Public ‘Nudity’ in Bali
Apr 6th, 2009, in News, by Patung
A policeman from Aceh as police chief of Bali, and near naked tourists on motorbikes.
In June 2008 the new police chief of Bali, Tengku Ashikin Husein, after only being in the job two weeks admitted he was shocked to visit Kuta beach the first time and see tourists who were weren’t wearing clothes, meaning only bikinis or swimming wear.
Gee there are a lot of tourists without proper clothes on. They even travel on motorbikes like that!
Husein, who was previously police chief of Central Sulawesi but hails from Aceh by birth, said there should be a regulation against people riding motorbikes on main roads when near naked.
This is just too much. Sure, they wear helmets, but it’s rude if they don’t wear clothes.
He wasn’t sure what sort of penalty should be meted out to tourists caught under any such new rule. kompas
Tengku Ashikin Husein
However by April 2009, after questioning his subordinates and finding out that no regulation existed that required proper attire when riding, except helmets, he instructed traffic policemen to scold the near naked tourists, and keep a few t-shirts on hand to make them cover up. He made a joke:
The t-shirts are meant for foreigners, if locals find out about it they will deliberately ride around near naked so they can get a free t-shirt. Then we’ll go bankrupt.
More seriously he added that what attracted tourists from all over the world to Bali was not only it’s natural beauty or unique traditions but also its holiness. This holiness had to be protected by the police: kompas
Let’s free Bali from things that spoil it, like free sex, drugs, and near nudity on the roads.
99 Comments on “Public ‘Nudity’ in Bali”
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lomboksurfer says:
@ Diego – Man your a bloody ridiculous looking dude! Why was the ocean so bloody? Maybe coz I am a bloody great white (bule) in the water. Wtf do you think happened you little bloody grom? ha ha ha!
@Manger – Hey moke why don’t you wax my bloody stick? : > ) Me mum (luv u mum) has spent more money on my bleedin surfing in the past 5 years than you will earn in your bloody lifetime! I am one moneyed-up dude! Surf gods rule you bloody land dogs and don’t ever forget that droolers!
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A bit of mea culpa here, DS provided the links to the flickr pages, I changed them to embedded images, so to see the explanatory notes for the images –
http://www.flickr.com/photos/86681342@N00/2899403032/in/set-72157608057145260/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/86681342@N00/2898557015/in/set-72157605901696590
http://www.flickr.com/photos/86681342@N00/2898559989/in/set-72157605901696590
http://www.flickr.com/photos/86681342@N00/2901856899/in/set-72157605901696590The policewomen one it was just an image, no page.
Farah your missing image, maybe just provide the url/link to it if embedding doesn’t work.
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ET says:
Patung
I can go along with this but I doubt it is the major reason for the collapse, it that is what it is (Theodore Dalrymple seems to think so, I rather like him), of family structures and in young people’s behaviour.
A well-known anthropologist Gregory Bateson from the midst of last century blames it on a typical mindset of the post-WWII generations in the West which he labels as ‘asymmetrical schismogenesis’, a tendency not to conform to traditions or look for harmony but to prove and distinguish oneself by going in reverse and trying to outdo the competition by continuously stretching the boundaries of the shock-effect.
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Aluang Anak Bayang says:
I am Australian, and the ‘bogans’ at Kuta are annoying even for me to see.
See, Ozzie females are down-to-earth, unlike their arrogant male lot, who are forever defensive, whether right or wrong.
@ all male bules
Chop chop! Put a shirt on, will ya.
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Rayner says:
“LOL! Don’t know much about contemporary Balinese life then do you!!! It’s extremely focused on money!”
That may be true of the Balinese who have absorbed Western values and drives and who usually live in towns with their high cost of living.
I was talking with the young daughter who lives in a village and she told me about four of her brothers who were approached by a Chinese investor who loaned them $20,000 to convert a derelict building on their father’s land. He wanted to convert this building into a nesting pen for sparrows who would build the kind of bird’s nests suitable for making bird’s net soup. A delicacy much appreciated by the Chinese.
