Indonesia TCSS, Exchange Rate, Favourite Song/Music update

[AsuraWrath]

Originally Posted by iicycold

a very interesting read,bro. Looking fwd 2 more of such postings to help readrs like myself undstd more of Indoland's urban legend.

Glad u like it bro.

Since there is so much on Batam today,here's a quite popular 1 from the island to share....

Mah Bongsu and a Snake

ONCE upon a time in Batam, lived an orphan named Mah Bongsu. She was a nice girl. Mah Bongsu was poor. To earn a living, she worked as a maid at a rich woman’s house, her name was Mak Piah. She had a daughter named Mayang. Mah Bongsu and Mayang were at the same age.

Mak Piah was a mean lady. She always asked Mah Bongsu to work hard, she often hit Mah Bongsu and sometimes she did not gave enough food to Mah Bongsu. Mah Bongsu was helpless. She could not do anything.

She was alone in this world and she did not have any other place to stay. Everyday she prayed to God. She wanted to have a better life. Mah Bongsu was washing the clothes in the river. Suddenly she saw a big snake swimming towards her. Mah Bongsu was scared. She wanted to run away. However, she saw the snake was wounded. It was bleeding. Mah Bongsu felt sorry to the snake. Carefully, she brought the snake home. She put the snake in her room and healed the wound.

When Mah Bongsu was healing the wound, a piece of the snake’s skin was removed. Mah Bongsu took it. Amazingly the skin turned into gold. Mah Bongsu was happy. Everyday the snake removed its skin and the skin always turned into gold. Mah Bongsu collected all the gold and save it. She wanted to sell it later. Mah Bongsu sold all the gold and she became a rich girl. She did not work for Mak Piah anymore. She was richer than Mak Piah. Mah Bongsu also helped all the poor people. She bought a big house and she brought the snake with her.

Mak Piah was very jealous. She was so curious. She wanted to know how Mah Bongsu got the wealth. Secretly, she went to Mah Bongsu’s house. She saw Mah Bongsu was healing a snake.

Later, Mak Piah asked her daughter, Mayang, to go to the river. She asked Mayang to find a wounded snake.

And when Mayang finally found a wounded snake, she brought it home. Sadly, the snake bit her and poisoned her. Mayang instantly died. Mak Piah was scared, she tried to run away. Just right before she left the house, the snake was able to bite her. And she also died then.

Meanwhile, the wounded snake at Mah Bongsu’s house was finally healed. Amazingly, the snake turned into a handsome man.

“Thank you, Mah Bongsu."

"Actually, I’m a prince. A witch cursed me into a snake . And thanks to you I changed into a man now. Because you already helped me, I want to propose you to be my wife. Will you marry me?” asked the prince.

Mah Bongsu was so happy. She accepted the proposal and lived with the prince. Since then people named the river where Mah Bongsu found her husband as Sungai Jodoh. It means the river of soul mate.

Area of Sungai Jodoh in Batam

[brassicbrassic]

Acoustic singer

[Naka_Timo]

Tegar - Aku Yang Dulu (Official Video)

[Nulgath]

The Communications and Information Ministry has called on YouTube to remove a clip called "Lelaki Kardus" (Cardboard Man) due to "harmful" content, on the request of the Child Protection Agency (LPA).

The video features a song sung by a little girl about her father who has married another woman and become a two-timer, and the girl's friends insulting the man with foul language.

The ministry's spokesman Ismail Cawidu said the officials had contacted Lelaki Kardus' songwriter Achmad, who had agreed to remove his video from YouTube.

"However, many people have copied the video and re-posted it on YouTube. The ministry will now send a letter to YouTube to ask that the video be removed," Ismail said as quoted by Antara news agency on Thursday.

Meanwhile, LPA chairman Seto Mulyadi and secretary-general Samsul Ridwan criticized the people who produced and helped distributed the video, saying that the content degraded human dignity and was damaging for children.

Having children perform adult content is similar, the LPA says, to abusing them, especially if the video is intended for commercial purposes, since it is arguably child exploitation.

The LPA also urged people not to disseminate the video any more and not to post negative comments about children if they happened to stumble upon the video in the internet.

[Nulgath]

Palu, C Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Immigration Directorate General has deported a total of 1,350 foreigners for violating Indonesian laws.

Besides, 129 foreigners were taken to court for breaking the countrys laws, Investigation and Prosecution Director Yurod Saleh of the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, said here on Tuesday.

Chinese nationals comprised the largest number among these foreigners, he added.

Many of them were deported for misusing Indonesia visas. They arrived with tourist visas, but were found working or on business trips in Indonesia.

The Indonesian authorities have intensified supervision following the governments decision to give visa-free facilities to tourists from 169 countries, he stated.

