We made some cracks, and ten minutes after the show somebody called the station and said we must stop right now. The owner wouldn t reveal who that somebody was, but it was someone with power. It s still going strong, because talk shows are cheap and there s an increase in interest as times get more critical. We are allowed to call in economists and talk about the financial crisis, and they tend to be from the opposition. Last night we were launghing about the ineptitude of the government, the clumsiness, the inconsistency.
People love that.
Twenty years ago I spent a month in detention for anti-Suharto activities, and I don t want to repeat that. It s to do with palace politics, the vested interests, and it s hard to follow day by day. So we just do our thing, and at least we win in the court of public opinion, as they say. I m just a normal guy, but the country is uptight, so I look quite brave. I m the talk guy, not the action guy.