‘Koh Ngomong’ literally translates as ‘can’t be bothered saying anything’ and is a typically Balinese attitude that can lead to potential misunderstanding, conflict and even further fuel the fires of corruption.
Koh ngomong explains why people don’t express their opinions at meetings; it’s the reason why people don’t turn up for no obvious reason; it explains why people don’t ask for receipts or parking chits; it explains why people rarely report environmental destruction; it also explains why people are so ready to pay ‘cigarette money’ to get things done fast. Most people say they don’t like to speak up for fear of sounding fussy, standing out, or even being persecuted. The attitude can have positive and negative results. Most of the time, unfortunately, koh ngomong is not only frustrating for other cultures in Bali but it can hamper positive progress and democratic principles.
I encountered prime koh ngomong examples last week at two different government departments. The first was at Polda in Denpasar when I processed my yearly police report (SKLD). They refused to give me a receipt saying that they didn’t need to because “No one else ever asks for one”. I said I really needed one for taxation purposes and, after a great deal of whispered discussion, a receipt mysteriously transpired before my eyes and the price shrunk in a matter of minutes.
I encountered similar at Poltabes, this time at the licensing department. A bizarre prerequisite for getting a license is a certificate from a driving school that is located in a tin shed (literally) on the fringe of the police department grounds. They too offer no receipt. “No one else has ever asked for one,” they grin diverting their attention back to the mountains of ‘applications’.
Unless more people, particularly local Balinese, speak out putting aside feelings of koh ngomong for the common good, it may take a while before everyone gets a fair and clear deal.
Vaughan Hatch has immersed himself with Balinese culture, living with locals in Bali since 1997. He speaks fluent Indonesian and Balinese, and is unashamedly addicted to playing gamelan. A linguistic, archaeology and publishing graduate, he works for indOKiwi ‘linguistic and cultural solutions’ in Sanur. Email him on contact@indokiwibali.com or call (0361) 464201 for further queries.
