Soekarno & The Sea Goddess | thefinancialdebunker

Intelligence Series 13 - Soekarno & The Sea Goddess of Pelabuhan Ratu

Highlight 1 : This article will explain Tomas' role in the Indonesian Independence. The options he had to turn against Soekarno's circle and provide a different ending for today's Indonesia.

Highlight 2 : Tomas (Carl's grandfather) is a Hakka Chinese descent with the surname Deng. After the GESTOK movement, Chinese were encouraged to changed their surname. Hence, the surname "Tenggara" was adopted. The word "Tenggara" implies southeast in English. Coincidentally, most affairs with regards to the Independence concentrated within the Pelabuhan Ratu-Cikotok (Soekarno's bastion to procure gold as resources for Independence.) vicinity. Pelabuhan Ratu (Harbour of the Queen) is termed as "南海" Nan Hai in Chinese or South Sea. Did Tomas coincidental arrival politically mediated or simply destined?

Nobody knows up to this day due to Tomas secretive nature whether he was destined in Pelabuhan Ratu or he (influenced by others) simply chose to be there to observe and be instrumental in the political movement. Not even his family members knew about them.

Highlight 3 : This topic refers to a period when the US-China relationship was at it's ebb. A chapter which the American Intelligence prefer to have the files thrown into the fire. The story of an American pilot having his legacy the least told for his friendship with Soekarno, mostly populated by selective Indonesian media. Note that the Japanese weren't interested in gold during World War II as they focused on lead (biji timah) for making ammunition and coal for transportation. The Freeport Grasberg gold mine (largest in the world) started operating in 1967 (two years after GESTOK) after the Indoenesian government was forced to take a back seat by holding only a mere 10% of it's stake. Thus making a very strong case that all of the gold procured by Soekarno to be smuggled out of Indonesia originated from Cikotok.

https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Freeberg
https://tirto.id/sebelum-freeport-ada-cikotok-ckyN
https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeport_Indonesia

Highlight 4 : Malaysian and Indonesian politics are not of equivalence. Malaysian Politics is more Malay in nature drawing it's root from a royal past but getting more diverse as time flies. Abdul Rahman (Royalty), Abdul Razak (Bugis with Royal connections), Hussein Onn (Mixed Turkish heritage with Royal connections), Mahathir (Mixed Malay heritage), Abdullah Badawi (Malay of Arab descent), Najib Razak (similar as his father) and finally Muhyiddin Yassin (Bugis with no Royal connections).

Indonesian politics is Javanese politics with much of it's vicious roots imbedded from the Majapahit era. Soekarno, Soeharto, Habibie, Gusdur, Megawati, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and finally Jokowi. Seven presidents, all seven are Javanese (Orang Jawa) except Habibie which is partially Bugis. Even the next contender Prabowo is also a Javanese.

If Malaysia comes under Zahid Hamidi as the next Prime Minister, he will be the first Malaysian Prime Minister of Javanese descent.

Attention : United States, Chinese and Indonesian Embassy

CLOSED CHAPTERS

Carl's grandfather Tomas kept this whole chapter a secret as it involves a strong period of uncertainty, racism and brutality. Yet it was the naughty and inquisitive nature of his grandchildren that discovered this chapter. It started when the grandchildren fooling around Tomas' fishing and marine product shop. Being mischievous in nature, Philipe opened his grandfather's drawer and discovered a gold badge (stars with five ends). He tried to put the badge on his shirt. He was then told to put it back where it belonged only leaving all the grandsons giggling. It followed by the question "Why is the badge so important?" to " Why was grandfather given a badge?" to "Why was he involved in 13th August 1945?" to "Didn't he become merchant all the time?" to "So why is someone not a soldier awarded with a middle/high level badge?" to "Wow, grandpa carried weapons?" to "No, grandpa never carried guns but was awarded a badge?". All the questions and answers seem to baffle the children as they only envisage armies carrying rifles in their brains. Though inquisitive, their concentration span were short and after their interrogation towards the adults (whom never wanted to answer in great detail unless they were pressed hard), they resume their play once more. Closing this unspoken chapter. This similar episode also applies to Carl (seriously who never gives a damn about such things ages ago. Why must he care about it anyway?).

