When A Street Crime Is Negotiable

That is true a bad guy will not be the bad guy forever. Sometimes, depending on the situation, a bad guy, in fact, still has compassion to his victim. No matter it’s because of pity or something else, but crime in Jakarta is not always appears in horror. The spirit of hometown solidarity for example, is also one of the factors that can be used to win the crime. It’s like what had happened to my team (my subordinate) when I was working for a private bank in Jakarta.

Just call him Fresman. May be his parent expected him to always being fresh, I don’t know, but that’s true, his temperament is cool, calm, and always smiles – never looked stressful in any situation. He was very good and talented person in his job. He could always accomplish every job that I gave to him, as long as I described a clear instruction and a clear target date. And, every job was done rightfully.

One day he came lately to office, gasped for breath and came to my desk in hurry.
“Sorry sir, I am late,” he said while wiping his sweat.
I looked at him at a glance, and he showed me his smile, giggling.
“It’s ok, what’s up by the way?” I replied flatly.
“I was pick-pocketed in the bus, sir”
“Oh? Hmm…what have you lost…wallet, money, or…?”
“No, sir, just my hand phone,” he replied smilingly.
“Ok, a new hand phone?”
“That’s the old one, sir, but so important to me.”
“Okay, Fresman…so?” my voice floated.

I then let him back to work and easily forgot about it. How could I do? In the great Jakarta, if someone lost his/her valuable things in a bus because of being pick-pocketed, don’t ever to cry or lament. It’s better if you soon forget about that rather than expecting the lost things would be discovered. Just go back to enjoy living in Jakarta, and enjoy the bus where we sit and stand among the pick-pockets every day.

The following day Fresman came lately again. He was late almost 2 hours. He again apologized and explained to me.
“Sorry, sir, I am late again,” he said calmly.
“It’s ok, what’s up?” I replied curiously.
“I waited for the bus that I rode yesterday, stood-up in front of UKI (Universitas Kristen Indonesia) – Cawang for almost 1 hour till the bus passed by.”
“Why? Why should you wait for the bus?”
“To search my lost hand phone, sir.”
“How do you know that was the bus you rode yesterday?” I asked him confusedly.
“I remember the driver, sir, because he comes from the same hometown with me,” he said.
“Ohh, do you know each other?”
“No, sir, I knew him only from his dialect when he talks, I explained that I lost my hand phone yesterday then asked him for help,” Fresman added.
“Ha..ha..ha..Fresman, how could? You are joking, just forget your hand phone and buy a new one,” I laughed.
“I am sure, sir,” he replied firmly, “because I have spoken with the driver using our hometown accentual.”
My eyebrow was raised-up.
“Then, what did he say?” I asked.
“He only looked at me a second and asked me to mention my complete name, then the hand phone brand as well as the number.”
I laughed at Fresman and thought how funny he was. Then I looked-at him left my desk slowly to go back for work.

In reality, crime in Jakarta sometimes turns to a funny and a sentimental story, not so fearful as many people think (don’t be misperception because street crime is remain crime anyway). But the street criminal, or ‘preman’ as they are better known, sometimes cannot bring himself, too.

A preacher who dedicated his life to win the heart of ‘red axe’ criminal in Jakarta, in a sharing to a congregation that I also attended, told us that the preman are human being, too. Thus, their heart can be touched, too. I respect to the preacher for what he did. If not people like him who care to approach them, who will bring them out from the street? He came to the gang nest at around Jalan Pramuka, then delivered a sermon once a week. The group of preman was listening to the sermon while remain sharpening their axes. Never mind, he said, as long as the sermon has been delivered. His job was just sowing the seeds, let God determine the seeds to grow. Well, some of the preman sometimes cried, wiped the tears and sobbed.

