Cultural Kleptomania Syndrome

KOMPAS/ADITYA PUTRA PERDANA

Central Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Rycko Amelza Dahniel (second left, front row) and other officers present evidence at the Central Java Police headquarters in Semarang, on 15 Jan. 2020. The evidence was gathered in the investigation of alleged fraud in the establishment of the so-called Keraton Agung Sejagat empire in Pogung Jurutengah of Bayan district, Purworejo, Central Java. The police have named the self-proclaimed king and queen of the empire, TS, 42, and FA, 41, as suspects in the case.

Indonesian politics is becoming increasingly chaotic with the emergence of “new kingdoms”, including the Keraton Agung Sejagat (which means “World Empire”) in Purwokerto and the Sunda Empire in Bandung. Similar symptoms can also be found in the Selaco Sultanate (West Java), the Jellyfish Kingdom (Banten), the People’s State of Nusantara and the King of the King (Raja Diraja) in Tangerang, who said that he would inaugurate all of the world’s kings and presidents (Kompas.com, 27/1/2020).

It is not impossible that other impromptu kingdoms will crop up. Public excitement reached its fever pitch when a private TV station broadcasted an hours-long reportage of these kingdoms.