The only time Carl started reminiscing his ancestry is when he met the descendant of Yeop Mahidin (who once spoke to Carl. "You seem like someone who had a cause in life.". Carl replied "No, I am doing it solely for financial purposes alone."). At that time, there is a spark in him wanting to know more of his ancestral past or perhaps why is he interested in changing the course of human history. Or whatever it is that could change the status quo. Independence from status quo.

In his head, questions keep flying around. All the lines his mother told him suddenly came back to memory.

"Your grandfather was involved in the Indonesian Independence."

"Luckily, your grandfather at that time had distanced himself from Soekarno's circle, else probably he is dead now or vanished in Nusa Kambangan."

"Your grandfather, thanked to his dark skinned survived the Gestok."

"Do you know that a man name "Om Chin Teck" came to him when your grandpa was selling his "Mercury" and "Evanrude" marine products in Pelabuhan Ratu? He offered your grandfather a deal. Stop selling the American products and start selling Japanese products. He ensures that there will be after sales services and your grandfather kept an eye on all the defects for improvement prospects on the Yamaha Marine Products.

Do you know he immediately offer your grandfather a 45% discount for the Yamaha products even if he just buys a single unit? His son is Hani Wiano (curse is your second uncle for his betrayals not just towards his family but his benefactor including Hani Wiano too. Thank God, they revoke the blessings that was endowed upon him from my father.) who is an ally to Tommy Soeharto. He married Miss Indonesia Janet. She was so beautiful. Haish, without your grandfather's connections, do you think your uncle could expand his Yamaha business solely depending on his business acumen alone?

Only your auntie kept denying my father's blessing and attributing to G-d to deny the familial contribution brought into the sales and make political justification to give more to her side."

By then, Carl was just getting more confused on how his grandfather who was more aligned to Soekarno in the beginning turned into someone who became disinterested in politics years later. So this is how it all started.

THE JET BLACK METALLIC "HAKKA" FROM MAURITIUS

Despite it's political rhetoric repeated by Malaysian politicians over their speeches that Malaysian politics had never been about race, the fact is that it has always been the contrary. The recent spat (this article should have been published three months ago.) between Azeez Rahim from UMNO and Kasthuri Patto from DAP over the word "Gelap" (dark) sparked rounds of bashing for days in the social media. UMNO and their supporters responded with a video alleging Nga Kor Ming from DAP who shouted "Jet Black Metallic" on the previous Perak Chief Minister Zambry a decade ago during one of his speeches.

Well, it is the natural tendency in human being to discriminate against those of darker color. Black Lives Matter is the current revolution on a system inheritably designed centuries ago to oppress the Blacks. Even Barak Obama agrees with the fact that he is discriminated

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/president-obama-absolutely-suffer-racism-us-president-a7465281.html

The image below depicts Carl and his grandfather Tomas (in case you are wondering, maternal grandfather. In case you are wondering once again, it absolutely matters as the Chinese heavily segregate and discriminate grandchildren which do not share the same surname even if the grandchildren from their daughters do bear more semblance to them or share a higher amount of their DNA material. Surnames, clans and legacies. Those are the list of things the Chinese cared about and those are exactly the list of things that Carl's loathes about.). Tomas is a Jet Black Metallic "Hakka" from Mauritius. He owned his "dark skin" from his mother, the second wife to a Hakka liquor merchant residing in Mauritius travelling all the way from Hakka's Guangdong Meixian village. Leaving his first wife and his eldest son in China, Carl's great grandfather landed in Mauritius and started his distillery business in Mauritius. There is a catch in Mauritius. Though it is quite easy to procure wealth in Mauritius, Chinese ladies were absolutely scarce in Mauritius during the 1st and 2nd wave of my migration. He sired three children in Mauritius. When his Assamese wife gave birth to his third child, he was instructed to leave Mauritius due to an accident or sabotage involving "alcohol poisoning". He passed away during the arduous long sea voyage.

