Jupe for Pacitan
Apr 5th, 2010, in News, by Patung
Indonesian democracy, sinking to new infotainment lows or the popular will in action.
Actress and model Julia Perez alias “Jupe” has been suggested as a possible candidate for the position of Deputy Regent of Pacitan, a remote fishing town on the south coast of East Java, supported, or not, by a coalition of mostly small parties including Partai Hanura, Partai Amanat Nasional (PAN), Gerindra, Partai Bulan Bintang (PBB), and Partai Patriot.
After the initial news reports of her possible candidacy some senior party figures from PAN and others attempted to distance themselves from support for her, however the leader of Jupe’s main backer, Partai Hanura, retired general Wiranto, says:
If the people want her, it’s up to them.
One person in Pacitan who is giving Jupe the thumbs down however, the leader of a fishermens’ association (Paguyuban Nelayan Tradisional Tamperan Pacitan), says Perez has no experience handling bureaucracy and her vulgar appearances on television, like in a condom advertisement, are inappropriate for such a religious town as Pacitan. tvone
Meanwhile Jupe herself admits that she has never been to Pacitan, the home town of president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), but plans to pay a visit shortly. And of politics:
I’m learning politics from television and newspapers
Hidup Jupe!
I had to laugh at the condescending attitude of the establishment towards Julia Perez’s political ambitions, like that from J. Kristiadi, a political analyst from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, who said the decision to support Julia’s candidacy revealed that political parties could not field capable figures.
Heavens to Murgatroyd! It’s taken Jupe to bring this home to this presumably knowledgeable and highly educated gent?
Almost every month, if not more frequently, we have seen reports of parliamentarians absent in droves from legislative proceedings, swanning off on grafty overseas trips and generally conducting themselves in a manner which might be the envy of Bonek football fans.
I just watched Julia Perez’s latest movie this week, Te Rekam, and I can’t say I was overwhelmed by her thespian skills, but at least when she mouths lines on screen, we know she’s acting. We know she doesn’t really mean it. When we watch many of Indonesia’s leading politicians on tv expressing their dedication to the nation’s welfare, we know they are only mouthing lines too…but they expect us to believe them!
So what’s the difference?
Well, Jupe hasn’t made a fortune out of the public purse, but by her own efforts. And she’s also a lot nicer to view than almost any politician in Indonesia!
Jaleswari Pramodawardhani, an analyst from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI):
Why do political parties choose actresses like Jupe to be a political leader when there are many other women with the necessary knowledge and qualifications?
Well, maybe it’s because the parties concerned know that most voters despise politickos, but they like beautiful actresses, who also have the virtue that they don’t line their pockets at the citizens’ expense!
Some senior figures from PAN even threatened to sanction its members in Pacitan if they continue to press for Julia’s candidacy.
Sanctions! ? ! So why is this, we ask. Maybe because she is an attractive woman not ashamed of her body, and this upsets the uptight Islamist element which dominates PAN? If she shrouded herself in grim burkas and long, sack-like black robes, would she then find a place in their hearts? I thought PAN was once seen as a reformist party.
Fair criticism that she’s never been to Pacitan, but how many UK MPs live in their constituencies till they’re elected? And is not carpet-bagging an American term of abuse that is still brandished often against candidates for Congress? She is hardly unique in that respect.
And compared to all those ‘snouts in the trough’ hacks currently ‘representing’ the electorate here, nationally, provincially and locally, Jupe might just be a breath of fresh air.
At least she won’t sink to the levels of the Mayor of Tangerang, whose administration has dragged anti-women policies to a nadir of stupidity with their persecutiion of females who dare venture out on the streets alone at night with a dab of lipstick on their faces, nor yet to that of the primitive clowns in Aceh who pay some hooded bigot to whip kids for cuddling and working men who play cards for a few bucks.
Hidup Jupe!
31 Comments on “Jupe for Pacitan”
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venna says:
omaigad, you’re both are killing me!!
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Astaga and Aduhai !
I will ever play Bongoes for Jupe in her campaign !
Viva Jupe !
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ET says:
It takes personalities like Jupe to show us the relativity of the entire political showcase. It reminds one of the times a pornstar – La Cicciolina – was elected in the European parliament. Everybody had a good laugh, her tapes sold like kacang goreng and the tabloids boomed.
