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as gamelan music rings out above our rooftops, and the soft glow of lights dots
the rice fields, it’s easy to get lost in bali’s magic and forget about the plight of
the environment in neighbouring islands
text melanie j martin image photolibrary
nfortunately for some travellers, Bali is not so magical. When infant orangutans are captured from the forests of Sumatra and Borneo, Bali often marks the first stop on their journey to a private home or zoo. Once there, they will never have the chance to swing from a tree. They will be spending their life in a small cage or room rather than the vast jungle of their homeland. “While East Java is the epicentre of illegal trade in Indonesian animals, Bali remains a prominent site for such trade as well, with captured animals often passing through Ngurah Rai airport,” claims ProFauna Indonesia.
Orangutan – critically endangered in Sumatra and endangered in Borneo – are one of the most in-demand illegally traded species. Thus, their prices are among the highest. This is in spite of the fact that since 1931 – according to the wildlife trade-monitoring network, TRAFFIC – they have been protected in Indonesia. They add: “Despite a maximum sentence of five years in jail and a fine of Rp. 100 million, the chance of being caught or prosecuted is extremely low.”Such trade leads to the overwhelming problem of what to do with the recovered animals. Many are given to rehabilitation centres in Sumatra and Borneo when they reach adulthood and no longer want to obey humans. In Kalimantan, over 1,000 orangutans have been placed in rehabilitation centres and few stand a chance of returning to the wild.
Furthermore, according to World Wildlife Fund UK, for each infant captured, five to six adults are killed as they attempt to defend the baby. Infants must survive the fall from the trees as they cling to their dying mother, and then endure the lack of proper care, extremely cramped conditions, foreign diseases, and the emotional toll of the entire ordeal. The Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS) also claims “with only about 6,600 Sumatran orangutans left in the wild, each captured or killed animal lowers the chances of the species’ survival.”
Do not be misled by art critics, art historians, curators, collectors, gallery owners and auction houses who wax euphoric as they praise artists for their powerful brush strokes, brilliant colour combinations, striking compositions and profound (but often hidden) meanings. While the ultimate judgement of an artist’s importance should be based on his (or her) originality, relevance and ability to forge diverse influences into their own vision of something new, fresh and meaningful – make no mistake the real criteria that drives the art market in Bali and elsewhere is nothing less than MONEY! 
so who is hamish daud wyllie? How about I give you a brief surface rundown. Currently, I am design director at Saka – which focuses on architecture and design. I am also creative director of Tarita Furniture. My mother was born in Singapore to Boyanese parents (an island north of Madura, Central Java) and my father is Australian. I’ve been based here in Bali since I was a baby but spent time travelling between Jakarta, Singapore and Sydney. 
A cluster of houses of worship representing all of Indonesia's religions can be seen on a scenic hilltop close to Nusa Dua. This two-hectare slice, known as Puja Mandala (the domain of worship), is home to a Buddhist temple, a Hindu temple, a Catholic Church, a Protestant Church and an Islamic mosque. This complex bears witness to Indonesia's unique constitution, known as Pancasila, that gives equal status to each of the country's religions. Created in the early years of Indonesia's independence, the state code is depicted by five symbols on the national coat of arms, the central one being the star, the symbol of religious belief, though the religion is not specified. 
In addition to these practical reasons, the development of Puja Mandala was designed to showcase Bali's tolerance and multicultural character. The Balinese have long been known as a peace loving people characterized by harmonious relations among the different ethnic and religious groups living on the island. People of different faiths live side by side, taking care of one another. Visitors may come across a Buddhist ritual procession or festivity guarded by a combined force of Buddhist youths and the local Hindu security team known as pecalang. By encouraging the members of different faiths to worship in buildings in a united complex, Puja Mandala promotes the Balinese spirit of mutual understanding.
It is often said that Bali is a unique island easily distinguishable from the others in the archipelago. Much attention has been devoted to the specific religious and Hindu-based cultural identity attached to the island's main community. In reality, Bali is a multi-ethnic society and has long been so. To appreciate this point one only has to descend from Puja Mandala to the nearby charming settlement of Tanjung Benoa where long established mosques built by Makasar seafarers and Buddhist shrines erected by Chinese migrants sit alongside the familiar Balinese temples. 