His terms were usury at first. The share of the profit was so low that they didn’t want to have anything to do with it. So he suggested that they do the conversion work, buy the eggs, look after the whole thing and protect from thieves. They agreed, the money was handed over but when the Chinese investor came back he was outraged to discover that they had not done any of the work, but spent the money on gambling, buying fighting cocks and generally having a good time!
I was told that the Chinese had a totally different outlook on welth compared to the Balinese. I found that the Balinese had more in common with Pacific Island culture. There you give but never lend. If the borrower can pay back that is fine but if not the prevailing view is tht you do not loan money that you cannot afford to lose. Better to give it s a gift.
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@ Rayner
You have a point here. We have a relaxing culture, a bit of work here and a little nongkrong later. Our rich rainforest is able to sustain our lifestyle.
However, you were fibbed upon by this young daughter. ‘He wanted to convert this building into a nesting pen for sparrows’ – something is wrong with this statement if you know sparrow well enough. LOL.
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@ all male bules
Chop chop! Put a shirt on, will ya.
It’s for the Balinese to decide what they deem appropriate for their lifestyle and culture, not for the Acehnese nor the Javanese.
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Odinius says:
When this fellow says that Balinese “traditional culture” has to be “protected” from outside influence…does he realize that the Dutch argued the exact same thing?
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Janma says:
rayner, I live in a village…. it was the villages I was talking about… not the towns.
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diego says:
Janma,
I observed that you’ve always had this “komentar miring” (what’s the word for it in engrish?) about balinese / bali.
Sometimes I took it as: nay, just another comment from foreigner who can’t adapt. I have some here in tacolandia showing similar attitude, complain complain complain about the locals. Btw: do you happen to be a british?.
But this time it got me thinking (well, not much as I’m in general too lazy for it): What motivated me to stay away from Bali? Yes, Bali is beautiful, I love treking-around, seeing all those green ricefield, the aroma from the burning incense sticks, the flowers, etc. But I never felt comfortable being there for a long time. I don’t know if it’s an economic jealousy — I’m coming from a (lower)mid-class family — but it did occur to me (what you just mentioned).
I studied in one of the favorite public high-school in pemecutanburg, during the early 90’s, I guess it was during the property boom (dunno), but many of the students drove luxury car to the school (yes, high-school). I even remember the perception that some balinese shared (during that time), that we’re the most economically well-off in Indonesia, during my university years in bajigurnistan.
That, and the experiences in the temple ceremonies (showing off latest jewelry, bragging about wealth, etc), made me think “I don’t belong here”, therefore I stayed in bigdurianville (which to me is more egaliterian — at least I don’t have to be annoyed by questions that leads to how much money I have in the bank — none).
But, really…, there has got to be some changes, right? I mean,
(1) the bombing, loss of jobs, etc, etc. I guess that has got to make most balinese to adjust their “lifestyle” / “orientation”, and re-think. right?
(2) to be fair, i’ve lived in small village in baturiti for a year, and i met some very humble people. I also had friends from university years, coming from poor family, hard-workers, and they’ve been some of my best friends. “money oriented” wouldn’t come accross my mind whenever i think of them. so, is it just because of your sample (or ours) which is limited? do you happen to live in “keluarga bangsawan”?
(3) hmm…, what else. I dunno, I haven’t visited bali in the last 5 years. These doubts coming from a person who thinks: “a poco, despues de 5 años no hubo ningun cambio???” (sumpe lo, setelah 5 tahun gak ada perubahan sama sekali???). -
@ ET
It’s for the Balinese to decide what they deem appropriate for their lifestyle and culture, not for the Acehnese nor the Javanese.
Spoken like a true bule.
You make it sounds like the Balinese has a soft spot for bule. Balinese are as much Javanese as Achnese. You can’t differentiate one from another, like you can pick a Chinese or a Papuan from the pribumis. It is like trying to divide the Melbournian and Sydney-sider bules from the Brisbanite bules.
You never fail to amaze me with your stupidity. Oh well, as the saying goes, ‘A leopard never loses its spots’.
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ananda says:
Who tells you that you are naked??? It is your own mind. Why are muslims always crazy about outfit? Because that is the only thing they can do: to cover their bad things under their outfits.