And then she vanished into oblivion and everything went back to normal. Shame. -
Farah says:
I like this idea somehow (its twisted) anyway, we see most of those intelligent, 4 years degree or even up more (abroad university master degree perhaps?), and have some religious title sit there on government, we could see how they run the government. Corruption, sex scandals, money scandals… etc. People want something different!
Why can’t this lady have her shoot, instead of judging her appearance!
I prefer Jupe rather than Azhari sisters!!
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Hans says:
why not, it might open the eyes, is clearly a need for something new in the Indonesian politics. people from the people, politicians who can give dreams of the future. responsible people and professional advisers, an open political stand-alone administration, without Saudi involvement. The more I think about it the more I like it, this may be a door opener to blow up walls and show a new path for the future. can we help her become a symbol of a new Indonesia, may not be a new Martin Luther King Jr., who told The great tragedy is not the evil people’s brutality, but the good people’s silence.
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well anything, anybody is better then the pack of scumbags that are wasting everybody’s time right now although i gotta say i’m not to big on hanura, pan and gerinda…
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If the Pacitans have a not-to-have list, the first list must be ‘scumbag’ or ‘another azhari’s sisters’. But ok, I agree. Let’s give time to her to prove it, see what else we can dig and what she has.
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Ross says:
My own fervent hope is that the delightful Dewi Persik will seek electoral success somewhere.(I hope ot see her latest movie tomorrow, review therefore pending!)
This is not only because I’m a fan, but because she and Jupe and any other Indonesian artist who behaves unlike a drab jilbabby are the natural foes of the worst elements in this country. If only through their instinct for self-preservation, they are bound to speak up against the FPI, MUI, and the ‘culturally comprehensible’ but morally reprehensible fatwas like that from the NU.
One hopes! And hope is about all Indonesia has left, considering its continuing slide into the slough of Islamist despond. -
Oya, I agree with you, madrotter, those three parties are less than inspirational, but they must be better than the PKS! And given the Democrats collaboration with the ‘freezing’ of Ahmadiyah rights, better than SBY.
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@ Ross
If only through their instinct for self-preservation, they are bound to speak up against the FPI, MUI, and the ‘culturally comprehensible’ but morally reprehensible fatwas like that from the NU.
Their instinct of self-preservation may also make them shut up and crawl back into their shells when the FPI stands at the front of the door. Like what happened to Inul Daratista.
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realest says:
Indonesia’s state of politics has dropped to a point so low that locals have no idea who they should vote for (because there’s nobody of notable merit worth voting for) and political parties has to utilize exposure effect to gain some votes (which regrettable worked most of the time).
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Yes, ET, there is that risk, but Inul was left high and dry when that bigoted klutz Rhoma Irama and his cronies ripped into her. If she were an elected representative, it might be a different story. As I said, we have to hope that SOMEBODY stands up to put the Islamonazi vermin down.
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well, here and there it’s starting like that jaipong demo in jakarta last week where they had hundreds of people dancing and yes that whole inul episode was as low as it can get, imagine they were standing in front of her house with banners saying she was going to hell for weeks on end, rhoma irama, for all the wonderful music he made in the past lost my respect completely back then… jaipong artists have lost about 50% of their income since that governor opened his mouth last year…
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Ya, he is a good singer, went to hear him at Ancol a few years ago, but the Inul episode and his role as a supplicant at the jail (when the FPI mafia don was briefly inside) really put me off.
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Ross
Yes, ET, there is that risk, but Inul was left high and dry when that bigoted klutz Rhoma Irama and his cronies ripped into her.
At least she got the support of Gus Dur (alh.) and his wife – I remember her pushing his wife’s wheelchair during a demo – but even that wasn’t enough to mollify the islamoscum into more tolerance.
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Pacitan, maybe a nice place for a short while, I do not know how it works, but will she live there or in yogya, sorry but I find it hard to get it together, I read, see and person and place, although it looks to be a major investment in tourism in Pacitan, ok and when it might be nice for a week, but then after two months? Can not find any real good street between Pacitan and yogya.
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if she is elected, she has to stay in Pacitan. Why she will stay in Yogyakarta? Nice or not, convenient or not, once she got elected she has to face the reality, stay there for 5 years, meet pacitan people, talking and working with them, and perhaps completely leave her current lifestyle.
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Perhaps, none of the Javanese (Malang) I know in political circles, living where they are politically active. they would rather jump around in the car 3 – 4 hours a day.
who have the bravest heart that you’ve ever seen -
O well, really? And they don’t have any house too there? Wow.
