Titus Jonathan's Stories

published by The Jakarta Post on 16 Aug 2013. Click here ) Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaya Purnama may believe in the principle held by Mark Twain: “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.” Many leaders in this country fail to tell the truth, which is why they can’t be direct like Ahok, who says everything blatantly. If usually leaders try to behave as sweet as possible to maintain a good image, Ahok shows his original character. He realizes that being a “bad cop” is not easy, and he is fully aware of the risks. As he has no hidden agenda, why shouldn’t he speak freely? His activities are recorded and uploaded to Youtube for transparency. Recently, he was told to have a psychological checkup because of his frequent sharp remarks. Rather than countering this cynical comment, he stated that he was insane. His outspoken style shocks people and sometimes makes them anxious. A couple of times I have heard him say, “I am not fearful of anything,...

Memberi pengampunan itu seharusnya tidak rugi apa-apa, karena kita tidak ‘ kulakan’ pengampunan sehingga harus menghitung-hitung modal berapa, jual berapa dan untung berapa. Filosofi sederhana ini mewarnai prinsip hidup Kim Dae-jung (alm), Presiden Korea Selatan ke-8. Perjalanan hidupnya sebelum ia terpilih menjadi Presiden sangat berliku, tetapi dunia mengaguminya bukan karena ketahanannya dalam penderitaan, melainkan karena karakter mulia yang dimilikinya. Sekitar dua puluh tahun sebelum ia menjadi Presiden, pada tahun 1980, Kim Dae-jung dijatuhi hukuman mati karena aktifitas politiknya menentang tirani Presiden (waktu itu) Chun Doo-hwan. Intervensi dari Amerika Serikat membuat hukumannya dikurangi menjadi 20 tahun penjara dan ia harus menjalani pembuangan ke AS. Ketika ia pulang ke Korsel, ia masih harus menjalani tahanan rumah tetapi kemudian ia diperbolehkan mencalonkan diri dalam pemilu Presiden. Tahun 1998 ia terpilih menjadi Presiden Korsel ke-8. Di kursi presiden,...