On Mothers’ Day: Tribute to My Mum

Mother may be not the most glamorous or fashionable word in our dictionary. Yet, people around the world have voted it the most beautiful world in the English language. Yes, indeed it is most beautiful in all languages. The word brings a surreal feeling of comfort, love and warmth.

On Mothers’ Day, my thoughts and prayers are with this incredible personage in my life. She may not be perfect and vulnerable with weaknesses. Yet, within this imperfection, lies her grace and might. Words seem fail to properly describe her. I am eternally indebted to her and will never be able to repay the debt.

In this humble attempt at portraying my Mum, I will be extremely subjective and biased. I cannot be otherwise because no one in my growing years nurtured and encouraged me more. She is the sun that always gives, and never takes. And she is home where my heart is.

Sweat, endurance, love and comfort are what I think of in relation to my Mum. She is always resourceful to eke out a living on the thin crust of bread and butter. Not a day passed by without her sweating all day long to sustain our family. Thus, she taught me the importance of standing on my own two feet. She taught me not to sweat over trivial matters, as life is too precious to complaint about.

“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less,” She would say it while nurturing our dying neighbor or caring for the newly born baby.

She was busy as a beaver, juggling between her laborious work to help supporting my family’s meager income and domestic chores. Even so, whenever there’s a neighbor in need, without any hesitation she would jump in to help. Despite her limited education, my neighbors consider her a natural caregiver. She has such a gentle heart.

Her exceptional character never ceases to amaze me. Recently, my dad suffered a hemorrhage stroke that paralyzed his left side. He went from being a super-energetic, fit elderly to a half-paralyzed invalid. He also suffered the emotional lability, feeling helpless dependent that made him upset easily. He is man-child and my Mum patiently cares for him.

She has to act as a nurse and physical therapist as well as encouraging my dad to achieve self-confidence, motivation, and independence. She understood in her own ways my dad’s limitations and allowed an appropriate time for recovery. The tiring, endless demands and stresses do not seem to falter my Mum’s remarkable devotion for my dad.

She would sit by his side day and night, attending to every of his needs without any complaints. She recited the verses my dad loved the most. She encouraged him to keep on exercising his left hand and leg to speed up his recovery. Often, my father snapped. Yet, instead of responding to the remark negatively, she would restraint her own emotions and tolerate it. I wish I could have half of such loyalty.

I know she has to handle this new life-change emotionally and hold up physically amid the sleepless nights as a caregiver. Then, there’s the additional stress of not knowing, because all strokes are different, how long and how full the recovery will be. Thank God, my elder sister has come to live my parents to help.

On this Mothers’ Day, I would love to dedicate this piece of writing for my incredible Mum. This is a way to express my love for my Mum. I guess it was easy when I was young and innocent just to say “I Love You Mum” and gave a big warm hug. It gets harder when my life becomes filled with new duties and obligation.

To express my love for  my Mum, let me quote Kahlil Gibran’s The Broken Wings, that portrays a child’s deepest respect for a Mother:

“The most beautiful word on the lips of mankind is the word "Mother," and the most beautiful call is the call of "My mother." It is a word full of hope and love, a sweet and kind word coming from the depths of the heart. The mother is every thing -- she is our consolation in sorrow, our hope in misery, and our strength in weakness. She is the source of love, mercy, sympathy, and forgiveness.”

I love you Mum! Happy Mothers’ Day!

Promoting Condom over Abstinence and be Faithful?

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/12/21/your-letters-promoting-condoms-over-abstinence.html

A campaign to promote safe sex through the use of condoms among high risk groups has again erupted into a heated debate. Again, the allegedly distribution of free condom around university grounds and exploitation of obnoxious and sensuous image to advertise the campaign drew ire. Influential religious and conservative groups alike have come out in chorus accusing it to promote pre-marital sex.

It’s like watching a bad drama recurring. Related parties seem to suffer an annual amnesia since the inception of the program in 2007.

As always it makes the adults fume and adolescents squirm. It weathers storms and face of thunders in widespread public controversy.