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Nando Tampubolon says:
Okay,,i think its fine if people have some blievin that Pacitan will be better thru someone named ‘Jupe’,,but (yes there’s a but for this statement)..dont pacitan should think it over again ? Jupe as their representative ? is she qualified yet ? she must do some psycholigical test first before to see if she deserve to be Deputy regent of pacitan..
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If we introduce psyche testing for politicians, would many of the current crop pass?
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psychological tests, fun amazing that someone can come up with the idea, it was the model of African or perhaps the more popular Los Angeles model, I think a German test of perfectionism would be best for the true outcome. Nando Tampubolon how are you supposed to limit values for healthy or sick, but that 70% of the politicians in Jakarta, a One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest experience “If she’s crazy, What does that make you?“
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Astonishing new development! from Jakarta Globe 16/4
April 16, 2010
Camelia PasandaranGoverment Announces New Law to Bar Celebrities from Office
In what is sure to be a highly controversial move, the Ministry of Home Affairs is moving to increase eligibility criteria for political candidates in a move clearly aimed at preventing celebrities from running for office.“The 2004 Regional Governance Law requires regional heads to have good moral standards,” Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi said at the Presidential Palace complex on Friday. “If they are proven to have committed adultery, they will be banned from” attempting to contest the elections.
Under the current law, there are already 16 requirements that must be met for a person to run, including possessing a high school diploma, never having been imprisoned for a crime punishable by more than five years in jail and being at least 30 years of age.
However, with a number of racy celebrities — including Julia Perez — who have admitted to having little political experience throwing their hats into the ring for this year’s 224 regional and municipal elections, the government is taking further steps.
“We’re going to add another requirement for candidates to have enough experience in government or in civil organizations,” Gamawan said. “This is to avoid people who know nothing about how to lead a region suddenly become district head just because of popularity.”
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The report goes on for a bit, but I’m just gob-smacked that in view of the totally abominable standard of politicians they have here, they’d seek to keep people out on grounds of ‘adultery!’ -
Its really quite funny. The minister is worried about actors being seen as politicians when he should be more concerned with politicians being seen as actors.
Julia Perez has every right to appear as myopic and misguided as every other Politico. -
Oigal says:
“The 2004 Regional Governance Law requires regional heads to have good moral standards,”
Just when you think these clowns could not make bigger fools of themselves.. Seriously I think I have done injury laughing..
Still if anyone should sit in judgement of Adultery if would have to be Ministry of HOME AFFAIRS.
Personally I think an adulterer would be an improvement as they tend to only screw one person at a time unlike the current crop of pissant robber barons
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pakdecholik says:
On the reform era it seem to me that many people want to become a head of government such as president, governor etc. Of course that is their right to do so but they should know and consider their capability, morale, leadership and professionalism as well as their acceptability.
They shouldn’t take any free fall action and just try, try and try or just to rise their popularity.
Thank you. -
I was hesitant to join this thread mostly because I still had double standards in my mind. I am more tolerant to the Kediri mayor siri wife type. Suppose she did nikah siri purely for her political agenda, I see it as completely okay even I don’t support nikah siri. If she does anything to win her way to be a mayor, morally correct or not, as long as it is “politically correct”, I will support her. She has strong gut and real experiences. Being a kepala desa for more than 15 years is quite impressive, since sometimes it is harder and more challenging than being a mayor. And it is good to see how she confidently continues to move even it means she has to face 2 big obstacles: her own husband and her personal rival. This is rare to find.
For Jupe, I was questioning her capability (and her dress code, I have to admit). I was waiting to see her moves to prove to public that she is capable. I already got impression that she has strong character. Good. Now even better; she able to make the government issued a new law to ban her.
About moral standard, however,……..
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How will this go. Understands that a local political commitment. is usually rich with relatives in politics who are out to get the rather well-paid pension. will they dig their own family’s grave now, or are there exceptions for family
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You’re right, Hans. Whoever wins, the siri wife or the legal wife, it means the same; their husband that will continue to be the mayor, practically. But his siri wife has rebellious character, and more popular among people at grassroot level, which I like more.
wait, I think I miss the point. At local level politic, yes, it often involves family and relatives’ business. There’s always negotiation and bargaining to accommodate all. Doesn’t mean it will always successful and less conflict, sometimes the conflicts can be pretty bad and end up in feud.
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I’ve seen her recently on tv. She seems cool. Besides, she’s learning politics with the right start — study the media. Go Julie!