...Imagine a Chinese man in Guangdong Meixian receiving his only Jet Black Metallic half-brother from Mauritius completely illiterate in Chinese but verse in speaking English and Creole bringing terrible news that his biological father passed away on the ship. Obviously, Carl's grandfather was discriminated and immediately re-educated to speak Hakka and Mandarin. Failure in being competent as equal will result in smaller food rations....

So this is how a Jet Black Metallic Hakka wonder in the past - travelling all the way from Mauritius to China (Guangdong Meixian) and then to Indonesia (Sukabumi - the capital) but finally (Pelabuhan Ratu - still part of Sukabumi.).

THE MYTHICAL AND MYSTICAL FACETS OF PELABUHAN RATU

When Tomas first arrived with his rich pure bred Hakka half brother of the same father (but different mother), most of the estate and wealth of his father belonged solely to his eldest Chinese brother. With the wealth from China, the rich Chinese merchant resided in Sukabumi, bought a tea plantation, sire 11 children and even had the first BATA shoe store.

Life was very different for Tomas, being the son from a dark skin mother in a Sino-centric household relocated to a Malay-centric environment, Tomas was pretty much left with nothing when he first started to move out from his brother's estate - seeing not much future to it. Sukabumi is congested with wealthy Chinese merchants. There is not much room for business as competition can be vicious.

Luck changes like a turbulent wave when he arrives at the shores of Pelabuhan Ratu. He started out as a cloth merchant on bicycle. With not much money in hand and no place to live, he rented (probably through recommendations) a room from an old Chinese lady which all her relatives either dead, gone or being uncontacted. Despite her extreme loneliness, she was close with Tomas and owned a strategic location (which one of Carl's uncle still owns that spot in Pelabuhan Ratu). Days before she left, she passed the house and her land to Tomas for a relatively small amount of cash for her son to purchase a house in Jakarta.

...There is a deal nonetheless, not in the form of material but a promise to set her an altar as well as preparing basic rituals for her and those that have passed before her. Tomas complied. Tomas owned one of the most strategic spot to do business in Pelabuhan Ratu out of nowhere. Completely out of the blue....

Time is an essential essence in changing a person's destiny. The Nationalist movement was on fire. Soekarno's arrival to Pelabuhan Ratu was destined. But why would in anywhere from heaven and hell is Soekarno interested in the bay of Pelabuhan Ratu? So those readers out there who had just watched the revamped version of Nancy Drew (whom had a quickie sexcapade with a Black man as early as the first few minutes of the show) retold in a mythical fashion involving the Sea Goddess,...

...Pelabuhan Ratu had always had one and the Goddess had always demanded human sacrifice in green outfit annually. Every Indonesian knows her name. The legendary Nyai Loro Kidul. Obviously, the locals will keep sounding visitors and tourists not to dress in green and swim. Contrarily, if there isn't a human sacrifice, the fishermen will have less fish. Contrarily also, many wanted to test the Sea Goddess penchant for green things....

Soekarno (not the other Indonesian Presidents. They probably had affiliations with Pelabuhan Ratu, but it was only out of respect.) believes in the power of mystical arts and his passion for the Javanese Sea Goddess is real (having familial talks and rumors that passed from generations to generations). In fact, one of the room in Samudera Beach Hotel was built one specifically for her after the Independence. For Carl (reminiscing his childhood past), Pelabuhan Ratu had always been eerily cold, reserve and silent. The story of Kuntilanak (ghost with long hair) sitting on an elongated branch of the tree of his grandpa's Tomas house to the long silent walking distance from his room to the washroom at night accompanied by the sound of the winding pendulum puts horror movie into plain comparison.

Tomas reservations in speaking mythical and mystical topics puts Carl in a more frightening manner as Tomas only started to give hints to such topics when dangers are involved. Carl remembered the two incidents clearly

1) "Grandpa. Wow, you had so many Malay daggers (about 7).". Carl spoke in excitement while discovering them inside a drawer. Tomas immediately request the drawer to be closed shut. Only to Carl's mother intervention "The keris may belonged to people who have passed. It may contain something unpleasant." Off course, that spooked Carl away. Only to think about it today. Why is Tomas obsessed with keeping such relics? Not to mention his penchant for other relics such as elephant tusk, extinct bird feathers and many more disturbing statues. Carl had to pass them in the middle of the night to go to the toilet. Seriously, it does even gives him the creeps when he starts writing about them.