[Naka_Timo]

SHAE - "Sayang" (Official Video)

[DageDage]

7 most scary ghost in Indonesia

Ghost stories originate from all over the world where there is paranormal activity and unexplainable occurrences that disrupt our daily lives. Whilst I'm sure many of you have read your fair share of creepy accounts of ghosts and ghouls, here are 7 more that you may not have come across.

The following stories/myth originate from Indonesia, which goes deep down their culture and tradition. Some of the most terrifying supernatural beings come from this part of the world.

Take a look and be warned, after this you MAY wish to sleep with the lights on tonight!

1. Wewe Gombel

Wewe Gombel is a female supernatural being or ghost in Javanese and Sundanese mythology. It is said that she kidnaps children.

This myth is taught to encourage children to be cautious and to stay at home at night. Traditionally, the Wewe Gombel is represented as a woman with long, hanging breasts. Modern representations include vampire-like fangs. This is a popular spirit that also appears in comics.

The ghost was named Wewe Gombel because it is related to an event that, according to ancient folklore, happened in Bukit Gombel, Semarang, where long ago a married couple lived. They had been married for years, but as time went by the husband realized that his wife was barren and stopped loving her. The husband became wayward, neglecting his wife and leaving her alone for long periods of time, so that she lived in sorrow. One day she followed him and caught him in a sexual relationship with another woman. Hurt by her husband's betrayal she became furious and killed him. Faced with the crime, angry neighbors gathered in a mob and chased her from the village. Despairing at the ostracization and continual harassment, she committed suicide.

After death her vengeful spirit became Wewe Gombel. Sundanese folklore says that she dwells in the crown of the Arenga pinnata palm, where she has her nest and keeps the children she catches. She does not harm them and once they are under her clutches they are not afraid of her.

Local traditions say that the children she abducts have been mistreated or neglected by their parents. She treats the children lovingly as a grandmother would, taking care of them and protecting them until their parents repent, at which point she returns them.

Wewe Gombel has affinities with the ghost known as Hantu Kopek in Malay folklore.

2. Sundel bolong

In Indonesian mythology, a Sundel Bolong is a mythical ghost from the archipelago which is generally described as a woman with beautiful long hair and a long white dress (her form is similar to Kuntilanak). The name and myth is closely linked to prostitutes, meaning a "prostitute with a hole in her", in reference to the large hole which is said to appear in her back.

In folklore, Sundel Bolong is said to be the soul of a woman who died when she was pregnant and therefore gave birth in her grave, or who died during childbirth and the baby came out from her back (this is the reason why the hole was created in her back),which is concealed from men by her long black hair. Sundel Bolong is also said to be a sensitive spirit and, if rejected by a man, she is said to castrate him.

3. Genderuwo

A Genderuwo is a terrible sex-mad ghost who usually takes the form of a man. Local culture stipulates that they come from a male who died before his time, mostly by unnatural causes. Unable to accept their death, the spirit morphs into a gigantic titan.

Resembling a demon with a large black body, long hair, pointy claws and a red death-stare, it is reported that this spirit can be distinguished by the nauseating smell of rotting flesh. If you recognize the pungent odor in the middle of the night, it usually means a Genderuwo is near-by.

Obsessed with sex and teasing helpless female victims, to a great extent they are an Indonesian version of an incubus. Legends say that the Genderuwo can also change its appearance to entice people, attracting women to have sex with it thinking it is their partner.

There are also reports of women getting possessed by the spirit, resulting in a higher sex-drive.

4. Kuntilanak

A kuntilanak or pontianak has the typical appearance of a ghost (e.g. a spiritual entity dressed in white). The female spirit’s face is covered by its long dark hair. However, it is also said, that a kuntilanak is able to transform in to an attractive lady. Though in fact the kuntilanak is a ghostly spirit, yet it can appear as if it is a real human being. Its human appearance is mainly characterized by female beauty. With its female physical attractiveness the kuntilanak attempts to seduce men. The reasons as to why the kuntilanak is after men remains a topic of debate. It is suggested, that in response to a violent death, the woman’s spirit is fueled by a burning desire for revenge against members of the opposite sex (i.e., men). In this way, then, a kuntilanak initiates retaliation on men because of the grievance of being unable to give birth to the child.

When the kuntilanak unveils its demonic nature it appears as a terrifying creature indeed. With its hands featuring unusually long, sharp nails the kuntilanak devours the body of its victim. In a desperate search for the unborn baby, the female ghost thus preys upon the male’s organs voraciously. Though the kuntilanak will only turn into a harmful ghost when the coffin nail is removed from the back of its neck or tip of the head, otherwise its appearance will remain like that of a most charming woman.

