Why Indonesia?

You wouldn't believe how many times I got asked this question here in Malaysia and the US. Actually it refers to why do I choose to focus on Indonesia for my research, instead of Malaysia. I don't even know why people make such a big deal out of it. Who cares what country I'm interested in studying? FYI, I didn't originally plan to focus on Indonesia at the beginning of my graduate school career. I remember at first being captivated by Latin American politics (I still am!). What got me hooked on Latin American politics was the biography of Ernesto "Che" Guevara called "Che: A Revolutionary Life," written by Jon Lee Anderson, which I've read twice cover to cover. I highly recommend this book for people who want an in-depth research and an objective take on the life of the revolutionary icon. Also, I used to know a few cute Latinas on my campus, which made me more motivated to learn about Latin America haha...

I remember being so pissed off after reading the book at all the economic exploitations perpetrated by American corporations in Latin America with the explicit backing from the American government (the notorious Washington Consensus) and how I was inspired by Che's strong sense of justice and his unyielding idealism to bring about radical changes in the region and fight on behalf of the downtrodden. Anyway, I started to get very interested in Latin American politics and I even took Spanish language class for two semesters. But somehow along the way my interest to study Latin American politics waned, maybe because I got sidetracked by my political activities at that time: campaigning against the economic sanctions in Iraq, trying to stop the Carrying Concealed Weapons bill from being passed by the Wisconsin state legislature, campaigning to stop military recruitment in high schools around Wisconsin, organizing Palestinian-Israeli forums in local colleges, mosques, churches, and synagogues, and also volunteering for various political candidates in the state. Oh, how I miss those days!

Anyway, I went to Indonesia in August of 1998, barely three months after the Reformasi movement rocked the nation and successfully overthrew the long-time dictator, Suharto. The scars from the recent social upheaval were still fresh and smoldering. I could still see the blacked-out frames of burned cars and smashed-up storefronts and shards of glasses on the streets of Jakarta. Being a leftist and a revolutionary wannabe, it was impossible for me not to be inspired by the Indonesian Reformasi movement and its success. I was wishing for the same outcome with the Reformasi movement in Malaysia at that time, but too bad it failed and was ruthlessly crushed by the Mahathir's government. But the May 1998 Reformasi in Indonesia was the catalyst in getting me to be more interested in Indonesian politics and history. Also, it was around this time I first read Pramoedya Ananta Toer's Bumi Manusia and was moved to tears by the author's grand historical narrative and its tragic ending. But it wasn't until much later when I finally decided to seriously study the country.

In 2004 I quit my job in Washington, DC and went on a 4-month backpacking trip across Southeast Asia using Malaysia as my base. It was an eye-opener for me as I was preparing to go to graduate school at that time and was looking for research ideas. I was interested in finding out if there is such a thing as Southeast Asian regional identity that most people in the region are aware of and can identify with. I ended up doing a research comparing the European Union and ASEAN in the context of regional identity formation. Ask me for the paper if anyone's interested hehehe....

When I came to UW-Madison in 2005 I had to find a Southeast Asian country to focus on and I initially chose Thailand. I've traveled in southern Thailand several times before and I was interested in studying the conflict there. I learned Thai language for two semesters but in the end I gave up. Yep, you heard right! Thai language is so goddamn difficult and it would take me years to learn it before I could carry out a proper research. I copped out and picked Indonesia instead. At least with Indonesia I don't have to learn a new language and I've also been very keen in Indonesian politics and history since the 1998 events. I ultimately wrote my thesis about the Islamic revivalism (penghijauan) in Indonesia during the New Order period (1966-1998). Again, I have the paper if anyone's interested.

But why Indonesia, and not Malaysia? Okay, first of all, just because I'm from Malaysia it doesn't mean that I'm required to make Malaysian politics as my academic pursuit. I can study Vatican politics if I choose to do so. As a Malaysian, studying Malaysian politics seems a bit predictable, no offense to Malaysian academics who do so. But more importantly, I think that Indonesian politics is far more colorful and interesting than Malaysian politics. There are many more political issues that can be studied in Indonesia compared to Malaysia. Post-1998 Indonesia makes it even easier and fascinating to study because the censorship is not as tough as it used to be (people at LIPI can still be jackasses sometimes) and the society is much more open now. I'm also turned off by the dirty and venomous politics in Malaysia with all the political scandals and character assassinations.

Don't get me wrong. I still follow Malaysian politics very closely and I do plan on doing a research about it some day. But I think now I'm a bit emotionally invested in Malaysian politics to study it from an objective point of view. I get so pissed off at the vacuous politicians, their sycophants and the corrupt-to-the-bone system. Finally, I fell in love with Indonesia as a country and its warm and welcoming people, and I've been there so many times over the years that I consider Indonesia as my own kampung. Indonesia serves as my sanctuary every time I'm feeling stressed out and suffocated in Malaysia, and it is now a big inextricable part of my personal and professional life and will continue to be so until I die. Till then I plan on immersing myself in all the magical mystery tour that the country has to offer.