To Malaysia, with love
Antariksawan Jusuf, Jakarta | Thu, 01/06/2011 9:58 AM | Opinion
Dear Malaysia,
I congratulate you and especially your national football team for winning the AFF championship for the first time since its inception in 1996. How outstanding that your team has been recognized as the best squad in Southeast Asia, in football, the most popular sport in the region.
You deserve it!
Forget the complaints of Indonesian players who threatened to walk out in the second half of the first leg of the final at Bukit Jalil Stadium. I think they were just looking for an excuse for their defeat. Lasers, they said, right? What lasers? It was just supporters trying to find a means to celebrate Christmas inside the stadium. Everybody loves watching the lights in the stadium, right?
And thanks to you, the whole world will now refer to any lasers at stadiums as “Malaysian Lasers”. A true-blue Malaysian invention, unlike angklung or batik, which Malaysia and Indonesia share as common elements of our cultural heritage.
Don’t worry about these laser cheating accusations. They will soon fade. The trophy is the most important thing.
We also like the championship trophy that has now eluded us for the fourth time, but we enjoy the game more. We just love the beautiful game. That’s why we didn’t point lasers at players at Bung Karno Stadium. We simply wanted fair play.
We enjoy watching our players with Garuda, our national emblem, on their chest. Oh yes, we composed a special song for them. And we sang it throughout the match because we love the game.
While the stadium has a capacity for 88,000 people, there were around 95,000 fans in it that day. Do you know that in terms of average income Indonesians earn less than Malaysians (that’s why we send more domestic maids to Malaysia, right?), but football tickets here cost five times more than the price you pay. But those Indonesian fans do not mind spending more money on their beloved team.
There were some 20,000 additional supporters wearing the same red jerseys outside the stadium watching the match on big screens, simply because they could not afford the tickets but were willing to cheer for their heroes (and to forget the difficulties of the life they face every day, of course).
Some of these fans find heroes in football players because they fail to discover role models in their everyday life. From them, they learn the true meaning of fairness, determination, inspirations and hard work, exemplary characteristics that they cannot find in other leaders.
Let me tell you how important football is to us: The hike in ticket prices from Rp 50,000 (US$5.50) to Rp 75,000 raised concerns from our President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. He called on our football association, the PSSI, to reduce the ticket prices to the original price because of the importance of football as a catalyst for resolving the nation’s problems. Never mind the skyrocketing prices of chili from Rp 20,000 to Rp 60,000 per kilogram. Chili is the main ingredient of sambal or chili sauce that is a must in every Indonesian family and the impacts of its price increase are serious indeed.
And because the football competition is so important, many fans, especially politicians, love to enter the change rooms of our players. There is nothing wrong with a leader giving our players a pat on the back, right?
We still love our players, even though they failed to win the AFF trophy in 2010. We cannot wait for the next competition in 2012. And I hope you don’t try to defend the trophy using lasers, so our players have a fair chance at bringing the cup home. Promise, OK? (Petikan The Jakarta Post, 7 Januari 2011).
The writer is a sports acquisition manager at an Indonesian TV station.
Post Comments | Comments (35) diazzaid84, damansara, malaysia | Fri, 07/01/2011 - 18:01pm
To the writer of this article, let me point out a few MISLEADING facts by you which OBVIOUSLY require CORRECTIONS.
First, I bet this is the 1st time u've ever watched football match in your life. why do i say so? because even in the first leg where M'sia was beaten 5-1 by Indon, laser was being used by Indon supporter. U didn't notice that? then, go check it at AFF official website.
Regarding few number of Malaysians buying tickets at GBK, HELLOOOO! who the hell want's to spend hours (or even worse, days) to buy a piece of ticket with three entry stages (coupon, voucher, ticket)? We malaysians don't really have free times like indon for the sake of getting ticket which at the end of the day caused riot. duhhh...so unsystematic.
lastly, given your harsh & bias statements towards M'sian team and supporters, i really doubt it how u can become a so-called Sports Acquisition Manager? i bet through CORRUPTION huh? like most indons do. hahaha!
Lauren, Palembang | Fri, 07/01/2011 - 16:01pm
Um, what is this article about? Is the author trying to imply that politicians are going into the change rooms for more than a pat on the back? Ew gross.
Actually I think the sarcasm is pretty mean. I don't think football means more to Indonesians than it does to Malaysians. The reason so many fans went to the stadium and watched that game on television as opposed to all the other football games like in house premier league or Asian champions league, is because for them it was WAR. Or as close to war with Malaysia as Indonesia could get. The rivalry is incredible between you guys and the football just seems to exacerbate it!
Cristina Tsan, Kuala Lumpur | Fri, 07/01/2011 - 15:01pm
I am amazed by the what Antariksawan wrote to Malaysia, with love. I love Indonesia, the people, food, unique culture and places. I am going to Jakarta soon to stay, eat and meet new friends. We celebrate our differences because we appreciate the differences. Yes, love each other as human-kind is the most happy feeling of all.
Forget the sour grapes and self-pitiful souls. In sports, someone got to lose in order for the other one to win, vice versa. Thats why we love sports. We never know when we lose or win until the last of each game. The new game, we start all over again with that unknown feeling of lost or won.
Andra Raimi Bin Hafez, Penang, Malaysia | Fri, 07/01/2011 - 15:01pm
People to people relationship between Malaysia and Indonesia is at all time excellent. The poor Indonesian appreciate Malaysian more then their middle class and politicians do. There are certain parties from Malaysia running a hate Malaysia campaign using their proxies in Indonesia.They are everywhere, on the streets(Bendera)and in the medias and JP is not exempted.They are here..in every JP forum. You can identify them from their comments using multiple fictious names.Obviously they are being paid by desperate politicians. They are just repeating what was said in the blogs posted by the opposition parties.Let's keep JP forum free from politics. Hidup Indonesia. !!!!