I didn’t know what did Fresman do. But in the third day he came lately again and came to my desk in rush.
“Sir, I…,” he shouted.
“Fresman, I know you want to beg a pardon, don’t you?” I cut his sentence before he finished explaining.
“Yes sir, please forgive me for late,” he replied softly. But then he groped around in his pocket and took something outside.
“Here is my lost hand phone, sir, I got it,” he said smilingly.
“Wow…really? How did you find that? Tell me.”
“I waited for the same bus in front of UKI, and when the bus arrived, I came to the driver quickly. By looking at me, he then threw it to me – wrapped with used papers.”
“Wow, excellent! How much you redeemed your hand phone then?” I asked.
“Nothing, sir. The driver just conveyed a regard to me and went away quickly.”

I laughed at Fresman again for his smart negotiation, and he won.

***
Serpong, 21 April 2009
Titus J.

Golkar Party Faces Dilemma

(published in The Jakarta Post on 15 April 2009. Click here)


The temporary results of the recent legislative elections are consistent with the survey conducted prior to the event. That survey placed the three major parties in the top positions - the Democratic Party, the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Golkar Party.
The final result to be announced by the General Elections Commission (KPU) in a month is no longer interesting as the majority of seats in the House of Representatives will not deviate from the quick count result. The hottest topic now is potential coalition formations and presidential/vice presidential candidates. However, of the top three parties, Golkar faces the biggest dilemma.

Less than a week after a statement made by Ahmad Mubarok, the deputy chairman of the Democratic Party, claiming that Golkar would win only 2.5 percent of votes, Golkar received strong support in the election and confirmed Jusuf Kalla (JK) will run for president.
Although Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) has apologized to Golkar about the unfortunate "slip-of-the-tongue incident", Golkar claims the Democratic Party has made an unforgivable mistake.

Political observers have commented that the decision by Golkar to reject the apology is an emotional rather than a logical decision. After the declaration, JK actively met with other party figures, including Megawati Soekarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

Golkar currently has around 14 to 15 percent of the votes, a significant drop from the 2004 election where Golkar won the election and gained 22 percent of the votes. By the latest election results, it will be not easy for Golkar to seek a partnership if JK remains determined to be the presidential candidate as mandated by the national meeting. Let's tinker with the pairing game that soon will be demonstrated by parties and party figures in coming weeks.

***
For JK, it is impossible to ask Megawati to be his running mate since Megawati is aiming for the number one seat of RI. The PKS, the fourth ranked party, would only have the party patron Hidayat Nur Wahid (HNW). But it's unlikely for JK to pick him for his running mate if JK has learned from the last presidential election.

In 2004, Wiranto picked Solahuddin Wahid and Megawati picked Hasyim Muzadi - both were prominent figures of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and both Wiranto and Megawati failed. Thus, if JK picks HNW thinking that HNW will attract votes from PKS loyalists, then he might be wrong. People know that Solahuddin, Hasyim and HNW are religious leaders, not political leaders.

The remaining figures likely to be approached are Prabowo and Wiranto. However, this is not a simple choice because historically both come from Golkar. What is the point? They have the same color and the same root. Apart from this, both of them are being approached by Megawati, and if they are willing to downgrade their dream to have a second RI seat, they might tend toward Megawati rather than JK as a running mate.

With a strong position based on the quick count result so far, the Democratic Party is the only party that meets the prerequisite to nominate a presidential candidate, which requires 20 percent of seats in the House of Representatives or 25 percent of the popular votes. By these figures, SBY would be free to choose his running mate, either from another party or from a professional (not affiliated to any parties).

Though SBY has announced that a coalition is still required by his party, it will be much more limited than the one that exists in the current administration. Rumors say the candidates likely to be picked by the Democratic Party are either Akbar Tandjung, the former Golkar Party chairman, or Sri Mulyani Indrawati, the current acting coordinating minister for economic affairs and the finance minister.

In a talk show aired by Metro TV on April 11, 2009, Bonny Hargens, a political analyst, suggested Golkar would be an opposition party for the next five years. That would be a painful for Golkar, considering they have never been in opposition before. Golkar and JK face tough choices.