Since the kuntilanak generally is considered to be the ghost of a deceased person, it therefore makes sense that the spirit remains in a state of chaos and confusion after it died a violent death. Failure to recognize, understand, and accept its death caused the spirit to get stuck between this world and the next. Being trapped in an intermediate realm, the kuntilanak thus accumulates unwholesome karma through committing evil deeds. This accumulation of bad karma prevents the wandering spirit to pass on to the next life where it awaits a more fortunate rebirth. For this reason, dukuns and mystics often like to help these spirits accumulate merit and virtue so that they can proceed to the next life. Thus, when a violent death of a pregnant female has been reported, the next of kin often call a dukun for help in order to prevent the spirit of the deceased person turning into a kuntilanak.

5. Pocong

A 'pocong' is the ghost of a dead person trapped in its shroud. Traditionally, when a person dies, the body is wrapped in a long piece of cloth following Muslim burial rites. The white fabric covers the deceased head to toe.

According to local beliefs, the soul of the dead stays on earth for 40 days after death. When the ties aren't released in this period, it becomes trapped in its burial shroud, with the body emerging from the grave to seek release. After the ties are released, the soul leaves the earth never to be seen again.

Interestingly, as the body's feet are tied, the ghost actually hops because it cannot walk.

6. Thuyul/Tuyul

This is the ghost of an unborn baby or a child who has died. Many believe that the Thuyuls are thieves, stealing money from local houses whilst resembling pale babies in diapers.

According to sources, you can prevent a haunting by leaving a can of beans out on the porch. With this, they will get distracted and count the beans instead of the money.

7. Palasik

Believed to be a manifestation of high-level black magic witches in some areas in Sumatra, Indonesia. Palasiks are known as blood sucking creatures. The Palasiks eats infants while they are still in their mother's womb or a newborn baby. They are often seen digging on a dead baby's grave.

Many believed that being a Palasik is hereditary. When someone in a family is known as a Palasik practitioner, their son or daughter will become a Palasik too. To maintain their secrecy, their community would hold unholy rituals to mate and wed their children to other Palasiks and live in secluded villages far from others. The curse of a Palasik through the practice of witchcraft can persist through seven generations

Palasik practitioners appear to be a normal people in general. The difference is when they begin to release their heads along with their internal organs to reveal their original appearance. In an attempt to end this evil, entire families of the curse would be either banished or executed.

The myths about these supernatural beings were very popular across the Southeast Asias with different names and similar lore among each country.

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Honorable mention :

Matianak

[brassicbrassic]

Acoustic male singer

[AsuraWrath]

exchange rate for 28.07.2016 early noon in Btm :

[AsuraWrath]

Once upon a time, there was a little boy, who was poor, dirty, and smelly, came into a little village. He was very hungry and weak. He knocked at every door and asked for some food, but nobody cared about him. Nobody wanted to help the little boy. Finally, a generous old woman helped him. She gave him shelter and a meal. When the boy wanted to leave, the old woman gave him a “lesung”, a big wooden mortar for pounding rice.

She reminded him, “Please remember, if there is a flood you must save yourself. Use this “lesung” as a boat”.

The little boy was happy and thanked the old woman. The little boy continued his journey. While he was passing through the village, where he had asked for food, he saw many people gathering on the field. The boy came closer and saw a stick stuck in the ground. People challenged each other to pull out that stick. Everybody tried, but nobody succeeded.

“Can I try?” asked the little boy.

The crowd laughed mockingly. The boy wanted to try his luck so he stepped forward and pulled out the stick. He could do it very easily. Everybody was dumbfounded. Suddenly, from the hole left by stick, water spouted out. It did not stop until it flooded the village. And no one was saved from the water except the little boy and the generous old woman who gave him shelter and meal. As she told him, he used the “lesung” as a boat and picked up the old woman. The whole village became a huge lake.

It is now known as Rawa Pening Lake in Salatiga, Central Java, Indonesia.

[Naka_Timo]

RAN - Dekat di Hati (Official Music Video)

[Nulgath]

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo should reverse his decision to appoint Wiranto as the coordinating political, legal and security affairs minister for he was indicted for crimes against humanity, a rights group has said.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Wiranto was the Indonesian Military (TNI) commander in 1999, when the country’s army and military-backed militias carried out numerous atrocities against East Timorese after they voted for independence.

In February 2003, it said, Wiranto was indicted for crimes against humanity by the UN-sponsored Special Panels for Serious Crimes of the Dili District Court and named a chief suspect by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM). The charges against Wiranto led to the US decision in 2014 to place Wiranto and five others accused of crimes in East Timor (now Timor Leste) on a visa watchlist that could bar them from entering the country.

“President Jokowi’s decision to appoint Wiranto to his Cabinet is a slap in the face to Indonesians seeking accountability for past atrocities in Indonesia,” HRW deputy Asia director Phelim Kine said on Thursday.

