Moammar Emak - Jakarta Undercover

Moammar Emka was born in the village of Jetak-Montong in East Java, Indonesia. While completing his education at the Government Institute for Islamic Studies in Jakarta, he wrote for several regional and national newspapers on social, political and religious issues.

From the mid-Nineties, Moammar Emka worked for a variety of newspapers and magazines, never straying far from the world of entertainment journalism. At Berita Yudha, Prospek and Popular, his columns were widely read for their insights into Jakartas popular culture and high-society life.

First of all, I would like to thank Heriyadi H. Sobiran, the elder at Popular magazine, who not only supported me wholeheartedly but also graciously granted me permission to reproduce a number of articles that previously appeared in the magazine under the column Entertainment for Men.

Thanks are also due to Mujimanto Asmotaruno, the chief at MaleEmporium ( ME) magazine, who demonstated the skills required to master a style of writing that is both interesting and stimulating to read, and who was resposible for knocking many of my articles into shape during his time at Popular.

I am also indebted to Mas Basbardono, who taught me what beautiful prose is supposed to look like while we were colleagues at Berita Yudha and Prospek. It seemed that every article I wrote became more beautiful after being edited by him. Congratulations, Mas Bas, on your book Selingkuh.

Thank you Mas Dadi Darmadi, my brother, who motivated me and showed me a way of life at university. I am still eargerly awaiting the publication of your book!

Finally, I would like to thank Ita Sembiring, who was instrumental in binging to fruition the original Indonesian-language edition of this book; Dr Dede Oetomo for his updated Foreword for this English-language edition; Mas Julius of Galang Press; Rizal Mantovani, who is always up for a scholarly discussion; and the young people of Menteng who shared their stories with me and who became good friends. Dodi, Miko, Yudi, Lisa, Didit, Mas Eko, Susi, Erwin, Lita, Melly, April, Trie, Wisnu, Mori, Satria, Ucok, Jimmy, Dolop etc ... you guys rock!

Jakarta Undercover II

Jakarta Undercover III

Jakarta Xplorer

An underground sex party was in full swing, attended by more than 150 naked guests. Beautiful girls mingled freely with men in the basement venue,which had been designed to resemble a high-class nightclub.

Was I really to believe that such parties existed in Jakarta? Or was this just another crazy urban myth? I wondered if the impact of globalisation had finally brought our culture and social norms into such deep chaos? Had Jakarta become the Las Vegas of Asia?

My first knowledge of such underground partiesclandestine as well as subterraneancame from a famous local actor, SLA. A handsome twenty-seven year old, he was rumoured to be dating one of the sexiest actresses in Jakarta. According to SLA, while such parties may have been out of the ordinary, they were undoubtedly very real.

The atmosphere is wild, explained SLA. Really crazy and also a little scary too! We do whatever we want. We behave like kings in their harems; were playboys for the whole night.

As sincere as he sounded, I still needed some convincing.

These naked parties were shrouded in secrecy and were strictly members- only events. Naturally, the members were from the wealthy upper class. What surprised me more was that the parties were held uninterrupted over several days.

I had to see this for myself. I began my search by spending about a month patrolling the Pluit district of Jakarta. Based on the information I had, I guessed I would have to sniff around the luxury houses and condominiums.

I wandered around North Jakarta, where I also visited gambling dens, discotheques, karaoke bars and massage parlours. With nothing to show for my endeavours, the map I held in my mind of possible party venues was still mysteriously dark.

The breakthrough finally came when I attended a sumptuous fashion show at an international five-star hotel. It was there that I met Alex, a thirty-something man who owned a cable factory in Tangerang, twenty kilometres to the west of Jakarta. Alex was a popular guy with a wide social circle made up of friends from various ethnic backgrounds. He made a habit of attending events graced by celebrities (his wife was the owner of a luxury boutique whose customers included the rich and famous).

Alex was an articulate, easy-going guy and, after some encouragement, he opened up about his experiences of the sex entertainment scene in Jakarta. He told me hed recently been involved in one of the underground naked parties.

Now I was getting somewhere.

If youre on your own, the parties can be very difficult to find, explained Alex. Theyre only for members and their guests.

It became apparent that Alex had attended as a guest. Hed been invited by a friend, who was the owner of an upmarket discotheque in North Jakarta. And it just so happened that, based on his friends information, another underground naked party was due to be held in several weeks time. I made a date to meet up with Alex again soon.

The dusk sky above Jakarta had faded away into nights embrace. I had promised to meet Alex at a Japanese restaurant in the Kebayoran Baru district. Alex arrived with a tidily dressed, plump man.

Let me introduce my friend, began Alex, motioning to his friend. This is Hendra. Its he who invited me to go to the naked club last month.

I shook hands with Hendra, who looked to be in his early thirties. We sat down and ordered from the menu. Over sushi and teppanyaki, we discussed matters relating to the naked club.

The parties are usually held once a month, sometimes only once every three months, explained Hendra. It depends on how many people are interested at the time. You know, everything is done secretly so only members and their guests get to know about it.

An hour later I was whisked away in Alexs black Mercedes in the direction of Pluit. We passed Surdiman Street and entered the toll road. The conversation remained firmly fixed on the evenings entertainment.

Jakarta is so crazy! said an excited Alex. When I heard about it for the first time, I didnt believe such a thing existed here. I thought this could only happen in America or Europe. Nobody knows what we have right here on our doorstep.

If Alex hadnt been invited by Hendra, he would never have known about it. Much less had the chance to join in.

Instead of wasting your money travelling abroad, youre better off spending it here in Jakarta. You know, the clubs here arent much different from the naked parties abroad, said Hendra, with the air of a seasoned swinger.

I didnt say much as I took in the scene. I was apprehensive, but this was all leading me to what I wanted to see with my own eyes.

We entered Pluit. Alex, who was driving, was having to ask Hendra for directions. It had been a while and he clearly hadnt been paying too much attention the first time theyd made this trip.

Ive forgotten the way, smiled Alex.

We arrived at what looked like an entertainment complex. I kept looking in all directions, a little unsettled due to my unfamiliar surroundings. As soon as we passed an old shopping mall, I realised where I was, especially when I saw a large cinema with huge film posters on display. Taking my bearings from the old mall and the cinema, I breathed a sigh of relief, happy that I recognised the landscape once more.

According to Alex, this neighbourhood belonged to the high rollers of Jakarta. The houses seemed to be part of an elite housing complex, comprising dozens of luxury detached houses and apartments. I noticed most of them had large, imposing gates.