Indonesia's halal tourism bid faces pig pushback

Yahoo – AFP, Albert Ivan Damanik, with Haeril Halim in Jakarta, October 31, 2019

Contestants in a pig-catching competition show off their prize in Muara,
Indonesia (AFP Photo/Albert Ivan Damanik)

Indonesia's bid to lure more visitors by spreading halal tourism across the archipelago is facing a backlash, with a Christian celebration of pigs -- forbidden for Muslims -- the latest act of dissent.

The weekend festival-cum-protest in Sumatra, featuring pig racing, chubbiest hog contests and a porcine fashion show, comes as holiday hotspot Bali pushes back against rolling out more Muslim-friendly services on the Hindu island.

Critics say a government plan to cash in on halal tourism -- part of a broader campaign to replicate Bali's success nationwide -- is another threat to minority rights in the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation.

And critics have warned that the sprawling nation of 260 million -- where nearly 90 percent of the population follows Islam -- is taking hard-right turn with a conservative cleric now installed as vice-president and hardliners growing increasingly vocal in public life.

Indonesia's reputation for tolerant Islam has been under fire for years.

Pushing halal tourism in areas with religious minorities -- including Christians, Buddhists and Hindus -- may do more harm than good, warned Ali Munhanif, an expert on political Islam at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta.

Indonesian children gather around a caged pig at the Lake Toba 

Festival in Muara, on Sumatra island (AFP Photo/Albert Ivan Damanik)

"The phenomenon signals an effort to institutionalise conservatism," he said.

"Bali successfully manages its tourism sector without using a 'Hindu' label.

But advocates say halal tourism is misunderstood.

"There is a public misperception that halal tourism is Islamisation. That is wrong and it's why some people overreact to the concept," said Zainut Tauhid, Indonesia's deputy minister of religious affairs.

"It is about providing necessary facilities for Muslim visitors such as prayer rooms. So it is facilitation rather than Islamisation."

'Divide people'

That view isn't shared by some around Lake Toba, a scenic crater lake in Sumatra where the weekend pig festival was held.

Indonesian children take part in a pig-themed colouring contest (AFP Photo/

Albert Ivan Damanik)

Most locals are Batak, a Christian ethnic group that puts pigs at the centre of its traditional cuisine, with hog farming a key source of income.

Last month, provincial governor Edy Rahmayadi raised eyebrows when said he wanted to boost tourism with Islam-friendly facilities and services.

That included opening more halal restaurants and mosques, as well as banning the public slaughter of hogs, with the governor saying the practice could turn off Muslim visitors.

"This idea to bring in halal tourism is going to divide people," festival organiser Togu Simorangkir told AFP

"It's a step back for tourism here," he added.

About 1,000 people dropped by the event, including children who scribbled in pig-themed colouring books and adults watching as hogs were judged on their plump proportions.

"Batak culture is particularly known for its pigs," said higher schooler Edo Sianturi.

A blindfolded boy takes part in a pig-catching competition during a 

festival in Muara (AFP Photo/Albert Ivan Damanik)

"We've been raising them and earning a living from them for generations."

Visitor Sabrina Singarimbun, a Muslim student in a head-covering hijab, was keen to see which best-dressed pig would win the festival's fashion contest.

"I disagree with the (halal tourism) idea because it's Batak culture here and most people aren't Muslim," she said.

'Tourism is about happiness'

Elsewhere, halal tourism is often seen as a lucrative business opportunity.

Thailand and Taiwan are among regional destinations tapping the halal tourism sector, which a 2017 study found will be worth some $300 billion annually.

This month, Indonesia ushered in new halal labelling rules for consumer products and services, as the government eyes travellers from other Islamic nations to rev up its much-touted "10 New Balis" tourism push, which includes Lake Toba.

But efforts to cater to Muslim visitors has drawn controversy.

A farmer splashes water over pigs in their pen during the Pig and Pork Lake 

Toba Festival in Muara (AFP Photo/Albert Ivan Damanik)

This summer, officials in Lombok -- an island next to Bali that has many Muslim-friendly services -- quickly rolled back plans to set up separate camping areas for male and female hikers in Mount Rinjani National Park after a public backlash.