2) "Wow, me and cousin Morten found several unattended eggs in an abandoned house. I threw one of the egg to examine if they were fresh." Carl spoke gladly to his grandpa. Tomas was absolutely dismayed and said "You should keep yourself out from such activities and buildings, the eggs aren't there for no reasons, it must have been used for rituals. You could have endangered yourself for dabbling with things you absolutely had no idea of.".

Despite all these creepy stories that gave Carl many goosebumps, Carl always feel they are just human creations. Until one night, Carl wanted to test and see if his mother was bluffing about the Kuntilanak sitting on the elongated branch of the tree. Yes, there is a woman sitting there in the middle of the night despite that huge big piece of land was never much occupied by people in the middle of the night.

The image is very vivid up to this day. Though Carl had not been age appropriate to discuss such topic with Tomas. Tomas had always been mystical in nature until he convert to be a Christian years later (a price he severely pays. When you shifted your alliances including - putting aside altars for worship, you will pay a severe price.).

Interesting? But what's more? A few months before Carl's mother passed, Carl baited his mother

"Why is Pelabuhan Ratu such a significant place to Soekarno? Couldn't he just come every year or month for his fastings?"

Agitated (due to her medically induced mood swings), she replied...

"Are you stupid? Didn't you keep saying you want to be a strategist? Pelabuhan Ratu is 20 minutes drive from Cikotok and Cikotok is Soekarno's base as he needed the gold for Independence."

So Carl's mother imparted the most important key to the whole puzzle. In fact, it was quite astonishingly true.

IS THE SEA GODDESS A CAMOUFLAGE FOR SOEKARNO'S OPERATION?

No doubt that Soekarno's trip is strongly sparked by his mythical and mystical belief on Pelabuhan Ratu as well as Nyai Loro Kidul. However, could it have been a camouflage to serve two things at the same time? For Soekarno to set up his bastion in Pelabuhan-Ratu alone doesn't seem to make sense solely just for the Sea Goddess until Carl's mother added Cikotok into the equation. Pelabuhan Ratu is only a mere 20 minutes drive away from Cikotok. As history had clearly shown countless of times (with fragmented pieces here and there), Cikotok produces gold. The first discovered gold mine in Indonesia. Cikotok was poorly managed until the 1960s. Yet why was it poorly managed since the opening in 1936, even after the departure of the Dutch?

Cikotok was Soekarno's bastion and his source of funding to fend off the Dutch after the Japanese's departure from South East Asia. Tomas knew all of Soekarno's maneuver. His secret lair near the gold mine of Cikotok to his fascinations (and monthly fastings) towards Karang Hawu (where the Javanese Sea-Goddess Nyai Loro Kidul resides.). Yet Cikotok was a very reserved place with only the Baduy indigenous (uncontactable) people residing in that area. Pelabuhan Ratu was the nearest point from Cikotok to procure food and essential goods.

As the main food supplier in Pelabuhan Ratu, the essentials (such as rice, fuel and medicine) to Cikotok had to go under his watch (Unless Soekarno and his guerilla armies plan to live a simpler life like the Baduy indigenous people. During colonial times, all the movements are watched and the supplies including food are notarized to keep track of ground movements and restricting guerilla insurgencies. Arguably, Soekarno could procure from other places, that would be farther and the risk much higher.). Tomas even own the boats and commisioned Bugis sailors to procure fishes and making boats. In other words, he was involved in the sea business and local market (therefore, he would know all the rumors if the demand for necessities by suspicious contacts who aren't local.). As Pelabuhan Ratu ( just opened KFC in 2017, about 40 years after most major places had one.) is a remote place in the 1940s to 1950s, Tomas owned the town's gossips.

In fact Tomas aided and kept the whole operation under wrap, he was interrogated and arrested a few times by the Dutch. The only lucky factor, the Dutch were not as cruel as the Japanese (Else, Tomas would had his life long gone. For readers out there. Independence is a very expensive price to pay. Soekarno is not an angel. There were times when he had to entertain the demands from the Japanese and starve his own people.).

