Indonesian Army TNI Turns 59
by Farah 'Fairy' Mahdzan (30-Nov-2004) | Readers Say

The glitzy atmosphere at Kuala Lumpur's Renaissance Hotel Grand Ballroom last Monday (11/10) was the perfect setting for an event as dignified and important as the celebration of the Indonesian Army's (Tentara Nasional Indonesia) 59th anniversary. Albeit belated, the Indonesian embassy of Malaysia had decided to commemorate it by inviting honored guests and friends of the republic to join them in honoring the national defense's year of inception.

Attending an event as grandeur as this was certainly something I had not expected to get invited to, considering my dying devotion to forever dress casual and sporty. However since Pak N. from the embassy knew of my obsession to literally pounce on anything that has the word "Indonesia" in it, he insisted that this was one formal event I couldn't possibly miss out on.

While everyone looked gorgeous, dashing and glittery in their formal attire of batik shirts, kebaya and off-duty military attire, I gingerly wove in and out of the crowd (dressed as appropriately as I could without sacrificing my mobility) to bring you these exclusive one-of-a-kind photos and coverage.

Photos by Fairy Mahdzan

The decorations in the room felt very 'Indonesia' indeed, including the cloths that adorned the tables on which hor'dourves were served.

This is Kenny Jo. Please read my interview with the man, he is quite a prominent figure in the world of Indonesian music. And did I tell you he sounds exactly like Louis Armstrong?

We were treated to at least two traditional dances, one of which was performed by this young lady and her friends, students from the Indonesian middle school right here in KL.

This lovely young lady is Ika Putri, a rising singer born in Surabaya. If you would like to know more about her, please read my exclusive scoop on her.

The Tari Saman dancers. I have seen these friends of mine perform three times alone this year including this one; once was for the Amazonia event in May and the other one was for Indonesian Cultural Night back in August. It's always neat to watch them just for their synchroneity alone, but there's always a subtle hint of apprehension on my end that someone's going to slap another person by mistake during those really fast body interweaving moves

After being entertained by the various performances, the nasi tumpeng is wheeled in. This mountaineous yellow rice is a Javanese delicacy served often during festivities such as weddings, birthdays and anniversaries as a sign of thanksgiving.

The Indonesian ambassador and his missus then slice the top of the rice peak, only to then garnish the rice with the condiments that surround the base of the rice.

I have to say, the hotel kitchen staff sure knew how to creatively soup up the nasi tumpeng garnishings.

What's a party without good eats, eh! Here are them bakso meatballs simmering ever so seductively in their broth.

I have to credit the ibu who made this bakso, it was just incredible! Best bakso I'd ever had, but most unfortunately for me she put a little too much sambel in my bowl, causing me to convulse and sweat buckets which left me tingling sensations similar to that felt after banging your head several times against a brick wall. In other words, damn good bakso!

There was pangsit goreng for grabs too, but I wasn't keen on trying any. I was still trying to recover from my sudden bakso migraine pang.

And what happens after you feed your hungry crowd at an Indonesian function? They do the poco-poco of course! Here a man gazes at the square-dancing folks before finally succumbing to the temptations of the feverish dance routine.

While everyone was doing the poco-poco, I loitered outside to observe the crowd lingering by the ballroom entrance. Here I noticed that they were giving away party packs, which I got one. There were a few drink sachets inside. But these two items were what caught my eyes especially...

Sampoerna cigarettes packs branded with the Indonesian national seal, just for the embassy! Talk about national pride.

And with that I conclude my coverage of this Indonesian event that took place right here in our own Malaysian backyard. It was as entertaining as it was a privilege to attend. Indonesians and their friends really know how to have a good time; so what if you wore your tightest kebaya batik, darn it, just kick your heels off and have a good time!

Related stories:

Read about Ika Putri and Kenny Jo, the singers from this TNI anniversary event.

Readers' Comments: 6 entries

#5	Fairy	19-Oct-2004, 06:42 MYT
Iya tuh ada Sampoerna special edition hehe. My treasured collectible items from this event. Bu Syl, iya bisa aja kok kalau cameranya SLR hehe.

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