Butet Kartaredjasa And Parodi Dream Republic President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

Artists, Butet Kartaredjasa (parodi Presiden SBY) and colleagues in the Republic of Dreams. (ANTARA/Eric Ireng)

JAKARTA - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's leadership (SBY) often invites criticism. His policy is considered solely on behalf of the people. However, many of his policies were not on target. The easy language: Amburadul.

Criticism of the government has emerged everywhere. Artist, Butet Kartaredjasa even spoke up. He even perpetuated his criticism through a television program containing a political satire. Republican Dream, his name. Butet there parodied himself as President of SBY: Si Butet Yogya.

The attention of all Indonesian people for the election of SBY to become President of Indonesia is second to none. He is considered capable of bringing new colors to the Indonesian government in 2004. All kinds of problems when SBY clashed with his superior, Megawati Soekarnoputri was not a problem.

People's trust increases. The hope of the Indonesian people so that SBY becomes a figure close to the small people is unbearable. He is even predicted to be the representation of the Indonesian leader who stands above all groups.

The test at the beginning of his tenure as President of Indonesia was successfully passed smoothly. Everything changed when the big test as a leader began to come one by one. Take for example when the Indonesian government was forced to increase fuel oil (BBM) twice in March and October 2005.

The most pronounced increase in fuel was Premium in March from Rp1,810 to Rp2,400 per liter. In October, Premium from Rp2,400 to Rp4,500 per liter. The increase was burdensome for the community.

President SBY feels confident that he can present a solution. He perpetuated the Direct Cash Assistance (BLT) program. The assistance aims to ease the burden on the small people because fuel rises. The option is in fact not enough. The lives of all Indonesian people are actually getting ahead of it. Because, fuel is the trigger for rising prices for other necessities.

It seems that something is impossible. To get along with the increase in land oil prices alone, most poor families, both for cooking and for selling fried foods on the side of the road, are not enough at all. Moreover, to cover the increase in prices for other basic necessities that have been creeping up ahead of the official announcement of rising fuel prices, it doesn't feel adequate at all.

For poor families who receive direct cash, of course, they are well aware that there will be no meaning of any money amounting to Rp. 100,000 per month, if they have to be spent when the prices of their basic needs skyrocket. Under these conditions, the concern that arises is that the recipients of direct cash funds do not use the money to buy necessities, but to buy dreams during the day in broadspace by installing a lottery (Illegal Totoan), "Fahmy Yahvi in the book Pro Rakyat Economic Policy (2008).

Criticism of SBY's leadership continues to arrive. From among politicians to artists. Even so, the presence of criticism proves that the anniversary of democracy is going well. The peak of the smooth democratic system of the SBY era is the presence of television programs that make political satire.

The Republic of Dreams, especially. A show containing funny but critical discussions about Indonesia. The show was eagerly awaited by fans. The dream Republic airs once a week on Metro TV from early 2007. Political Communications practitioner, Effendi Gazali is the initiator.

The event tried to position itself as a neighboring country from Indonesia. The capital city is also called Yaharta (Jakarta players). The players are filled with famous names who parodize big figures in Indonesian politics. From Butet Kartaredjasa to Jarwo Kwat.

Butet Kartaredjasa, for example. He parodied himself as President of SBY. However, not President Yudhoyono in his real sense. SBY's acronym is actually interpreted as Si Butet Yogyakarta. Butet's presence in the event added to the warmth of the discussion.

Incidentally Butet has always been widely remembered as a criticism artist. He once criticized anyone. He can also act anyone. from Soekarno to Suharto. Then, in the Republic of Dreams he tried to collide critically in comedy with his colleagues during the artist's time.

There is Jarwo Kwat who parodied Vice President Jusuf Kalla (JK) and Handoyo parodied former president Gus Dur who happened to be called Gus Pur. They discussed many of the latest issues related to the Indonesian government. Starting from controversy to blunders.

Butet's action to play SBY received a lot of praise. He is considered capable of parody SBY to the fullest. Just like the President of the Republic of Indonesia, SBY, Si Butet Yogya is described as often making promises but their contents are empty. The presence of the SBY Republic of Dreams is remembered with a sickle: I will.

There were many jokes of being the rulers. Moreover, the actions of butet and friends had angered the government. The owner of the power considers the Republican Dream program to dare to make fun of the President of Indonesia. In fact, the Minister of Communication and Information, Sofyan Djalil (2004-2007) thought about sending a subpoena to the owner of the event in March 2007.

This fact had made the initiator of the Republic of Dreams confused. They had changed the name of the event from the Republic of Dreams to the Kingdom of Dreams. The name change actually made Butet 'raise' from the President of the Republic of Dreams to King of SBY.

The role of King SBY made Butet's name as an artist soar. Even though the role was only played for a short time. Because, the Kingdom of Dreams only lasted two episodes and changed to Republic of Dreams. After that, Butet returned to play President SBY. Butet said: We are more afraid of subpoenas from the people than subpoenas by the authorities.

When asked to parodize SBY, I realized that my face didn't resemble his face. I said, I'm an actor, a stage player. I can interpret a character. So it will look like a SBY shadow."

"I don't know if it worked or not. So far, I've never featured a character. I imitate Suharto's voice, rather than playing Suharto as a character. For example, I describe a village head with a character that resembles Suharto. It's more like an association. It's all in the realm of imagination," Butet explained as quoted by Evan Darwin Winet in the book Indonesian Postcolonial Theater (2010).