Two restaurants in Makassar on Sulawesi island, meanwhile, were forced to close after a Muslim group in July complained that the smell of their pork dishes was wafting over to nearby mosques and halal restaurants.

Back in North Sumatra, the governor's spokesman Muhammad Ikhsan said his boss was misunderstood.

"He just wants to make Lake Toba a friendly place for Muslim visitors," Ikhsan said, adding that he hoped it would also curtail the environmental impact of pig farming.

"What we want is just to make things organised, not to make it a halal place."

Number missing in Indonesia ferry disaster jumps again to 192: official

Yahoo – AFP, Lazuardy Fahmi, June 20, 2018

The wooden boat was believed to be operating illegally, with no manifest or passenger
tickets -- hampering efforts to estimate how many passengers may have been on
board (AFP Photo/JON NST)

Simalungun (Indonesia) (AFP) - As many as 192 passengers could be missing after a ferry sank into the depths of a volcanic lake in Indonesia, the search-and-rescue agency said Wednesday, tripling initial government estimates.

But the agency's head cautioned that it was still unclear how many people were aboard the vessel when it capsized Monday in Lake Toba, a popular tourist destination on Sumatra island.

The traditional wooden boat may have been operating illegally with no manifest or passenger tickets, sparking confusion and a string of changing official passenger estimates.

Indonesia's disaster agency originally said some 80 people along with dozens of motorcycles were on the overloaded, 43-passenger capacity vessel when it overturned and sank.

So far, four bodies have been found and another 18 people rescued, according to the agency.

By Wednesday, the official number of missing had jumped several times to 192 passengers.

Authorities based the figures on reports from families whose missing relatives may have been on the doomed vessel, but their accounts are difficult to verify.

If confirmed, it would be one of Indonesia's deadliest maritime disasters.

"Many people got on the boat without a ticket so it's unclear how many were on board," Muhammad Syaugi, the head of the search and rescue agency, told AFP.

Later at a press conference, Syaugi added: "There are many people who have reported their relatives missing, but whether they were on the boat or not we don't know."

The search has now turned to recovering bodies -- including those that may still be trapped inside the sunken boat.

'Please bring back my son'

"We'll be here until they find my brother's body," said Nurhayati, among hundreds of grief-stricken people waiting by the shore for updates.

"We just want to see his body and take him with us."

Rescue team members prepare to search for missing passengers at the 

Lake Toba ferry port (AFP Photo/IVAN DAMANIK)

Sobbing mother Suwarni pleaded for news of her son and his fiancé, both believed to have been on board.

"Why are the rescue teams so slow?" said the 55-year-old, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

"I'm so disappointed -- there's no progress here. Please bring back my son."

Authorities have deployed divers and underwater vehicles, along with about 400 personnel, to search the enormous lake in an operation expected to last at least a week.

Lake Toba, popular with international and domestic tourists, fills the crater of a supervolcano that erupted tens of thousands of years ago.

It is one of the world's deepest lakes and extends some 1,145 square kilometres (440 square miles).

The rescue agency has said it plans to search as deep as 400 metres for the sunken vessel.

Images from the scene Wednesday showed rescuers covering up the bloated body of a woman who had washed ashore.

It was not clear if any foreigners were on board the ferry or what caused the disaster.

Survivor accounts said the boat began shaking as it struggled to navigate strong winds and high waves about halfway into the 40-minute trip from an island in the middle of the lake to shore.

Muslim-majority Indonesia has been celebrating the Islamic festival of Eid since Friday and millions go on holiday during the festivities, with Lake Toba among the top destinations.

The deadly disaster came just days after more than a dozen people were killed in an unrelated ferry accident in the Southeast Asian archipelago nation, where many people depend on boats to get around.

Traditional vessels -- like the one in the Lake Toba disaster -- are rarely equipped with enough life preservers and their condition can be dire.

Enforcement of safety standards also tends to be weak, underscoring Indonesia's woeful boat safety record.

In 2015 a ferry sank off the coast of the island of Sulawesi, leaving 78 dead or missing.

More than 300 people are estimated to have drowned in 2009 when a ferry sank between Sulawesi and Borneo.

