Simon Palan's diary

APJC fellows and Star newspaper editorial staff relax in the paper's internet TV studio. ABC TV reporter Simon Palan was one of eight Australian journalists to take part in the 2006 APJC fellowship program: a study tour of Indonesia and Malaysia. Sunday June 4 Melbourne The unofficial program began with a meet-and-greet session at the APJC headquarters in Melbourne and an opportunity for APJC fellows to discuss their expectations and goals for the trip. While many of us file regular stories involving Indonesia and Malaysia as part of our daily reporting duties, the trip was a chance to experience the two countries first hand. Some of us wanted to file regularly on the trip, but others just wanted to put the pen down for a few days and experience the two cultures at their core. Our first commitment was to experience a bit of Melbourne culture at its core, with dinner and red wine at a nearby restaurant. Monday, June 5 - Melbourne briefing seminar. The official program began with briefing session on Indonesia and Malaysia at the Sidney Myer Asia Centre at the University of Melbourne, where a panel of Melbourne-based journalists and academics expert on the two countries offered their frameworks on how to approach the journey ahead. Then it was off to Melbourne airport for the 8-hour flight to Malaysia. Tuesday, June 6 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We had arrived late last night but were up early for a visit to the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter Terrorism. Seated around a large boardroom table, we heard the centre's director general, Hussin Nayan, predict that there's "no chance" of a major terrorist attack in Australia. It came as a surprise to those of us used to DFAT's less optimistic forecasts. Another of Mr Nayan's interesting comments was that there is no terrorism in Malaysia because the economy is so strong. "If your people are well off they have no reason to incite violence," he said. After some briefings at the Australian High Commission, we visited a government-linked think tank, the Institute of Strategic and International Studies, where chairman Dato Jawhar led a spirited discussion on Malaysia's attitude toward the west. He maintained that Malaysia's occasional resentment toward Australia and the US would not affect economic relationships with either country. Also present was a group of Australian Young Leaders, who later joined us for dinner, along with some Chinese Malaysian business leaders. Wednesday, June 7 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The day began with a 30-minute bus ride to the majestic Putrajaya, the "Canberra of Malaysia". In plush government offices, Mr Sulaiman of the National Economic Action Council told us that Malaysia is very concerned about the growth of China and India. The Malaysian government doesn't know how its economy will compete, given the cheap labor in both countries. The plan, according to My Sulaiman, is to focus on scientific and technological development, that is build machines to do most of the work instead of paying Malaysian wage rates. He also said he doesn't think Malaysia's "Islamisation" will have any impact on local investment from countries like the US and Australia. The group then went to Putrajaya's impressive looking mosque. The women in the group donned equally impressive pink hooded robes and we walked across the vast concourse, with its views of an adjacent lake. It was prayer time and we were not able to enter because, the security guard noted, we weren't Muslim. Then, following yet another opulent lunch, this time with newspaper editors, the group toured the offices of the Star newspaper, the English language national daily. All the print journos agreed the Star's offices were remarkably similar to their own. That afternoon, amid one of Kuala Lumpur's daily thunderstorms, we went to the Institute of Islamic understanding, where Dr Syed Tawfik Ali Alattas told us that his group's role is to try to correct the misrepresentations and misunderstandings of Islam. We then took part in our first non-economic, non-political, non-religious, non-terrorism related event: shopping. We checked out the Petronius Towers complex for our first taste of consumerism since the tour began. The towers were only a short walk from the Salona Theatre restaurant where we had a buffet and a few beers. Thursday, June 8 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This morning the group was treated to a much needed sleep-in. At 10am we headed to the International Movement for a Just World, or JUST, whose most recent work has been aimed at protecting places of worship in war zones. They're also calling on government to have a more regimented policy on guest workers. It was another hefty talk fest that helped build a big appetite. So we went to an excellent restaurant, the Raju, for our first experience of traditional Malaysian life; the food was served on banana leaves and we ate with our hands. Nearby were the humble offices of the Sisters of Islam, the final engagement for the day before flying to Kota Bharu. Sisters of Islam, or SIS, is a women's rights group in the Islamic framework. They advocate against polygamy, and they helped persuade the government to introduce the domestic violence act. It was interesting to hear how SIS Program Manager Norhayadi Kaprawi straddles her commitment to Islam, alongside her motivation toward ensuring equal rights for women. Friday, June 