Circumstantial evidences pointed out to the fact that there is a strong presence to tone down the legacy of Soekarno as he was indirectly accused for the GESTOK incident.

1) An American pilot by the name of Bob Freeberg (a friend and pilot to Soekarno) had only his biography and story published by the Indonesian side in Wikipedia. Why are the Americans seems silent and uninterested to popularize the adventures of Soekarno, Bob Freeberg and Cikotok?

https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Freeberg

2) Cikotok up to this day remains relatively under develop and not commemorated despite it's glorious past for aiding Soekarno's journey to Independence. Similar fate befall Pelabuhan Ratu except it's attraction as a tourist spot.

The Financial Debunker is not fond of China (especially The Communist Thief) but arguments pointed out by the Cornell Paper clearly suggests that GESTOK was an incident orchestrated to bring down Soekarno who was too ambitious (including the procurement of ballistic missiles technology from North Korea) and his alignment to China's allies. Liquidating him was a necessary move. Soekarno overestimated his capabilities, ambitions and connections.

Whatever it may be, the United States/China or the C.I.A/Chinese Spies must not be faulted as the destiny for Indonesia lies within the hands of the Indonesians themselves. Our (for Carl) job is opening a "Closed Chapters" in order to commemorate the untold heroic legacy of his grandfather Tomas as well as providing a new rationale behind Soekarno's true obsession with the Sea Goddess.

*As Tomas was dark skinned, he was discriminated by Soekarno's circle for politics (not to mention, the clashes in political philosophy). In business as well among his Chinese peers after the Independence. Yet, it was his dark skinned that saved him during GESTOK when Soeharto's supporter and armies orchestrated massacres and burned down Chinese shop houses. Once, they shouted...

"Cina, kamu keluar." (Chinese, you get out.)

So he responded by opening the door. When they saw an Indian man, their fierce progression towards his shop stops. The whole family was saved once again. Even the Chinese communities seek the shelter of his land.

Another time was when Soeharto was running a clean slate operation on all the Communist and Soekarno's sympathizers. As he was initially left out in the cold after the Independence, his ties with Soekarno's camp was a mile distant. So he was being let go once again from the threatening grasp of Soeharto after several days of interrogation. Some of his Nationalist comrades were jailed. Some had severe mental breakdown after years in jail. Some were never heard of anymore.

**There were times before Independence when Tomas could just betray Soekarno for the Dutch. Yet he was a great man (unlike his more calculative and unforgiving nature of his grandson Carl) who believes in Independence. Nevertheless, as he grew older (despite his son was blessed with business connections through one of Soeharto's ally), there is no doubt in him that Indonesia was heading for the wrong direction.

Firstly, Soekarno is arrogant and overestimated his own capabilities in dealing with foreign powers until his collapse. He was bad in managing financial matters too. Soeharto was a dictator aided by foreign power. He was incompetent to say the least but compliant. Things got worse for Indonesians day by day. Corruption was rampant and an old Soeharto who started to distant himself from foreign power in the end found himself under the mercy of IMF. Tomas final days was him repeating the line below as he started to witness more Indonesians being treated miserably as maids and domestic workers after the ASEAN FINANCIAL CRISIS...

...Lewih alus dijajah (Sundanese means "better to be colonized".)....

Must we agree with him? In some ways YES. The Dutch built canals for Jakarta to control flood. The greedy local administrator and mostly Chinese developers overdevelop the land (sucking the water from the ground continuously creating voids under the soil as the government kept supporting private companies to sell drinkable water to the public than putting effort in building network of piping system.) until it sinks continuously. It is just a matter of time before they have major flood again. Worst, they even clogged the canals with rubbish.

Now, this pathetic 20 million (whether natives or Chinese) wanted to take an easy way out by dumping Jakarta and deforest Borneo further. With Najib Razak brilliantly taking the advantage of building the PAN BORNEO highway for lucrative intentions. We had different thoughts altogether. Maybe they should learn "collective responsibility" and just sink with Jakarta as the first step by contributing to be humans.