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“Who tells you that you are naked??? It is your own mind. Why are muslims always crazy about outfit? Because that is the only thing they can do: to cover their bad things under their outfits.”
I think that the reason why Muslims are concerned that woman cover up their beauty with clothing is that Islam first appeared in countries which were arid with very little rainfall. Many foreign invaders stalked their land and the men had to be trained as warriors to protect them, and also to repel the invaders who wanted to steal the resources under the earth.
Warriors cannot be distracted by such things as alcohol or women, so hence the rather unusual form of dress for a very hot, humid climate. Women had to be protected from men who had no sexual outlet at all until they could afford to marry. Usually not until they were in their thirties. That is why the showing of flesh, even an ankle is cause for concern, and violent retaliation as it reminds the male of the pleasures that he has been denied.
Such pleasures will be only available to him if he obeys the instruction to blow the infidels up with a suicide bomb. Only then will he be rewarded with unlimited sex with 72 virgins, rivers of wine and excellent food. I am not sure if this is actually in the Koran. There seems to be some doubt amongst scholars as to whether this is so or not.
I remember being amazed to discover that here was a religion that rewarded violence with sex and alcohol. Quite unique as far as I can tell.
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Muslims aren’t “against nudity” by nature. There are long histories of open sexuality in Islam, as well as puritanical histories. Same with Christianity. 100 years ago women in Victorian England or America couldn’t show their ankles, lest they excite the men. Even more recently in rural regions of Spain or ex-Yugoslavia, you see women covered in ways not unlike the jilbab or even chador.
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Patrick says:
Another “much ado about nothing” topic on IM. Here in Florida the whole state is surrounded by beaches. People can be seen in various stages of undress and nobody bats an eye. If you want topless women you can go to South Beach in Miami and find young (and older) ladies from every destination on the planet enjoying their fun in the sun. We also have many family type beaches (vast majority) where that type of activity would be frowned upon. As far as riding motorcycles, we are one of the few states where you can ride without a helmet so we could care less if you wear a shirt or not. Its your life!
As far as shops are concerned many self regulate themselves by hanging signs that warn people unless they are dressed appropriately they will not be allowed to be served or enter the shop. The signs posted will usually say shirts and shoes required,no bare feet or bathing suits etc, We don’t need the police getting involved in matters that can be handled by the proprietors and customers themselves and quite easily.
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@ AAB
Spoken like a true bule.
You make it sounds like the Balinese has a soft spot for bule. Balinese are as much Javanese as Achnese.
Malay vs Bule. Us and them. The world according to AAB.
QED. No further comment.
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Prescott had it right. The more sexually repressed a culture is, the more violent it is. Makes the money go around I suppose. Bt it does lead to a miserable life for many folks. The Victorian era was no fun for ordinary folks, made a lot of money for a few though.
For anyone who is interested, look up BODY PLEASURE AND THE ORIGINS OF VIOLENCE
By James W. Prescott. You will find it on Google -
The more sexually repressed a culture is, the more violent it is.
Often the case, yes. Violence, among other things, is a way for men to feel like men, something they need if not having sex.
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Mike Oxblack says:
Often the case, yes. Violence, among other things, is a way for men to feel like men, something they need if not having sex.
…either that or one off the wrist
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Yes, except the sexophobes are also typically oneoffthewristophobes.
That’s why they are so ready to get involved in violence.
Kind of pathetic, really…
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Respect is an issue here. If you have respect for yourself then you will have respect for others.
For goodness sake, when you leave the beach, put on the appropriate clothing to go elsewhere. Nudity, no matter if it is complete or partial, has more than once caused traffic accidents.
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Of course the top cop is entitled to his opinion.
However I think his energy is misdirected in this issue.