The  intention is noble, to prevent the spread of the killer virus, HIV/AIDS, which according to 2012 statistics, there are 591,823 people living with HIV in Indonesia. Not to mention that Indonesia is listed as one of the nine countries where HIV continued to rise steadily, with new infections increasing by more than 25% between 2001 and 2011 according to the 2012 Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

It is also noteworthy that youths constitute 30% of the people most at risk, including sex workers, sexual minorities and people who inject drugs. Thus, these groups are targets of the campaign.

Trying to find a solution for this dreadful epidemic poses daunting and challenging task in the world’s most populous Muslim nation. It spreads far more quickly through sexual intercourse rather than drug use. The government is doing what it can to stem the spread of the virus up to supporting the use of condom despite constant rejection from religious and conservative groups.

In regards of this issue, I support promoting the use of condom among ‘high-risk groups, particularly for commercial sexual workers as their work is closely associated with the killer virus; but not to the general population. Whether we like it or not, sexual transactions are still rampant all across the archipelago and it is almost impossible to stop the lucrative business.

Nonetheless, the question remains at large on how to promote the campaign with less provocative poster and measures (as in distributing condom for free within educational premises or appointing sensuous artists as condom ambassador!) so that it is well-targeted the people most at risk especially among sexual workers. What’s more is whether free condom distribution among these high risk groups including youths is more effective and the best way over abstaining from sex to prevent the disease?

In my personal view, education is vital key to raise public awareness of the killer virus. Thus, extensive and continous public education about the devastating effects of HIV should widely be advocated.

As well as educating the public, promoting and supporting abstinence for they yet-to marry and faithfulness among the married is the best option in Indonesia which adheres to religious beliefs and eastern values.

It maddens me to think that those unfaithful husbands would cheat on their wives with multiple sexual partners,  flagged their free condoms and flashed their Cheshire cat smile, saying, “Look, this way I can prevent infecting my wive against all forms of sexually transmitted diseases.”

Well, that’s the least worse scenario if they still have regards for their wives’ health. Most often their selfish twisted interest prompted them to reject using one!

What an infuriating joke! Women always become easy preys to such irresponsible and depraved predators.

Meanwhile proper sex education should be introduced to youths instead of telling them to use condoms whenever they feel ‘this most natural urge.’ It is definitely better to educate them of the horrific risks associated with having sex at a young age outside of wedlock and to streghten their religious values.

The amount of free condoms available during the campaign undoubtedly means that these teenagers are being inundated with reminders of sex. It means they are quickly warped into a cauldron in which sex is placed at the epicenter instead of abstinence.

My sanity screams aloud on what kind of a message is this campaign of encouraging condom use among them? Is it really necessary? How can anyone argue that this kind of overtly explicit message is not harmful? It is objectively telling teenagers it’s OK to have sex as long as you have condom as protection as if shoving condoms into their pockets under their noses.

Even to the most liberal thinkers in this country, I don’t think there would come the time when they could sit and talk heart to heart with their daughters and sons and said,

 “Son, listen carefully. We know that pre-marital sex is haram (forbidden) and promiscuity is severely punished according to our religion. But, you are young and sex is the most natural and alluring thing. So, when you have the most natural urge of having sex, never forget to use condom to prevent getting sexual diseases!”

Hello! We’re in Indonesia not in one of Hollywood’s movies and soap operas!

Yes, pre-marital sex is on the rise in cities around the country. But it doesn’t mean providing them accessible condoms would stop them from harming themselves. It is not even the root of the problem.

So, urging youths to use condoms is like encouraging them to have pre-marital sex the same as giving them a gun at point-blank without any guidance.

Would it be wiser to give our youths ammunitions of moral wisdom, religious values and guidance to enable them making wiser choices in their life as they grow up. They have the unbridled opportunity to discover who they are as people and who they want to be.

Healthy Life Style to Avoid the Silent Killer.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/12/18/your-letters-healthy-lifestyle-avoid-silent-killer.html

One ring in the dead of a night. I was struggling to shake off my sleepiness. Half awake, my sister hysterically informed us that our father has a heart attack, and was rushed to the intensive care unit (ICU). He was in critical condition.