***
Serpong, 12 April 2009
Titus J.

Thinking To Vote On 9 April

(published in The Jakarta Post on 7 April 2009. Click here)

The campaign period is over. The voting day is coming. I would appreciate all the die-hard supporters who have shown their militancy during campaigning. They shaved the number of their party into their heads, painted their body or face with party colors and attended rallies no matter the weather. Some party supporters took leave from work, took all family members (even their under age kids), spent some money in order to join the cheerful campaign, either for listening to the oration from the campaigner or just for enjoying dangdut music.

They even were ready to fight in case of meeting with their rivals. If necessary, some were ready to die for the sake of their party idols. Really? Yes, to die - no matter what! Do you remember the blood thumb print that was done by Megawati supporters when she was blocked from becoming the President after the victory of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) in the 1999 election?

Horay! This is the time. This is the only time to express everything after five years of people being fed-up with all kinds of stress. But after all, they are mostly the forgotten ones for whom nothing changes in their life at all. They remain struggling to live. Don't be sad, friends, because nothing is serious in politics, right?

Elections will always be a blessing for some people. For banner providers, for ballot papers and ballot box providers, for t-shirt providers and for street vendors who offers cold drinks, snacks and cigarettes to rally goers. For the gamblers, there is always something to bet on, since this is not an event that can be easily be predicted, unlike the elections in the new order era when the same outcome was guaranteed.

Now, we can only predict the election's outcome according to surveys and based on political analysis. I personally agree with them, as long as they come from highly reputable and independent sources. Nonpartisan Indonesian experts are so smart, sharp, and will tell the truth. We don't need to worry about them being bribed by some parties to present the result as dictated by their interest. Don't be irritated, please. This is my personal opinion.

There will be no single majority in this election. A series of survey conducted recently shows that three major parties will dominate: The Democratic Party, The PDI-P and The Golkar Party. It will be too hard for other parties to catch them up. These three major parties will gain around 60 percent of votes. The remaining 40 percent will be grabbed by other parties, but each party will gain no more than 10 percent.

Again, that is only survey numbers. But for me personally, that's enough, because the top three positions are still held by parties which are ideologically constituted as ideologically *center', neither too left nor too right. It is the most crucial thing for Indonesia to defend this ideology since the nation consists of so many ethnicities, religions, cultures and languages. Indeed it is because all of these things coloring the nation that it is the most beautiful nation in the world.
The "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" slogan (Unity in Diversity) was born even before our country formally proclaimed its independence. But today, some radical movements try to destroy it and force a uniformity based on their own perception and interest.

A recent report presented jointly by The Wahid Institute, The Maarif Institute and The Bhinneka Tunggal Ika Movement, said that nowadays moderate Islam is being undermined and infiltrated by radical Islamic groups which have a hidden agenda to form an Islamic state or international caliphate 1).

The hidden agenda surely jeopardizes the unity of our nation, because if they win, the radicalism would be very fertile and grow rapidly. Of course they would not so blatantly proclaim their intention to do so, but spreading their doctrine through schools will have a significant impact because educated people would be influenced.

I hope all moderate-minded people exercise their right to vote on 9 April, because the votes will decline the radical votes. Yes I agree there is no ideal party in which we can put our trust. I also agree parties still not free either from corruption or unqualified legislative candidates. Most of candidates try to lure voters by so funny and disgusting advertisements just to confirm and reveal that they are indeed not qualified and not ashamed they actually have nothing to offer.

Let’s vote for the party which has national ideology, the party that embrace all, protect all, and defend all. But if you want to be ‘golput’ (golongan putih or blank voters), that’s okay because that is your right, too.

***
Serpong, 5 April 2009
Titus J.

Note:
1. Caliphate: from old French: Caliphe, from Arabic: Kalifa (deputy of God), the chief Muslim civil and religious ruler (Oxford dictionary).