This whole nudity thing is overblown. You will find just as many indonesian men riding their bikes shirtless as tourists. The number of women wearing bikinis on a motorbike is negligible – don’t forget those bike seats are made from black imitation leather – they get hot. You want something more than a g-string between you and the hot seat. Its also absurd to worry about nudity causing traffic accidents – its too rare an occurance. The police would be better off to focus on the real souce of traffic accidents and fatalities which is a reckless attitude on the road, a disregard for driving rules, poorly maintained vehicles and roads, and the absence of helmets on most motorcyclists outside of denpasar/sanur/kuta ie: 90% of the island.
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Oigal says:
The answer is self evident..Public Nudity Anywhere.. Simple should be mandatory and more of it.
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Mohinder says:
Why is there an Achinese Chief of police in Bali? Bali is a Hindu Island and nearly all Balinese are Hindu. Let the Balinese govern and police thier country!!
Nudity….hello is this guy ignorant? Does he not know about the naked tribes of Papua?? lol
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Hi Mohinder,
Indonesia is not supposed to let someone’s religion or ethnicity determine their placement in the public sector. It does happen in places and times, but it’s not supposed to play any role.
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anma,
I observed that you’ve always had this “komentar miring” (what’s the word for it in engrish?) about balinese / bali.
Sometimes I took it as: nay, just another comment from foreigner who can’t adapt. I have some here in tacolandia showing similar attitude, complain complain complain about the locals. Btw: do you happen to be a british?.
no not british…. australian…. and I don’t have trouble ‘adapting’ as you put it…. I would probably complain more about australians, if I lived there! And plenty of balinese share my views too… ever read Putu Setia’s books?
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Hi Janma,
Are the books by Putu Setia published in English? I am learning Indonesian but I don’t as yet have enough fluency to read in Indonesian. If you have any other books on the Balinese I would be intersted in receiving their names.
Thanks,
rayner -
Astrajingga says:
I think what POLRI is trying to do to protect Indonesia from inconsistency.
Hundreds years ago, The Dutch and westerners, the modern man, found out that most ‘easterners’ women in Java, Bali, and Papua didn’t cover their breasts, so they introduced BH to make them more civilized less-savage.
Until today Indonesian do not have their own word for BH, well there’s beha or bra, which is actually still a ‘foreign’ word. There’s ‘kutang’, but kutang or kotang is actually the sleveless shirt worn by Gatotkaca. Can you imagine the superhero Gatotkaca wears a bra? It would be an insult to say that bullet-proof Kutang Antakusuma is a kind of BH. I know that a company has developed a bulet-proof bra though, but that’s another case.
Now, the so called modern human, those westerners come again to Bali, wear nothing to cover their breast. This is inconsistent. This is a set-back of civilization development direction.
It is the Indonesian that should be westernized by wearing bra, not the other way around. It is the Indonesian that should be civilized. The westerners should not be allowed to be easternized by not wearing bra!
I think POLRI has done their best to protect the civilization the cheapest way.
Go POLRI, go!
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@ Astrajingga
Hundreds years ago, The Dutch and westerners, the modern man, found out that most ‘easterners’ women in Java, Bali, and Papua didn’t cover their breasts, so they introduced BH to make them more civilized less-savage.
Wrong. The Dutch never forced women in Java, Bali and Papua to cover their breasts except in front of Dutch soldiers because they weren’t used to it and their mindset had already been shaped by the Calvinistic sexualization of the human body. Look at the pictures I posted earlier under the thread Bare Boobs & Cockfighting, they were taken in the 20ies of last century after more than 300 years of Dutch occupation. It was the muslim-dominated Indonesian government after Independence which tried to outlaw it. In Java they succeeded, in Bali they succeeded for 80% and in Papua they failed. But they are still trying to push the boundaries of indecency by introducing so-called pornography laws of which the hidden agenda is to islamize all aspects of life, also in areas with a totally different culture.
Your link between wearing a bra and being civilized I leave for your account. Anyway, the fact that for hundreds of years these ‘savage’ Balinese women went bare-breasted didn’t prevent them from creating a unique civilization which attracts everyday planeloads of admiring visitors.
Personally I believe that cloths are primarily meant for body protection in function of climate and environment. Their cultural and societal function comes secondary and should remain subordinate to the first one.
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LOL! Don’t know much about contemporary Balinese life then do you!!! It’s extremely focused on money!