In panic, I booked an early flight to my hometown with my brother. Our father has never been diagnosed with any heart problem. His health to our amazing surprise, despite his 75 years of age, showed robust display of a healthy state, except for his hyperuricemia (asam urat) that makes his level of uric acid in the blood abnormally high.

On his 63rd anniversary, he went so far as to drive motorcycle from Solo to Jakarta alone without prior notice. We were shocked and mortified of this daredevil act. To our dismay, our father lightly smiled and replied, "To commemorate this anniversary, I want to show that I am stil fit despite my age."

It was a hairsbreadth from a disaster. We delivered our thanks to God that our father arrived safe and sound after his 28 hours crazy ride.

So, the shocking news took us by surprise.

Later, it turned out that our dad suffered hemorrhagic stroke, in which a defective artery in the brain burst and filled the surrounding tissue with blood (cerebral hemorrhage) due to his uncontrolled high blood pressure. It resulted in a lack of blood flow to the brain and a build up of blood that put too much pressure on the brain.

The doctor said he was lucky my father to be admitted in the hospital on time. The level of hemorrhage was categorized medium. Provided correctly treated, the blood could lessen and cleaned without getting a braniac surgery.

However, it took times to stabilize his blood pressure to its normal level due to the hemorrhage. The condition put our dad in a state of delirium when we got to the hospital. One leg and one arm had begun flapping uncontrollably. He was still under thorough observation in the ICU, and given an oxygen tank to help him breathe. An IV was attached to him along with other tubes to deliver food substance through his nose. It was a heartbreaking sight.

After four days, my dad was admitted out of the ICU. His life was no longer in a grave danger. However, like most stroke victims, he would require rehabilitation after the event, generally dependent on the area of the brain and the amount of tissue that was damaged.

The left side of my dad was paralyzed, although he still could move them occasionally in random. Due to his age, it would be harder to get him heal. The doctor said his rehabilitation process to include speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.

“Family support is vital for his recovery. You have brace your family to be patient no matter what circumstances might turn out.” The doctor smiled gently at us.

Indeed, he was right. My dad changed. It took greater strength to care for him. Yet, he is the luckiest man on earth to have such a caring and patient wife as my mum.

Surfing on the net, I found that stroke is not reserved only for elderly. Nowadays, regardless of age, stroke can strike its most fatal blow. It can also be genetic related to family history of stroke. Making some inquiries around while my extended kin gathered, I learnt that my great grandfather and my grandmother died due to stroke including my father’s brother. I also have one aunt who fell into the same fate, living with paralyzed condition.

A few years back, my cousin had a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or mini stroke caused by a temporary disruption in the blood supply to part of the brain. It caused symptoms similar to those of a stroke, having visual disturbance and numbness or weakness in the arms and legs. One side of his mouth dropped when he tried to speak. Luckily, these effects only last a few moments and fully resolved within 24 hours after being checked and treated in the hospital immediately.

Unlike my dad, my cousin’s attack is partly the result of his unhealthy life style. He’s been constantly working so hard until late at night, often until morning again. He drank lots of coffee and smoked to keep him awake and fresh. He didn't have enough rest and sleep. He didn't work out as his work consumed all his precious time. He also ate mostly junk food at ubiquitous fast food restaurants around Jakarta.

Following the attack, my cousin started to maintain a healthy life style to prevent a full, life-threatening stroke. He knows it is now the key factor to avoid another more serious and harmful attack. He now maintains a healthy weight, eats healthily (goodbye to junk-food), takes regular exercise, limits coffee consumption and stops smoking. He said he never again wanted to cross path with the ‘silent killer.’

He is now a keen campaigner to promote healthy life style within our extended kin, in the view that our family has a history of stroke. He always says that the distinguishing characteristic of stroke symptoms in their sudden onset.