Map of Indonesia locating the area where a ferry capsized on June 18 pic.twitter.com/k0OR3LfXpx

— AFP news agency (@AFP) June 20, 2018

Lake Toba Renaissance Festival

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Parapat, North Sumatra | Sat, 12/04/2010

Two tourist buses carrying visitors from the Netherlands stopped asmarching bands from various regions in North Sumatra and Aceh paraded to the Pagoda open stage in Parapat, near Lake Toba, Sumatra.

Holy dance: A young man eats offerings as part of the
Tor Tor Tunggal Panaluan sacred dance during the
opening of the Lake Toba Festival in October. The
dance is performed to ask the gods to make the
traditional fiesta run smoothly.

Captivated, some of the tourist stepped off the bus to watch the action more closely.

The Dutch tourists looked happy as they were feasting their eyes on the procession by the end of North Sumatra’s annual Lake Toba Festival.

“It’s exciting! The bands’ performance is indeed entertaining,” said Rob, one of the Dutch visitors.

Thirty-four marching bands, mostly comprising students, highlighted the conclusion of this year’s five-day lake festival late October in Parapat, where thousands of local and foreign tourists packed the road leading to the Pagoda open stage.

Unfortunately, the event’s organizing committee didn’t prepare well enough for the overwhelming public interest by providing proper and adequate parking space, therefore many tourist missed the festival’s closing where Regional Representative Council Chairman Irman Gusman’s performed percussions.

For kids: Boys participate in a rowing competition
as part of the Lake Toba festival.

Various traditional and cultural attractions were presented during the festival, along with sports contests like running, gliding, and X-Treme Lake Toba Trail Adventure, in which hundreds of participants from different provinces and abroad explored Parapat, Pematang Siantar and Samosir near Lake Toba for three days.

The new sports activities in this festival, while warmly welcomed by visitors, were described by local people as contributing very little to a sustainable tourism industry in Lake Toba, because most of the committee’s programs this year were not oriented toward the lake’s existence.

A Lake Toba community figure, James Sinaga, said he embraced the committee’s innovations but regretted the exclusion of some of the festival’s activities typically seen in the past.

“The festival has lost its soul, without Solu Bolon or a mass rowing competition in the lake. It used to be the icon of the festival,” he said to The Jakarta Post.

James Sinaga also noted long-distance swimming in the lake was missing from this year’s line-up of activities. Committee Chairman Parlindungan Purba claimed the Lake Toba festival had been a success this year, and had invigorated the local economy despite its shortcomings, which he regarded as normal for a big event.

“We wish to revive Lake Toba’s heyday through this festival,” said Parlindungan, adding this objective was in line with the theme adopted, “Renaissance of Lake Toba”.

To date, 31 annual festivals have been held in Lake Toba since 1979. Regional Representative Council Chairman Irman Gusman hoped that these festivals would help make Lake Toba an asset and great tourist magnet for people visiting North Sumatra, especially the tourist zone around this largest lake in Indonesia.

For God: Women perform Tor Tor Tunggal Panaluan
sacred dance during the Lake Toba Festival

“Lake Toba has an amazing history so we can transform it a major asset that will attract visitors,” said Irman in his closing address.

According to him, Lake Toba has great potential for promotion all over the world.

It just needed all competent authorities to bring out its top potential as Indonesia’s, even Southeast Asia’s, biggest lake.

National Economic Committee Chairman Chairul Tanjung, who also attended the closing ceremony, said 7 million foreign tourists were expected to visit all parts of Indonesia in, consisting of 5 million visitors to Bali and 2 million to various other tourist spots, including Lake Toba.

Chairul expressed optimism about an increasing number of foreign tourists coming to Lake Toba in the future.

“We predict 30 percent of the target of 70 million foreign vacationers in Indonesia in 2030 may be visiting Lake Toba,” added Chairul Tanjung.

— Photos by JP/Apriadi Gunawan

N. Sumatra gets ready for Toba Lake festival

The Jakarta Post | Sat, 10/09/2010 11:29 AM

MEDAN, North Sumatra: Seven cities and regencies in North Sumatra declared Lake Toba Cleanup campaign in their respective regions to welcome the upcoming Lake Toba Festival.

