Indonesian Identities

As a young medical student, Candy Natazia Jorian never imagined that one day she would become a media personality. As it turned out, the fluent speaker of Mandarin is the woman behind the success of Metro TV’s Xin Wen Chinese-language program. She discusses her background, the May 1998 riots that targeted ethnic Chinese and her hopes for Indonesia’s future.

Before I became a TV anchor, I wanted to be a doctor. I went to school for it, too, and received my medical degree after seven years of studies. However, following graduation, I realized that I didn’t want to be a regular physician. I wanted something more.

But the thought of having to spend five extra years in school and training to become a specialist or a surgeon just didn’t do it for me. So, I gave myself the benefit of the doubt and shifted gears.

Hard as it may be to believe, I was in the real estate business for three years. This was in 1996. Three years went by quickly and the excitement quickly wore off. I was desperate for another change.

Near the end of 1999, I went abroad and enrolled in a semester-long Mandarin language course at the Center of Chinese Language and Culture in Taipei. Mostly, I left because I wanted to experience living abroad. Yet, it’s true what they say that there’s no place like home.

In 2000, upon my return to Jakarta, someone told me Metro TV was seriously looking for a news anchor who could speak fluent Mandarin for a program they were developing. The timing couldn’t have been better: I needed a job and they had an opening. It has worked out well! In fact, we just celebrated the seventh anniversary of our Metro Xin Wen program.

In the beginning, there was a bit of friction among the staff. There was some sort of a divide between the ethnic Chinese and the non-Chinese staff working in the office, as was expected. But it wasn’t in any way detrimental to our professional relationship. We just needed time to sort things out, get used to the fact that we’re all in the same boat and want what’s best for the network.

Today, of course, the gap is hardly noticeable. After seven years, we’ve come to understand where we stand and everybody is generally quite friendly with one another. There’s no issue.

Personally, I think of myself as an Indonesian. Sure, I have a Chinese name and am of Chinese descent, but I don’t consider myself a Chinese citizen or anything of the kind. I’m Indonesian. It says so on my ID card, and on my passport. And everywhere I go, whoever I meet, I always declare myself as first and foremost an Indonesian citizen.

What happened in 1998 was unfortunate. It was a devastating period for our country. My family runs a restaurant in Mangga Besar, and when we heard news of the rioting we closed it early. Before noon, the rolling door had already been tampered with by the looters. Then they smashed the windows and took whatever they could carry.

When I think about it, I shiver with fear. I always wonder how civilized people could do such a thing to each other. What happened that day was inhuman. There was no humanity anywhere. The killings, the rapes, the beatings — I can’t stomach the thought of any of it.

I don’t hold non-Chinese citizens responsible for what happened. I think it was organized by people who wanted to tear the country apart, who had some political agenda, and both ethnic Chinese and non-Chinese citizens suffered greatly because of it.

Nevertheless, I admit that the country as a whole does have a problem, and that problem isn’t going to solve itself. There is still a wide gap between the ethnic-Chinese and

non-Chinese citizens to this day, but I believe with time and the collective effort that we put into bringing ourselves closer to each other … we’ll eventually overcome the barrier.

At some point, we will be left with no other choice than to fully and completely integrate. Maybe in the next 20 years, who knows?

Some would say there’s too much water under the bridge, that it’s impossible for people to accept each other’s differences. I disagree. I think it’ll be a difficult process, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Look at the younger generation, they’ve slowly begun to stop noticing such differences.

I’m comfortable with who I am and what I do. Right now, I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family and friends. The job I have isn’t the toughest job in the universe, but anyone who thinks it’s easy should trade places with me for, at least, a day. In the end, the choices you make in life define who you are and what you stand for.

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Delon Thamrin took time to make his mark in the entertainment scene. But the runner-up in the first Indonesian Idol in 2003 (he is now listed as the winner after Joy Tobing’s contractual dispute with the organizer) has become probably the most successful graduate of the talent show, as both a singer and actor. He took time out from his busy schedule to discuss his career and being a Chinese-Indonesian in the public eye.

Before becoming an “Idol”, I earned my living as a wedding singer and in sales jobs at several companies. I always loved to sing — even as a child — although I never thought one day I’d be able to do it professionally. Well, actually, I wanted to do it professionally, I just didn’t think the opportunity would come my way. And it did!

I was inspired by Clay Aiken, the runner-up in the second season of American Idol, so much that I told myself if Indonesia ever held such an event I would not think twice about enrolling myself in the competition. A month later, RCTI announced it was opening an audition for individuals from all over the country who wanted to compete in Indonesian Idol. That was how I got into this whole thing. I couldn’t resist.

The things that followed after being crowned runner-up at the Indonesian Idol were beyond anything I had ever imagined, but in a good way. My life changed 360 degrees. Suddenly, there were all these offers and I was on my way to making my first album. Plus, I didn’t have to worry about money anymore. At least not so much. My lifestyle also changed. And over the course of a few months, my contact list grew significantly.

Honestly, I don’t identify myself as an ethnic-Chinese “Idol”. It doesn’t mean I deny the fact I am of Chinese descent, I just don’t see the need to single myself out from others because of it. My full name is Alexander Liaw Delon Thamrin, and people call me either Delon Liaw or Delon Thamrin—I don’t mind either one. It doesn’t change who I am.

Moreover, I don’t judge people based on their ethnicity or race or religion. We’re all Indonesians, we speak the same language, live in the same country—what does it matter where our great, great, great grandparents came from?

When competing in the Idol event, I never once felt discriminated against because of my ethnic background. Is that hard to believe? I think it’s pretty natural. No one cares anymore. The young generation, or particularly my generation, is very open-minded. We don’t point fingers the way people might have in the past.

I never received special invitations to events attended or put together solely by

ethnic Chinese citizens, or got special treatment because of my background. That’s not how it works nowadays. The people who support me are both ethnic Chinese and

non-Chinese citizens of Indonesia, there’s no particular order about it. The way I see it, I am supported by my fellow countrymen and -women.

When the May 1998 riots happened, I was in Surabaya, so I don’t have first-hand accounts of the incident. All the things I heard regarding the incident were from the media and the rumors that went on a few days after the riots. I can tell you what I felt, though. I thought the capital had gone to ruins and we were done for. I could not believe the kind of violence that we were capable of inflicting upon one another. It blew my mind. I could not comprehend such atrocities.

Was I afraid? Given the situation, who wouldn’t be? But that doesn’t give me the right to start pointing fingers. It doesn’t give anybody the right. What happened was unfortunate and wrong, and I’m sure someone is responsible for it. I just don’t think it is wise for either ethnic-Chinese or non-Chinese citizens to prolong the matter by playing the blame game.

For now, I believe we are doing what we can to rebuild the country. Eventually, we’ll come to terms with who we are and realize that where our ancestors came from has little to do with where we belong. This, here, is our home. Together, we’re all a family.

My job right now is to live up to the people’s expectations and my own.

I want to do good, both as a person and a public figure. The best way for me to express myself is through singing, and that’s what I will continue to do. That’s my contribution to this country, as I’m sure everybody has their own. My aspirations for the next five years are to go international and make Indonesia proud.

+ As told to Maggie Tiojakin

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