Media | Kumbang Toh! to host events for Indonesian community

Beto Bebeto

Macau’s only Indonesian radio show will celebrate its fifth anniversary on December 20 with Christmas carols and a festive brunch, along with an anniversary talk show which will be held at The Clubhouse Nova City Building.

Beto Bebeto, radio host of TDM’s Kumbang Toh! has invited the consul general of Indonesia in Hong Kong, along with leaders of the Indonesian associations in the city to participate in the talk show.

The brunch and talk show will feature performances from different migrant groups, as well as the vocal ensemble.

The event has also invited members of the English- speaking community to join, in a bid to have them interact with the Indonesian community and learn more about its culture.

Bebeto lamented that the event can only accommodate a limited number of participants due to space constraints, but pledged to work on acquiring a larger space for similar events in future.

Kumbang Toh! will also present Indonesian choral group “Ekklesia Vocal Ensemble” from Yogyakarta at 7 p.m. on the same day at the Anglican Church at Macau Anglican College.

Speaking to the Times, Bebeto explained that these initiatives, which are divided into two sessions, aim to give back to the city.

“Ekklesia Vocal Ensemble” is set to perform in four homes for the elderly in Macau on December 18.

“The vocal group will be touring several elderly centers, where they will celebrate Christmas. They will be giving performances,” said the radio host.

“This anniversary is not only for the Indonesians but […] a gift back to Macau too. Macau has been home to the radio and many Indonesian families [so] we want to do something for local people,” he added.

Kumbang Toh! first aired for an hour in August 2012 with a time slot from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

Bebeto now hosts a two-hour show, which features a 45-minute segment in English for the show’s English-speaking listeners.

Bebeto plans to do similar events in the future and continue working with the consulate by bringing in guests from Indonesia, which is expected to gather and build relationships with the 7,000 Indonesian migrant workers in the region.

According to him, migrant groups in Macau are also becoming more active and have cultivated a significant following.

“I have to say the Indonesian migrant groups can do great events,” he said, adding that these groups are also forging closer ties with the Indonesian consulate in Hong Kong.

“Our consul right now is seeing a greater need [to engage] more because obviously we have more Indonesians in Macau,” said Bebeto, who also preaches at a local Indonesian church.

He added that the role of migrant groups in Macau has been increasingly significant due to the absence of an official consulate in Macau – there is only a delegation here – adding that the leaders of these groups have provided the community with pivotal information from the consulate.

Before the consulate opened their office – which is open three days a week in Macau – Bebeto said they relied on different migrant groups, including Peduli and Indonesian Migrant Workers Union, to get certain messages across.

Although consular services are not available to the community on a daily basis, Bebeto said that the community is enjoying the “best relationship with the consulate so far.”