The campaign will involve Simalungun, Toba Samosir, North Tapanuli, Humbang Hasundutan, Samosir, Dairi and Asahan.

The festival’s organizing committee secretary, Arthur MD Batubara, said the campaign is held to raise people awareness on the lake’s cleanliness.

He said the lake’s popularity was declining since its cleanliness was not maintained.

The festival, scheduled from Oct. 20-24, will highlight the environment as its theme, he said.

“We see there is a need to seriously take care of Lake Toba, mainly on the environment aspect,” he told The Jakarta Post after the campaign’s declaration at Parapat tourist site Friday.

“We hope that through the festival, the lake becomes clean and beautiful so it can attract tourists both local and foreign to visit.” — JP

Medan now a whole lot closer, thanks to Firefly

Story and Photos by FAZLEENA AZIZ, The Star Online , Malaysia 

If you are planning a trip to Medan, Indonesia, remember to say Horas, a popular phrase among locals that is widely used to express good wishes. 

It can be used at the beginning or at the end of a conversation as well as during bargaining. 

Horas is also a greeting frequently used in everyday life by the Batak people from North Sumatera. Medan is the home of the Batak people and the capital city.

Secnic: A view of Lake Toba.

It is a place with majestic views, rich soil and lush greenery with a population of 2.5mil people. 

The city also has a mixed community with a large number of Chinese andsome Indians. 

Medan’s most popular tourist spot is Lake Toba, a supervolcano located about 170km from the city. 

Getting to Lake Toba will take about five hours on a two-way winding road through various districts and villages. 

Those who would like a nibble can stop at Paten to get local snacks known as Teng Teng or Tung Tung.

 

 Breathtaking: The majestic Sipisopisa Waterfall near Togging Hill.

From Parapat town on the shores of Lake Toba, a 45-minute boat ride will take visitors to Samosir Island, a centre for the Batak culture and people. 

To get up close with the Batak, a trip to Kampung Ambrika and Kampung Tomo gives tourists a glimpse of how they had lived 500 years ago. 

According to Medan tour expert Sudy RJ, the Bataks are known for their wood works. 

“A common feature seen among the Batak is the lizard, which is believed to be a protector against bad things. 

On the waterfront: Serene sight of buildings by the shore

“You can see the lizards in their wood works and homes. The Bataks like to live in the highlands and usually you would see the women working the fields. 

“The like to use black, white and red colours, a combination said to bring strength. 

Sudy said that back in the day, it was an honour for the Bataks to have 17 sons and 16 daughters. 

Berastagi is another town with many colourful fruit and vegetable market. It is famous for its passion fruit, which can be found at the local market. 

The main attractions of the town are an active volcano – Gunung Sibayak – and its hot springs.

 

 Yummy: A selection of local fruits at the market.

A view that can not be missed is the Sipisopisa Waterfall near Togging Hill. The majestic 120m cascade is a breathtaking sight that is popular among tourists. 

In another four years, people visiting Lake Toba can look out for the Taman Simalem Resort. 

The resort is located 45 minutes away from Berastagi. 

It will offer a golf course, park, convention centre, cafes, zoopark, jungle trekking, camping ground and agrotourism opportunities. 

Those seeking an adventure can opt to go rafting at Sungai Bingei in Langkat. 

It has a grade 2-3 international river classification with many rapids and guides will accompany groups of five down the 3km course. 

However, visitors will need to stop at Kampung Namutating to get their gear and take a bumpy ride on a lorry to get to the rafting starting point. 

Medan city centre has a very modern atmosphere with many shopping complexes like Sun Plaza, Medan Mall and Medan Fair Plaza.

 

 Intricate details: Wood carvings are a popular souvenir.

For bargains, head to the Pasar Ikan to get colourful handmade embroidered materials, sarong, batik, curtains, bed spread, head scarves and telekung. 

Prices there are negotiable but shoppers need to be aware of what they are buying and always check their bags. 

There is a variety of Indonesian and Chinese food in Medan but, for Muslim travellers, look out for the B1 (for dog meat) and B2 (for pork meat) signs before entering the restaurants. 

