Storm in a tumbler: A missing cup sparks debates about empathy in Indonesia

JAKARTA – The Indonesian tumbler drama began with a 350ml stainless-steel bottle – perfectly insulated for coffee, yet hopelessly unprepared for the glare of social media.

Within days, the missing tumbler had gone viral. The ensuing storm swept through Jakarta’s commuter trains, cost a commuter her job, nearly cost a station officer his, and even toppled the president director of commuter rail operator PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI), a subsidiary of state railway PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI). All over an insulated cup.

Indonesia’s commuter rail system sees thousands of lost items each year – umbrellas, wallets, lunch boxes, even pet carriers – most of which go unnoticed. Not this tumbler, which became a lightning rod for debates about empathy, fairness and governance instead.

The saga began on Nov 17, when commuter Anita Dewi Lestari left her cooler bag on a packed train from Jakarta to Banten province. Security officers recovered the bag and sent photos showing its contents were intact. But when she and her husband, Mr Alvin Harris Setiadi, returned the next day, one item had vanished: a blue tumbler from a popular coffee chain Tuku, priced at around 225,000 rupiah (S$17.50).

Frustrated, Ms Anita posted on social media platform Threads, blaming station passenger service officer Argi Budiansyah for not checking the contents of the bag when it was handed to him by security staff.

Mr Argi responded on Threads on Nov 26 saying he had been dismissed a day earlier for “negligence”. He posted WhatsApp messages with Mr Alvin, showing he had apologised, offered to replace the tumbler, and invited the couple to review CCTV footage – but received no reply.

“I have done everything I could to find where the item went, but so far, there has been no result. Now my job is on the line because you and your wife posted about it on social media. In the name of Allah, I did not take that tumbler,” he wrote.

The case exploded online, sparking debates over the operator’s accountability and passengers’ lack of personal responsibility. The spotlight soon shifted to the couple, who were accused of overreacting over a missing item, amid mounting public anger.

“So much noise over something so trivial. Is it worth millions? Is it gold-plated? Is it decorated with diamonds? To the extent that an officer was fired, that is simply not justified,” wrote netizen Ningsih Ayu on YouTube.

“Rail operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) is ridiculous for rushing to judgment without first conducting a thorough investigation. The top management should have been fired; the decision was inappropriate and tarnished KAI’s reputation,” said another netizen, Ryan X Project.

Online sleuths even dug into Ms Anita’s personal and professional life. Complaints about her alleged lack of empathy reached her employer, an insurance company, while others questioned her university record.

On Nov 27, the insurance company announced her dismissal. “The actions described as having been carried out by our employee are actions that do not represent the values and work culture of our company as a whole,” it said on Instagram. “The person concerned is no longer employed at our company.”

Sahid University, located in Jakarta, where she was said to have studied, also issued a clarification, noting that Ms Anita was “not an active student and not a graduate”.

Yet the drama leapt far beyond Jakarta’s commuter trains.

On Nov 27, KAI replaced Mr Asdo Artriviyanto, president director of its commuter rail subsidiary, and reshuffled two senior posts. It also denied that Mr Argi had ever been fired. KCI corporate secretary vice-president Karina Amanda was quoted by the Jakarta Post as saying that the personnel changes were a “routine rotation” and that company policies “strictly adhere to labour regulations”. Public scepticism lingered.

Meanwhile, the drama gained momentum, sending netizens into a frenzy.

They flooded Instagram and TikTok with memes and images mocking Ms Anita and her husband over the missing tumbler. Some paraded tumblers around their necks, shackled in chains like prized relics to ensure they would not be misplaced. Others claimed to have tracked down the missing item, brandishing one-gallon Aqua water bottles and giant thermos flasks to bring home their point.

Social media erupted with heated debates over premium tumblers, from Stanleys to Owalas, igniting arguments about what owning each brand supposedly reveals about one’s character.

Giggling commuters recorded and posted online new train announcements, which now warn: “For any valuable items, such as a tumbler, we advise passengers to always look after their belongings. Tumbler owners, please ensure your items are not lost, mixed up, or swopped. The company is not responsible for lost items.”

Under pressure, the couple issued a video apology on Nov 28. Ms Anita said: “We realise that the way we responded to this incident was very unwise, thus hurting the feelings of many people out there. From this incident, as a lesson for us, we will be more careful in the future.”

A mediation session arranged by KAI on the same day ended with apologies exchanged and Mr Argi reinstated.

“It was a family-like meeting that produced mutual understanding among all parties,” said KAI’s president director Bobby Rasyidin. “Argi continues to be part of the front line of service. We encourage him to carry on with dedication and provide the best service to our passengers,” he added.

The storm in a (tea) cup episode shows how even the tiniest misstep in Indonesia’s social fabric can quickly spiral into national drama, proving that in the digital age, no cup – or tumbler – is too small to spark controversy.

The missing tumbler, however, remains a mystery.