An Explanation About My Video "Meniru Siaran RRI tahun 60an" (Reenacting RRI Djakarta Broadcast in 60’s)

 

Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) is the state owned radio network of Indonesia. The organization is a public broadcasting service. It is a national radio station that broadcasts all over Indonesia and abroad to serve all Indonesian citizens throughout nation and overseas. RRI also provides information about Indonesia to people around the world.(WIKIPEDIA) 

In my opinion, RRI is also one of consciousness guide for Indonesians community through information and communication fields to sail the life ocean in order to keep exist as a nation of sovereign and prosperous. 

I preferred September 29th, 1965 as the video time background. In 60s, Indonesia was a great hope as the leader of the new emerging forces (NEFOS). NEFOS was the new coalition of nations that aimed to be an alternative international organization besides UN. Indonesia had walked out from UN membership. Its military power was the strongest in Asia even the People Republic of China might only got advantage in man power numbers, but not in primary weapons.

RRI is identical with its slogan of “In the Air Once and Forever” (in Indonesian as “Sekali di Udara Tetap di Udara”)

I made this depiction in appropriate with 60’s style. I picked a chick James Bond film style from the Thunderball trailer of 1965.

The slogan, actually was created by Air Vice-Marshall, Prof. Dr. Abdul Rachman Saleh, one of the Indonesia Air Force founders. The slogan creation was also coincided with the development of “The sky spirit” (Semangat Dirgantara) for Indonesians along with the early formation of the Indonesia Air Force. That’s why I chose an image of the unique statue as an opening title. That was the image of "The Sky Spirit Monument" (Monumen Semangat Dirgantara), located on Jalan Pancoran (Pancoran Street) in Jakarta.

 

Broadcasting was opened by a greeting from the radio broadcaster

Selamat Pagi, saudara pendengar di seluruh kepulauan Nusantara, bahkan di manapun Saudara berada.

Good Morning, fellow listeners on the entire Nusantara archipelago, even where ever you are.

Inilah Radio Republik Indonesia, Studio Djakarta,

This is Radio of The Republic of Indonesia, the Djakarta Studio,

Kembali di udara melalui gelombang‐gelombang 19, 25, 31 dan 49 meter.

On the air again through frequency waves of nineteen, twenty five, thirty one and forty nine meters.

                 

Membawakan acara siarannya untuk pagi hari ini, hari Rabu tanggal 29 September tahun 1965.

Delivering its morning broadcast programs on Wednesday, September 29th, 1965.

Saudara pendengar selamat mengikuti siaran kami, bersama saya Ananta Kusuma Wibawa.

Fellow listeners, enjoy our broadcast with me, Ananta Kusuma Wibawa.

Selamat mendengarkan dan tetap Merdeka !

Happy listening and Keeping Freedom!

The video backgrounds along the greeting depicted situation of Djakarta City along the morning. Usually, people’s activities had been started since 4 o’clock in the early day, even earlier. It was normal in a country with the largest Islamic community because there was spiritual habit in doing sholats (prayers), started since 2 till 5 o’clock morning. Islamic people would do a night prayer between 2 or 3 o’clock as a choosy (sunnah) prayer. Then they would do an obliged (wajib) morning prayer between 4 till 5 o’clock.

I depicted morning situation in Djakarta (an old orthography of "Jakarta") that reflected two kinds of life, between “the have” and “the poor”, between modern metro landscapes and dirty part of city ghettos.

Starting activities in the ghetto. Life was felt harder for the poor people, but they got to run their daily life. We mention this area as “Kampung” inherited from The Dutch “Kampong” or “Camp” in English. Till today, we still got many kampungs within every city. Some of my family also lived in kampungs. I never live in kampung unless just stay for a while, usually in my family’s houses or my friend’s.

Some part of the old city landscapes was build by Dutch and wealthy Chinese people. The old houses were built in European style. We can see some transportation vehicles were called “Becak”. A kind of vehicle which was developed by the Japanese ruler in every country they ever occupied. In China, Hongkong and Singapore there were Rickshaws, in Malaya (Malaysia) and Birma, there were similar Becaks.

President Obama always reminded his experiences travelled by becak when he still lived in Djakarta around 60’s.