There are several historic places such as Maimun Palace, where the royal family still lives, and the Great Mosque or Masjid Raya built by the Sultan of Deli in the hear of the city. 

Over at Merdeka Walk, people can chill out until midnight and eat at the various cafes and restaurants. 

Flying to Medan is now more convenient and easy from Subang airport with Firefly. 

The journey takes about one hour and 15 minutes on Firefly’s ATR72-500 aircraft. 

The inaugural flight to Medan from Subang saw Selangor Tourism Action Council chairman Datuk Subahan Kamal and his entourage from the Malaysia Tourism Office landing at the Polonia Airport on Dec 1. 

Subahan was greeted by Firefly managing director Eddy Leong. 

Representatives from the North Sumatara Tourism Board in Medan, Malaysia Tourism Board, North Sumatra Chamber of Commerce and the governor of Medan Syamsul Arifin SE also welcomed the team from Malaysia. 

Leong said that there has been a lot of interest among people from Malaysia. 

“Medan is a popular destination and now with the flight from Subang, it is nearer and the cost is lower. 

“The response has been good, the volume of passengers is about 70% to 80% on weekends and about 60% on weekends,” Leong said.

 

Samosir regency striving to revive tourism sector

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

The Samosir regency administration in North Sumatra is striving to promote its agricultural hinterland into a popular tourism attraction and its main source of regional income over the next three years.

Samosir Regent Mangindar Simbolon said that his administration was in the process of mapping the region as part of the effort to develop Samosir Island as a major tourism destination by 2010.

Mangindar said that the plan to promote the tourism sector had been taken based on the location of Samosir regency. Samosir, which is located in the middle of Lake Toba, is believed to be capable of attracting a large number of tourists, he said.

Samosir, a regency with a population of about 131,000, has been focusing on the development of the tourism industry after being hived off from Toba Samosir regency two years ago.

"We will rely on Simanindo, Pusuik Buit and Dewana Runggu districts in the regency as the main tourism agencies," Mangindar told The Jakarta Post recently.

Mangindar said that his administration would take inventories in the three districts to identify their potential and to decide what needed to be done to further develop them.

He said that each of the three districts had its own unique attractions.

Mangindar acknowledged that the development of tourism in Samosir was closely related to the development of tourism at Lake Toba.

"We are determined to develop three sectors that can support each other -- tourism, agribusiness and transportation," he said.

A cooperative venture with six other nearby regencies has been developed with the support of the State Ministry for the Development of Disadvantaged Regions.

Mangindar said he hoped that under the venture, an agency to be named the Lake Toba Tourism Board would be set up in 2008 to manage the tourism sector.

Mangindar, however, expressed concern over a decrease in the number of tourists visiting Lake Toba due to mismanagement.

"I'm sure Lake Toba tourism can be revived and attract more tourists if it is managed professionally by all relevant institutions. And of course, this will increase the regency's revenue," he added.

"That's why we want the board to be managed by independent professionals, not officials of the regional administrations. The regency administrations will just function as the owners," he said.

He expressed the hope that the board would also formulate an appropriate concept for managing tourism at Lake Toba.

"We need to establish collaboration between all the regencies that are connected directly with Toba Lake in order to resolve obstacles hampering tourism development. We also need to cooperate with the private sector to overcome the problems we face," he added.

Meanwhile, Maranti Tobing, chairman of the Samosir chapter of the Indonesian Restaurant and Hotel Association, admitted that both Samosir and Lake Toba had not been managed properly due mainly to a lack of promotion.

He said that almost all parts of Lake Toba were now covered by water hyacinth, locally known as eceng gondok, and widespread fish farming had ruined the lake's tourism potential.

"We need a serious commitment from both the central and local governments to develop tourism in Lake Toba and Samosir," he added.

Mangindar said that Toba Lake would be cleared of the wild eceng gondok, which would be used as raw material in the production of handicrafts. He said that the administration had also approached owners of the fish farms to urge them to move to more appropriate areas.

The regent further said that the Samosir regency administration's budget for 2007 amounted to Rp 313 billion (US$34.70 million), but was unable to say exactly how much of this had been allocated for tourism development.