Ron, Sydney | Fri, 07/01/2011 - 14:01pm
Sour grapes, anyone?
Move on, please.
dewa, penang | Fri, 07/01/2011 - 13:01pm
In addition Malaysia is the only truth brothers that you can depend on.. Do you think Spore will help if you have problem? Only rich people can be their friends and you can see how many rich indons welcome there. Do you know whre all these ill stricken, poor and uneducated indons goes to?? Only Malaysia can welcome them... so please be grateful when you have neigbours like us..
brisco, kuala lumpur | Fri, 07/01/2011 - 12:01pm
well, the use of laser is common. in fact the laser of that kind can not do any harm to the eyes. if markus didnt stop the game your timnas would not lose the momentum. after all harimau malaya did score (2nd Leg)... oopps the first goal of the 2nd leg. when we lose 5-1 we dont complaint though clearly laser was used by the indonesian against our goalkeeper. and one thing for sure, your lose is not the first time... not the second or third... you tell me. so nothing so good about the timnas since long time ago.... and yet you say this time you lose because of laser... i tell yuo, no laser also lose... many times... so be prudent my brother....
dewa, penang | Fri, 07/01/2011 - 11:01am
Malaysia is heaven for foreigners..in fact they are making tonnes of money from malaysia land..we have 3 mil indons and millions more foreigners. Some of them have their own businesses, own cars and houses. We heard indonesian songs, watching indons sinetron, love indons girls, provide jobs, use our taxpayers money to feed illegal foreigners...and yet they hate us...what ungrateful indons. We also has problem in our country but yet we try to help you guys as big brother, you name it financial crisis 1997, tsunamis Acheh, Earthquake etc.
dewa, penang | Fri, 07/01/2011 - 11:01am
Malaysia is heaven for foreigners..in fact they are making tonnes of money from malaysia land..we have 3 mil indons and millions more foreigners. Some of them have their own businesses, own cars and houses. We heard indonesian songs, watching indons sinetron, love indons girls, provide jobs, use our taxpayers money to feed illegal foreigners...and yet they hate us...what ungrateful indons. We also has problem in our country but yet we try to help you guys as big brother, you name it financial crisis 1997, tsunamis Acheh, Earthquake etc.
Jom Parkon, Penang, Malaysia | Fri, 07/01/2011 - 10:01am
First of all, the article written is biased and sarcastic. But, I guess...that's how Indonesians are like. Their mentality mirror to us all of what they really are. Indonesia crave to be above Malaysia in despair. They only thing they are above us is their size....big country...large population. Fighting Malaysia is just like a big fat man and a small size but well built man in a boxing arena. Guess...who will win? Ehem...ehem.... By the way, for the Malaysian commentors who dislike Malaysia for whatever reason it is....I suppose that you are in the wrong section. Yelling your hates in this kind of forum shows how stupid you are. To me, you are all ungrateful idiots. You should have been born as Indonesians. You belong to that group. So with all my due respect, I suggest that you.....GET THE FUCK OUT OF THIS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY!!!!!
(Dipetik daripada akhbar harian The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, 7 Januari 2011)
It takes a thief to catch a thief...So why bother!
ReplyDeleteThere is this infamous saying in Indonesia: Laws are meant to be broken. Indonesian law students know it and you Malaysian law students should be familiar with the saying too.
ReplyDeleteHello BROTHERS, are you listening?
This laser business of football in relation to Malaysia-Idonesia matches of the AFF Chanpionship. it is WHY DID WE "BOLOS" FIVE GOALS IN THE PRELIMINARY ROUND?
ReplyDeleteIf the Indonesians don't undertand what "Bolos" means, get a Malaysia-Indonesia dictionary and browse through the pages for the entry "BOLOS".
But first, make sure you know whow to use a dictionary.Sorry dong!
I admire the editor's sarcastic opinion in your paper. Keep up the good work. Till we meet again in yet another opinion, bye!
Ajarin gue dong Pak Jusuf gimana nulis sarkistik sehebat punya bapak. Saya udah lama cari rejeki di negara tetangga ini dan masih belum punya ketrampilan sehebat tulisan bapak.
ReplyDeleteGue kangen pulang tapi belum cukup ongkos pulangnya.Udah punya anak bini lagi di sini.
Ini namanya bodoh sombong, punya mentaliti kren masa bodoh.
ReplyDeleteKita mesti jaga hubungan berbaik-baik antara rakyat kedua-dua negara. Dan perlu kekal menganggap bahawa Indonesia abang kita dan kita adik Indonesia. Sejak zaman dulu kita bukankah sudah dibuai dengan mimpi dan tanggapan demikian. Rasanya sudah tak menjadi kudis pun.
ReplyDeleteSekarang ramai abang kita datang cari rezeki kat sini. Manalah tahu suatu hari nanti kita pula terpaksa cari rezeki di tempat abang kita pula.
Jadi tidak perlulah kita gundah-gulana mengenangkan nasib adik-abang ini. Terima sahajalah seadanya.
Ini apa punya cerita daa! Dari bola pergi ke Malingsia dan Pencindon. Isu pola dah pergi ke isu laser. Tak sporting langsung korang semua. Banyak maa lagi. Tahun ini Malaysia menang, tahun depan mungkin Indoneia pula.Dengan syarat kerja kuat. Atau kalu Malaysia masih kuat bagilah can Indoneia menang pula. Itu pun kalau Malaysia dan Indonesia berentap di final.
ReplyDeleteDan tim Malayia jangan mula besar kepala.
Hei brother, Pencindon ini natang apa?