This is the first modern hotel built in Djakarta named “Hotel Indonesia” (HI), located on Jalan M.H. Thamrin (Muhammad Husni Thamrin is a name of a national hero). It was built since 1962 near the ex. location of Des Indes Hotel, a luxury hotel of a wealthy Dutch millionaire in the Netherlands East Indies (Indonesia). Occupying 25,082 m² of land, Hotel Indonesia was designed by an American architect, Abel Sorensen, and his wife, Wendy. The hotel was inaugurated on August 5, 1962 by the first President Soekarno in preparation for the 1962 Asian Games.

 HI was built and operated by a state owned corporation with the biggest share owned by the Indonesia Government. Nowadays it has been bought by Kempinsky Group, a private owned international hotel group. I heard that Indonesian Government still have its share but only small. The building got 3 functions as hotel, shopping mall and office building. There was a large Shopping Mall named “Duta Merlin” besides the first Shopping Mall in Djakarta named “Sarinah”

This is called as “Welcome Monument” with a large pool. It is located in the front of Hotel Indonesia. There should be two large statues in the middle of the pool. In the video you can see that the monument is still in finishing steps. The top statues weren’t put on the top.

 

 This is an image of Monument Selamat Datang (Welcome Monument) in recent days. There are two statues on top, depict a couple of a man and a woman and waving together as if greeting “Welcome” (Selamat datang) or…yet Goodbye. Oh my …this is an Indonesian’s way. Imagine, Welcome can be a theme of a monument. What a great hospitality.

Welcome! Hey, you know Jakarta is not for a single one. You must have a partner when entering Jakarta. The message from the monument is clear. Be a couple!

 Now, besides becak, some public transportations in Djakarta are Buses and Bemos yeah your funny car is Bemo. The vehicle got only 3 wheels. Its machine sounded as scooter’s machine. This one is also always reminded by President Obama because this was also treated as City Taxy.

 

In the larger image you may see inside the red sign, it was put "TAXY" mark on top of Bemo. President Obama has ever told, “I still remember travelling by becak and bemo. We just went to Sarinah for shopping.” Then he tried to speak in Indonesian, “Kami pergi ke Sarinah naik Becak atau Bemo. (We went to Sarinah by Becak or Bemo).

He also added, “l liked Sate and bought it from some street vendor. We lived in a kampung in Menteng Dalem.” Yeah, President Obama used to be a kampung boy from Menteng Djakarta.

At the next segment of the video you might found some typical support delivered to the members of the Armed Forces in order to raise their spirit in revolution situation. In 1965 a confrontation between Indonesia and Malaysia has been grown as open war.

Broadcasting continued with the messages:

Para pendengar sekalian, persembahan perdana pada pagi hari kami tujukan bagi para anggota Angkatan Bersenjata Republik Indonesia yang sedang melaksanakan Dwikora dalam rangka konfrontasi Malaysia.

Fellow listeners, the first presentation today we deliver to all members of The Indonesia’s Armed Forces who are carrying out duty of Dwikora in order to confront Malaysia.

Note : Dwikora is abbreviation of Dwi Komando Rakyat meant Dwi = Two, Komando = Command, Rakyat = People. So it is Two People’s Commands delivered by President Soekarno on July 27th, 1963 as the war order against Malaysia. Dwikora consists of 1. Fail the formation of Federation of Malaysia 2.Volunteers mobilization. The popular theme of campaign is “Ganyang Malaysia” (Crush Malaysia).

The next texts of broadcast are:

Satu nomor special dari Ernie Djohan “Terunaku” khusus dipersembahkan bagi para prajurit kita yang sedang menghadapi Nekolim.

A special number from Ernie Djohan “Terunaku (My Cadet)” special presented to our soldiers who are facing Nekolim.

Note: Nekolim is abbreviation of Neo Kolonialisme (New Colonialism) pointing out on US, British and their allies, including Federation of Malaysia.

Ernie Djohan was one of popular artists who always support the campaign. She was 19, that time and widely known as pretty, warm and very kind to anybody. She was from Solok, West Sumatra. She still exists until now as a senior artist and respected by our people.

The next video backgrounds depicted some our military activities related to the confrontation. Most of our primary weapons made in Russia. Yeah, The Soviet Union was our prime ally. Premiere Nikita Khruschev was President Soekarno’s comrade in arms.