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Field Notes from Jakarta
Preacher talent show enlivens the wee hours in Indonesia
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The latest season of reality show Aksi Indonesia premiered on Feb 19, introducing the Gua Hira group (from left) Agung from Serdang Bedagai, Ainia from Lebak, Ozan from Samarinda and Sutan from Jakarta.
PHOTO: INDOSIAR/YOUTUBE
- Aksi Indonesia is a reality TV show aired during Ramadan's pre-dawn meals, where aspiring religious teachers compete with sermons and performance.
- Running over a decade, it is endorsed by the Indonesian Ulema Council and expanded regionally, becoming a top-rated cultural programme.
- It transforms the quiet sahur into a shared national experience, blending Islamic teachings with mainstream entertainment for a diverse audience.
AI generated
JAKARTA – In the wee hours of the morning back home in Singapore, television during Ramadan offers slim pickings. Some people scroll through motivational clips on social media or catch a religious segment online, but the airwaves are mostly silent. For many, sahur meals are hushed, sleepy affairs, accompanied only by the soft clink of spoons against bowls.
In Indonesia, it is the opposite. Flicking through the channels at 3am as I forced down rice for the day ahead, I stumbled upon something wholly unexpected – a bright, wide-awake world at that hour.
