are late, you have to stay for the night and wait for the gate to re-open at 5 a.m.," said the waitress, who preferred not to be named.

Tebedu, Serian and Kuching, in Sarawak are favorite destinations visited by West Kalimantan residents. Tebedu is only 15 minutes' drive along a well-maintained road lined by forest and meadows.

The fare to Serian, which is 30 minutes away, is RM 7, while the fare from Entikong to Kuching, a distance of around 90 kilometers, is RM 15 by public minivan.

A bus journey from Pontianak to Entikong takes up to seven hours. Buses generally leave Pontianak at 9 p.m. and arrive at the border gate before 5 a.m.

The bus fare from Pontianak to Kuching costs Rp 165,000 (about US$18), but it costs the same to stop in Entikong, where many cars with Malaysian license plates can be noticed.

Those who wish to travel to Sarawak in their own cars must pay road tax at the local transportation office and apply for a permit from Jawatan Pengawas Jalanraya (JPJ), the Malaysian transportation office.

A car permit is valid for a month. There are two stickers attached to the car, one from the local transportation office and the other from JPJ. Motorists must pay Rp 90,000 to the local transportation office and RM 70 to JPJ for the car permit.

Malaysian police officers usually conduct traffic surveillance on suspicious cars traveling from West Kalimantan to Sarawak. They often inspect cars to check the identities of passengers.

Residing in areas close to the border means carrying a passport is commonplace.
Areifhany Ransha, 21, a university student in Pontianak who hails from Pengadang village, Sekayam district, Sanggau regency, said it was usual for a border resident to own a passport.

"Everyone in our family, except our youngest sibling, has a passport. At times we visit our uncle who is married to a Malaysian and lives in Kuching," said Areifhany.

A resident of Sontas hamlet, Juwin, 50, said he had worked in Malaysia when he was young. He recalled that working there was very pleasant because everything was well organized and he received his salary once a fortnight.

"But for me, it's still nice to be an Indonesian. It's more peaceful living in our own home village," said Juwin, who owns a rubber farm now.

"It's easy to find a job in Sarawak, if you want to. They are in dire need of workers due to limited manpower there," said Juwin, who is from the Dayak Bidayuh tribe which is related to a similar tribe in Sarawak.

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On border, children prefer to study in Malaysia

Headlines

Severianus Endi, The Jakarta Post, Kapuas Hulu | Wed, 02/22/2012 8:23 AM

Puring Kencana, located at the farthest end of Kapuas Hulu, West Kalimantan, is only a stone's throw from East Malaysia. From the district capital of Sungai Antu, it is just a one-and-a-half hour walk through a forest and over a hill to the nearest town of Batu Lintang, Engkelili district, Sarawak, Malaysia.

"About 30 percent of the school-age children in the district prefer to attend school in Malaysia," said Puring Kencana Education Office's Technical Implementation Unit head, Mansir, late last week.

As an example, he said that eight of the 15 elementary school children in Kantik Balau village had moved to a school in Malaysia. In Kantuk Asam village, more than 20 pupils have also chosen to study in the neighboring country.

Mansir said the school principal in East Malaysia regularly carried out education campaigns at the houses in hamlets located along the border.

"When he arrives, he is greeted more cordially than our officials. Residents hang garlands around his neck and give him presents. If our officials visit the hamlets, they are likely to be ignored," said

Mansir, who graduated from elementary and junior high schools in Engkelili district, Sarawak.
In the neighboring country, if a family consists of three children, they will all be given scholarships and one of them a laptop. They stay in a dormitory with free facilities, including lunch for visiting parents.

Generally, pupils from Sungai Antu village attend school in Batu Lintang, Sarawak, while those from Merakai Panjang, Kantuk Badau and Kantuk Asam hamlets study in Paku city.

Malaysia has a five-day school system, so every Friday afternoon, the children return to their villages to see their families and return to school on Sunday afternoon.

Puring Kencana district, comprising six villages and 16 hamlets, has nine state elementary schools with a total of 245 pupils, and one state junior high school with 27 students. The district measures 484.03 square kilometers and has a population of 2,518.

SMPN 1 Puring Kencana state junior high school principal Yoseph Sidi said there was no restriction on children from the district attending schools abroad.

"They can obtain identity cards and Malaysian citizenship if they study there," said Sidi.
Consequently, the quota for junior high school enrollments has never been met due to the huge number of students studying in Malaysia. This year, only seven third graders were enrolled and none enrolled last year.

"Among the problems that we face are damaged sports equipment despite it never being used, and sometimes teachers are gone for months. We haven't used our textbook packages but the curriculum has changed. We are also very much left behind in information," said Sidi.

Puring Kencana district head Hermanus Jemayung said the main stimulus was the countless facilities and conveniences offered in Malaysia.

He, however, expressed concern about the negative aspects, especially the ideology ingrained in the children.

"Not all the children studying in Malaysia will be absorbed into the workforce there. When they return home and bring the foreign ideology, it can be a burden to development," said Jemayung.

Puring Kencana People's Welfare division head Andreas Sadi said his office was summarizing data on residents' mobility to Malaysia. He urged every village and hamlet head to collect data on the matter.

"There are three purposes for people to move to Malaysia — to reside, to work and to study. Some of the residents are unwilling to be registered, so the data available to me has yet to illustrate the whole picture," said Sadi.

Based on preliminary data gathered, 36 of 39 elementary pupils have moved to schools in Malaysia and 33 residents worked there.

The figure is the highest compared to other villages and hamlets, because it is located only 15 kilometers from Paku, Sarawak.

The head of the population and civil registry office of the Kapuas Hulu regency, Marcellus Basso, said it was difficult to detect whether any of the villagers had changed their nationality.

If they live in Malaysia for a long time, they are usually adopted by Tuai Rumah, a local traditional leader, which makes them eligible to receive resident certificates.

"Such legality enables them to have an ID and become Malaysian citizens," Marcellus said.
Kapuas Hulu regency has a population of 227,117, according to the Population Administration Information System.

The regency has 23 districts covering 29,842 square kilometers, roughly equalling the combined areas of West Java and Banten provinces.

"I have heard that working there is safe only during the day because during the night they have to hide in the forest to avoid raids," Marcellus said.

From the provincial capital of Pontianak, the distance to the Kapuas Hulu regency capital, Putussibau, is 814 kilometers. The distance between Putussibau and Puring Kencana is 259 kilometers, of which 26 kilometers of road is in poor condition.

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