9 - Kota Bharu, Malaysia. We arrived in Kota Bharu last night after a short flight from KL. We've come to experience one of Malaysia's most conservative Muslim areas. Soon after we checked in to the hotel, I went to KFC and was served a Zinger burger by a woman in full Islamic dress. There's a McDonald's, too, just round the corner. Later, a local member of the youth wing of the political grouping UMNO told us that the existence of such western icons comes all in the name of "commerce". But he also said his party believes that men and women should NOT be treated equally, and that the only reason the Sisters of Islam were against polygamy is that they're scared their husbands will fall in love with other women. That afternoon the group met Hu Pong Chaw of the non-Muslim supporters club of the PAS political party. He's a Chinese-Malay who supports PAS because he says it's less extremist. But his own profession may also have had some influence over his voting intentions. He's a property developer, and up until five years ago when it lost power, the rival UMNO had outlawed Chinese ownership of land in Kelantan. By the end of that meeting the group felt as though we'd had enough politics for one day, so a bus ride out to a secluded village for a cultural performance came as a welcome relief. But we encountered much more than just relief at the village of Kampong Dewn Kecil. It was the highlight of the whole trip. As we got off the bus a group of young children on two stages began singing, dancing and playing traditional Malaysian instruments. It wasn't the performance itself that made it so amazing to witness, it was the context it was being made in. This kind of cultural performance was banned under the ruling PAS Islamic party, partly because it brought men and women on stage together. But for the last few years ex-journalist Eddin Kho has been preserving the tradition, and PAS has begun to turn a blind eye. We watched children with wide smiles engage in this important tradition, some of them for the very first time. Seeing their happiness from doing what seems for us such a simple activity helped the group understand how repressed many Malaysians have been. Saturday, June 10 - Kota Bharu, Malaysia. With no scheduled activities for the day, the fellows were left to their own devices. Some went to the markets, others did some much needed exercise. In the afternoon the group travelled north, near the Thai border to see the annual competition for kite flying, which is a Malaysian tradition. That night we made the short flight back to KL and checked into the airport hotel. Sunday, June 11 - Solo, Indonesia. We woke up at 4.30am for the early morning short flight to Solo. The highly anticipated 'snack box', didn't materialise, but the hotel opened the breakfast room early especially for us. Still half asleep, the group made our way to the airport, only to find that the flight was delayed two hours. Eventually we touched down in Solo, where we were met by local tour guide Ahyani, and local journalists Rieska, Anton and Ifran. After lunch we headed to the Windan Pesantren (an Islamic boarding school) where we saw the modest conditions the students live in. It looked as though their facilities amounted to not much more than a mattress, but they say their devotion to the school, and to Islam, will never be challenged. The Ngruki Pesantren - founded by the spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiah Abu Bakar Bashir - isn't far away. We were given rare access to the school's leaders, and with Bashir being released from prison in a few days time, we were all aware of the possibility of filing stories on our visit. After pleasantries were exchanged questioning soon turned to the issue of Bashir's future role. The school's leaders told us that the Muslim cleric would return to head the school and that enrolments would increase as a result. They also claimed that Indonesian prosecutors are assembling no new cases against Bashir. Combined with some other more general information about celebrations of his release, many of us had enough material to file some stories back home. That night we drove to Jogjakarta and checked into the more than comfortable Mercure hotel - we had been "bumped up" because the hotel we were originally booked into was closed because of recent earthquake damage. Monday, June 12 - Jogjakarta, Indonesia. This morning some of us woke to the unmistakably Indonesian sounds of a gamelan (a kind of xylophone) filtering softly up from the ground floor. Our colleague Sacha placed her microphone next to the instruments for later use in a radio current affairs story [LINK]. We then went to visit Professor Ahmed Syafi Ma'arif, a well-known and senior figure with Muhammadiyah, the second largest Muslim grouping in Indonesia. humanitarian group. He had some negative things to say about the Bush administration. He also said that small inroads are being made to combat corruption in Indonesia, but that it remains a huge problem. From there we went by tour bus to a village in Bantul to inspect the devastation caused by the earthquake. Most houses in the area looked like construction sites. The children, whose lives had been shattered too, were overwhelmed when our tour leader gave them toy Koalas. Apart from this sight of joyful faces, the half-hour visit was a depressing experience. We then joined a car convoy headed by the sultan and governor of Jogjakarta, Sri Sultan Homengkubuwona, on