look at me!

Oleh Anugerah Perkasa



I WAS born in Banjarmasin in southern Borneo in 1977. I grew up there, living with my parents and two siblings until finishing my high school in1996. It was time to leave. My parents sent me to Jogjakarta, a college town in central Java, to continue my education at the Universitas Islam Indonesia, one of the oldest colleges in Java. While studying psychology there, I began my love affair with journalism. I joined a student magazine called "Himmah" --in Arabic it literally means "spirit."

In 2001, I met Andreas Harsono, who was then the managing editor of the now defunct Pantau literary magazine. I loved that magazine. I love the way its writers and artists presented their works. I was falling in love with story after story published by that magazine.

One year later, I did a research and interviews on the Jogjakarta-based Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia. It is a radical Islamic organization led by Muslim cleris Abubakar Ba'asyir. My story was published by Pantau in December 2003.

In mid 2004, I finished my college and moved to Jakarta, taking an internship at Pantau. It was beginning its new phase as a media think tank.The magazine was already closed. I helped it organize some journalist workshops sponsored by Columbia University's Initiative for Policy Dialogueon globalization and labor coverage.

On February 14, 2005, I joined Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta's largest business daily, working on its political desk for 18 months. My current beat is non-banking financial industries such as insurances, pension funds and multifinances.

My free time? I read books especially on journalism, liberalism and Islam. I also like to meet people who have pleasant personalities. (anugerah.perkasa@bisnis.co.id)