Mike Tyson with a Machete - revisited

In Bali Raw I wrote about the circumstances surrounding an event that involved a security guard turning on us, his employers, with a knife.

I explained how Wyan, our security guard/gang member, was caught pulling a scam. And then with drug-addled logic he decided his best course of action was to stab his accusers. It wasn't the first time Wyan had pulled this stunt. Previously he had done two separate stints in Kerobokan Prison for stabbing his bosses. Obviously this is not the best thing to have on a C.V. So what were we thinking when we hired this man to be part of our security team?

Why do foreign businesspeople have personal security?

Doing business in Indonesia can be fraught with complications and it can sometimes be difficult to understand the rules and to then act accordingly. Indonesian businessmen often have personal security present when they are conducting important business. Generally this is done to show off wealth and importance. But it also sends an implied threat. A rip-me-off-at-your-peril type message.

Foreign businessmen encountering this type of security sometimes become tempted to hire their own personal security. Largely they do this in an attempt to keep things on an even keel with their Indonesian counterpart. They are after all operating in a foreign country and the rule of thumb would be to do as the Romans do. 

"The bigger the badder the better" logic

The trap is that hiring this type of individual for demonstration purposes has a tendency to turn into a you-show-me-yours-and-I'll-show-you-mine schoolyard pissing contest. "The bigger the badder the better" becomes the thinking.

Personal security are not trained or licenced

Unfortunately these types of personal security are not professional. They do not undergo training and they are not licensed or screened. They also have a tendency to turn on their employer by attempting some kind of scam. When this happens the businessman may find himself in the daunting position of
having to relieve an Indonesian of employment in his own country. And this type of situation always creates a large amount of resentment. If the employee who is being terminated belongs to a gang then the situation is prone to become dangerous.

Attempting to keep up with the Joneses in a place like Indonesia can be full of pitfalls. And it is perhaps wiser or safer to work within completely understood boundaries. Indonesian businessmen are operating in their own country. They often have contacts in high places and they are governed by rules they understand completely. For them removing a troublesome employee is not an issue. The same cannot be said for a foreigner conducting business in Indonesia.



The 'Mike Tyson with a Machete' chapter starts on page 169 of Bali Raw.

©Malcolm Scott