“Wiranto’s alleged complicity in murder, arson, and mass forced expulsions in East Timor in 1999 entitles him to a fair criminal trial, not a seat in the cabinet.”

HRW says Wiranto’s appointment calls into question President Jokowi’s commitment to pursuing accountability for human rights violations. Those abuses include the 1965-1966 massacres and 11 high-priority human rights cases in Papua.

Wiranto’s predecessor, Luhut Pandjaitan, had led the government’s efforts toward accountability, which included plans to exhume mass graves from the 1965-1966 massacres and the creation of an investigation team to probe abuses in Papua.

"By offering Wiranto a Cabinet position, President Jokowi is undermining his own important efforts to obtain accountability for the terrible abuses of Indonesia’s past,” Kine said.

[Nulgath]

The EU has called on the Indonesian government to halt all executions and to consider joining a large community of more than 140 states that have abolished the death penalty entirely or have adopted a moratorium.

The EU made the statement in a response to the planned executions of up to 14 convicts in Indonesia.

“The EU is opposed to capital punishment without exception and has consistently called for its universal abolition,” it said in a statement on Thursday.

“The death penalty is a cruel and inhumane punishment, which fails to act as a deterrent and represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity.”

Also on Thursday, the US-based group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said it opposed the death penalty in all circumstances because of its inherent cruelty. “Indonesia’s use of the death penalty is contrary to international human rights law, statements of UN human rights experts and various UN bodies,” it said.

Citing Law and Human Rights Ministry data, HRW revealed 133 people were on death row in Indonesia as of January 2015. They included 57 who were convicted of drug trafficking, two for terrorist offenses and the remaining 74 for murder or robbery.

HRW says human rights law upholds every human being’s “inherent right to life” and limits the death penalty to “the most serious crimes,” typically crimes resulting in death or serious bodily harm.

“Indonesia should join the many countries already committed to the UN General Assembly’s Dec.18, 2007 resolution calling for a moratorium on executions, a move by UN member countries toward abolition of the death penalty.”

[Nulgath]

Indonesia executed four drug traffickers on Friday and said it had not yet decided when 10 others convicted of drug crimes would be put to death.

Deputy Attorney-General Noor Rachmad said one Indonesian and three Nigerians were executed by firing squad not long after midnight local time.

The government had said earlier in the week that 14 people on death row, mostly foreigners, would be executed on the Nusa Kambangan prison island.

Those executed Friday were Indonesian Freddy Budiman and Seck Osmane from Senegal and Nigerians Michael Titus and Humphrey Jefferson. The bodies of Osmane and Titus will be flown to their home country and Jefferson will be buried in Indonesia.

Relatives, rights groups and foreign governments had urged Indonesia to spare all 14 lives but it was unclear whether that had any influence on the decision to not carry out all the executions at once. Lawyers and rights groups had raised serious doubts about the legitimacy of the conviction of Jefferson as well as the convictions of an Indonesian woman and a Pakistani man.

It was the third set of executions under President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo who was elected in 2014 and campaigned on promises to improve human rights in Indonesia.

"It was not a pleasant thing but it was to implement the law," said Rachmad. "The executions are only aimed at halting drug crimes."

He said a decision about other executions would be announced at a later time.

A convoy of 17 ambulances, most carrying coffins, had arrived Thursday morning at the port town nearest Nusa Kambangan. Officials began tightening security at the prison several days ago, with more than 1,000 police sent to Cilacap, the port town, and the island.

Last year, Indonesia executed 14 people convicted of drug crimes, mostly foreigners, sparking an international outcry.

[Nulgath]

Pakistani drug convict Zulfiqar Ali escaped execution in the early hours on Friday on Nusakambangan prison island in Cilacap, Central Java, after a comprehensive study of his case, an official said on Friday.

The decision to not execute Ali was made after a thorough study, junior prosecutor for general crimes Noor Rochmad told Antara news agency without giving further details.

The government executed four drug convicts at 1:46 a.m. on Friday, a last-minute change after confirming on Friday that 14 convicts would face the firing squad. No official statement has been issued by the Attorney General's Office over the change in the number of people executed.

There had been mounting demands for President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to halt the executions, the third round during his presidency, over possible miscarriages of justice.

The government of Pakistan had sought a postponement of Ali's execution and requested a review of his trial. Pakistani Ambassador Aqil Naseem said the government of Pakistan respected the Indonesian legal system, but believed that the legal process against Ali was flawed. Ali was not provided the opportunity of a fair trial, he said, and pointed out that the prosecutors had sought a life sentence but the judges handed down the death penalty.

Ali, 52, was arrested in 2004 for the possession of 350 grams of heroin and was sentenced to death by the Tangerang District Court in 2005.