Writing Project: Discussion Text

Should the Event of Miss World be Held in Indonesia?

Miss World, which is the largest and the oldest beauty event in the world, will host the 64^th contest in Indonesia for the first time on September 3^rd to 28^th 2013. The three provinces will witness this grand event there are Bali (Opening ceremony and fast track events), Jakarta (quarantine) and West Java (Live events and Closing-coronation ceremony). Indonesia as a country with a large variety of natural beauty and culture certainly was interested in organizing this event, but soon turns pros and cons accompany the journey towards the implementation of this contest.

As a country that has many traditions and holding the strong cultures, the event like Miss World will give a bad image for Indonesia. The controversy comes from some the council of Islam organizations. The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), for instance, has conveyed its disagreement with the event by saying that the pageant was not in line with Islamic teachings. Radical groups the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) and the Islamic People’s Forum (FUI) have also demanded the government to cancel this event. As a Muslim-majority country, an event like Miss World is against Islamic and Indonesian culture because of damaging women’s dignity by exploiting their bodies, said Abdul Rahman, who is one of the coordinator of HTI. In addition, Miss World pageant is like an event that shows the beauty of bodies up on the big stage. This is not appropriate with the culture of Indonesia, which has the ideology that upholds women and it is contrary to the norms of politeness that people have appreciated in Asia, especially in Indonesia. Similarly, all contestants of this event must wear a bikini on the stage and will be seen by a hundred trillion people around the world, because this event will be on air in all of the television in the world. In this case, it seems like the government supports pornography.

On the other hand, in spite of all the controversy that comes, Miss World contest has great contributed to the progress of the development of Indonesia. First, as an event that is followed by many countries in the world, of course, this event can introduce all of the things about Indonesia to all around the world such as cultures, languages, unique biological and social nature. In addition, the Miss World pageant 2013 in Indonesia will also be on air the International media. As a result, more than 140 countries will broadcast the contest on their television screens and an estimated 3 billion people of the world will watch the contest live on television. It means the supporter of participants in each country are present to witness in Indonesia will give a positive impact on various sectors such as economics, business hotel -lodging, travel agents, culinary, tourism, fashion, and industrial creative as a souvenir -Indonesian souvenirs. This course will provide income-effect for Indonesia.

In conclusion, as Indonesian people whose well known suave, smiling and rich in culture, especially as the religious people who do not teach violence to intimidate, so that we must be wise to receive this event. Therefore, as the citizen who has the insight and positive thinking, let us take the positive lessons from this contest. Regardless of all the controversies norms, I think, this contest is only an event of the acting on the stage that provides many advantages to survival of a nation.

References

Team editor the Jakarta globe. 2013: Jakarta, Indonesia

Emilleilmansyah. 2013. pro-kontra miss world 2013: Jakarta, Indonesia

Team editor of the Jakarta Post/Asia News Network. 2013: Jakarta, Indonesia

Articles of Muslim clerics against miss world 2013. 2013: Jakarta, Indonesia

Walk? Why not!
Writen by: Wiwit Melayu

This story is about my own experience when i was in junior high school, grade 3. 

When I was in junior high school, I had an experience that could change my life. The story began when my father asked me to go to my uncle’s house in Petok. So I decided to go there with my youngest brother and a friend. From my home to my uncle’s it is about an hour by bus, but before that we must walk about 20 minutes from my village into downtown. Then we decided to get an Ojek from my home into downtown. At downtown we got a bus into Petok easily.

In Petok, I met with my uncle and his wife. My uncle invited us to go to his garden to get some fruits.  At the uncle’s garden we played and put some fruits there. After we played there, we decided to come back to uncle’s home and got permision to him to come back to my village, because the day was almost afternoon. Before we went home, my aunty gave some rice and some fruits. So, we had permitted with my uncle and aunty and took a bus into my village. When we were waiting for a bus to took us, Suddenly, I felt there was no money on my pocket, my wallet was lost.

I said loudly “Where is my wallet? It lost!”

My brother said “Really? How could it be?! So, what should we do? We did not have money!”

Surprisingly, my friend said that we had to walk to get home because we did not have to get the bus. Then, we decided to walk into my village. You know, it is about 20 Kilometers. We made a tasked that after two or three blocks, one of us must brought rice and fruits that have given from my uncle’s house. So, I decided to bring it first, after two or three blocks, I gave those things to my brother and so on until we got the home. But my friend, Kamal, when he brought those things, he ate one by one of them because he could not stand it, he felt thirsty and hungry.

After we walked for 10 kilometers, I saw the time at 3 P.M. But we still had 10 kilometers left to walk. We were very tired and thirsty. So we decided to eat one by one of the fruits that given from my uncle. After we ate it, my friend said, “Hey, look at there, there is so much water, I think it is clean and fresh to drink!”

Then he and my brother went to the source of water and drunk some water there. While they were drinking, suddenly it made me very sad and made me cried. I thought that it was my fault, if I did not lost those money, we must be get home soon. My friend saw me and spoke loudly, “This is my nicest trip in my life, this is our story. I will never forget this day, March 15 2009, is not it? I love this trip, so why you must be cry? Just enjoy it and fell it that we are having a pramuka’s trip!”

When i heard those words, I felt much better and my spirit come out. After we took a rest for a while, we continued our journey. It almost closed from my village, I heard that Mu’adzin had spoke up the adzan magrib, but we still at Sungai Pindahan village, it is about 6 or 7 kilometers from my house. We still went on and spirit to continue it until we got home. After we got Pasar Dalik, we took a rest for while and the time was at 8 P.M. While we taking a rest at a bridge, I saw a car that I thought, “I must be know this car”. That car belongs to my friend, then I stopped that car and say, “Bang, may I join with you to get home?”

He said, “Of course, but where have you been? You look so tired”

 “Jalan-jalan paniang bang!” I Said.

Finally, I got home and I saw the time it was about at 9 P.M. When I met my father, he was very surprised because we looked so tired and down. After I got took a bath, I told about my journey from Petok until we got home. He was very surprised of it and said that he will never asked me to go to my uncle’s house anymore and I said, “It does not matter yah. I felt tired, thirsty and hungry, but in fact, this journey makes me realize that this is the real life. I have grown up now, thank you for give me this lesson, I love this journey!”