his way to address the students of a school destroyed by the earthquake. To our anguish and embarrassment, our bus became the centre of attention when it became jammed under a tarpaulin being used to provide much needed shelter for homeless earthquake victims. Smiling villagers managed to lift the tarp to allow us through. Definitely not one of the highlights of the trip. Good news came a short time later when the sultan pledged 420 million Rupiah to rebuild the school. Tuesday, June 13 - Jogjakarta, Indonesia. We checked out of the hotel and headed for the active volcano of Mount Merapi. While its activity had been a cause of concern for some weeks, the threat of eruption had decreased in recent days. Local tour leader Ahyani, who is a geologist as well as a journalist, arranged for us to view the mountain from an observation post four kilometres from the summit. We had to wear face masks to protect us from the ash that spews constantly from the peak. We also visited the bunker where workers at the post can take cover in the event of an eruption. After another Nasi Goreng lunch, we headed for the 8th century Buddhist monastery of Borobudur. It was a photographic feast which lasted an hour, and was the final stop before the two-hour bus ride to Semarang. Wednesday, June 14 - Semarang, Indonesia. It was a slow start to the day. In the morning most of the group visited the old city. That afternoon we went to the National Police Academy and met Adjie Ramdja, who oversees the training of new police cadets. He spoke of the Indonesian police force's moves to increase the number of women in the force and how they were included for the first time two years ago. He also told us of his frustration with new human rights laws which are preventing police from detaining suspects. After the briefing we went on a tour of the police academy's extensive grounds, which include an oval housing a plane, a bus and a ship, which are used terrorism simulation scenarios. In the afternoon we were scheduled to take a 5-hour train trip to Jakarta, but Ahyani made the call of the tour by suggesting we fly instead. We got to Jakarta in time for dinner and little else. Thursday, June 15 - Jakarta, Indonesia. The embassy in Jakarta, Australia's largest, has taken on a whole new look since it was bombed in 2004, with its fortress-like walls and security stricter than an airport. At briefings meetings with key embassy officials we learned about Australia's role in disaster relief and reconstruction work in Jogjakarta and Ache, and received updates on other Australian development assistance and cooperation between the two countries in defence, security and other areas. We then met Indonesia's Defence Minister Pak Jurare Squadron, who, Rieska informed us, has been voted one of Indonesia's sexiest men. Pak Squadron said that as a motivation for terrorism, religion is just a front and that the real issue is the lack of life opportunities many would-be terrorists face. He said the terrorist threat in Australia is very low. This and many of his other comments reflected those of Hussin Nayan of the South East Asia Regional Centre for Counter Terrorism. The third appointment for the day was with Abdul Has Amir of the United Nations. He told us about the complexities of providing relief for disaster hit areas. Friday, June 16 - Jakarta, Indonesia. After a 40-minute bus ride through the sprawling metropolis that is Jakarta, the group finally made it to the offices of Pantau, a media think tank. We sat round a big table with some of the local journos who make up Pantau. They once published a magazine, called Pantau, that used "narrative journalism". It's described as a form of writing that rebels against the inverted pyramid style taught to journalism students around the world. It also uses long articles, longer than features, perhaps even novel length, and the story is always written through the eyes of one of the stakeholders. Pintae's magazine went bust, but the group is still very active training journalists. And, like Pantau, former Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, refuses to give up altogether. He was the final appointment of the trip. He no longer heads it, but still helps lead Nahdatul Ulama, the largest Muslim organisation in Indonesia. Most recently, he's come out strongly against anti-pornography legislation, because he believes it should be up to the community to rule out pornography, not the state. He also said he has no objection to John Howard speaking out against the release of Abu Bakar Bashir, and that Bashir's pesantren breeds terrorists. That night, our last, John led a group feedback session, which was very positive. All of us were ecstatic about the experience and felt our goals were more than fulfilled. We were exposed to so many aspects of Malaysian and Indonesian society, with access to people and institutions we would not have had if travelling alone. And as well as the learning, we all got on very well, with down time often filled with hysterical laughter. Our work over, the final group activity was dinner at a classy Thai restaurant. Then Anton took us to a bar near the hotel. The tour ended in a predictable fashion: drinking oversized bottles of Bintang. We flew home the next day. Ruth Pollard .. signing in at the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter Terrorism In the Windan pesantren near Solo, central Java.. that's me on the right. Amanda McLeay .. showing traditional flair.