Interview of Ubud's (Bali) administrative "king" (Bupati of gianyar)

Interview of Ubud's (Bali) administrative "king", Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati, the current Regent of Gianyar whose principles and vision are shaping policy for the region

Taken from the BUD, vol 1 (July - Sept 2009)

As an administrator, is there anything you would change about Balinese culture, and what do you think is the most important to preserve?


We need a paradigm shift. The bureaucracy exists not to take the place of feudal rulers, but to serve. That is why I do not travel by motorcade and I don't bring adjutants unless absolutely necessary. I prefer to meet the people directly without the trappings of formality around us...

I consider it amanah, a sacred trust, to be elected Regent. It is not a power. What I consider important to preserve is the Catur Guru concept of respecting the four teachers we have in life: our parents, our teachers at school and all those who help sharpen our minds, the government and God. In order to preserve the cultural values of Catur Guru, government leaders must earn the respect of its people through real, concreat actions...

How healthy is the cultural politics of Bali?
Are we talking about the culture of politics or how a culture engages in politics? If the latter, it's obvious that Bali is communal. You can hear it in our idioms, suryak siu (a thousand shouting together), segilik seguluk selunglung sabyantaka (what is most important is togetherness); The society tends towards a directed, led democracy. This is what we now need to avoid. It may have been suitable for its era, but now we are entering a more educated time when the individual play a greater part. We need to anticipate change with better political education, especially with regards to dealing with difference. Difference is not wrong.

How do you maintain a work-life balance?

I subscribe to the life philosophy of our forefathers. Working is yadnya,  a sacrifice. We live to work. I remind myself to be happy. I work gladly, no pressure. I don't work for any boss, my supervisor is God.

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An important lesson I have learnt through my studies is that changing mindsets is the biggest challenge. In discussion, it is important for us Balinese to learn to be honest in expressing our opinions, not just hold on to them and later grumble out at the back.

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