Regardless of age, the sudden appearance of any numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body, trouble seeing in one or both eyes, and difficulty walking should prompt a trip to the hospital as quickly as possible.

“Say goodbye to unhealthy life style. Open a new chapter in your life. And avoid the silent killer.” He said half-humorously.

Teachers: The Dream Keeper

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/12/04/your-letters-teachers-are-dream-keepers.html

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. (William Arthur Ward).

Commemorating Teachers’ Day on November 25th, 2013, I took a moment of silence to honor all the teachers in my life for their special contributions. Everyone without doubt had a great teacher in their childhood. In my case, aside from my Mum and Dad, it was my kindergarten teacher and junior high school English teacher who I remembered the most.

My kindergarten teacher was the most affectionate, caring and loving person who taught all those qualities to her pupils. No matter how slow I was in class, she would keep supporting me to go on, smiling encouragingly. Crying when I was left behind in assembling my puzzle, she would dry my tears, and sat patiently until I finished without saying any scornful words.

She would say, “Never give up, dear. If you keep up doing things you find difficult to do, you would eventually nail it. Find your strengths, and make them shine.”, and patted my wet cheeks.

Meanwhile, my junior high school English teacher was constantly upset with my grammar and pronunciation. Nothing he did seemed to work. I was frustrated with the foreign language, and felt it a waste of time. That was until one day, after the class was over, he ordered me to stay. Out of his worn-out suitcase, he pulled out a worn-out children’s storybook. Carefully, he read page after page with powerful and compelling words. Then he had me to read it in turn.

I was drawn with his flawless storytelling, stories that my Dad used to make me read in Bahasa when I was a child, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and the Ugly Ducking. I would have never thought before that learning English would be that fun.

“They key to learn English is having fun. Don’t look at it as a burden. Watch cartoon in English, read stories you love. I promise you’ll have it mastered before long.” Closing the book, he smiled tenderly.

Many years afterwards, I found the language easier to learn. With the internet age, I was able to have the maximal benefits of understanding the international language to learn many new things and facts. I found my strengths in my writing skills. I found the new world to explore and discover imagination I would have not dared to dream in the real world.

These teachers have shown me that teaching is not a matter of expanding intelligence the students only, ensuring them to graduate with perfect scores. What matters most is a teacher’s efforts to work with the unique strengths a child bring to the classroom. What is important the most is to teach by heart, exhibiting good role model.

These teachers are the first brick in the structure of social development and perfection and the cause of guiding and developing behaviors and mentalities of individuals and communities. Math, science, history and social studies are important. But children need love, someone to listen, standards to live by. Teachers provide upright examples, the faith and assurance of responsible people.

For me personally, these teachers are real live heroes in my life, the ones that change my life for the better. They inspire their students to dream big. Teaching is about life-long learning, having fun and inspiring students to learn and do their best. They taught me that it would not matter what kind of job I have, what kind of car I drive, what kind of house I lived in, how much I have in the bank, nor what my clothes looks like as long as I am useful for others and inspire them to be better.

Too many people are looking for heroes in all wrong places; movie stars, musicians, athletes, and models. They are celebrities. Heroes abound in public schools; teachers who dedicate their everyday to inspire their students to be better each day.

The End of Impunity Era for Doctors?

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/11/29/your-letters-the-end-impunity-doctors.html

Following the arrest of their fellow practitioners over malpractice charges by the Supreme Court’s ruling stemming from the death of a young mother during a ceasarian section, waves of protests sent ripples throughout the nation. The medical community staged a rally to support their fellow members, demanding the ruling to be reviewed and the doctors be freed immediately.

They feared the verdict would provide legal basis to criminalize doctors if a patient dies in spite of their best efforts to uphold the highest standard of ethical conduct to save patients’ life. For that reason, they were demanding legal certainty and security while carrying out their medical practices.

The Supreme Court found the three doctors; Dewa Ayu Sasiary Prawani, Hendy Siagian and Hendry Simanjuntak, guilty of negligence resulting in death and sentenced them to ten months in prison. They failed to receive the written consent of the family or patient before conducting the surgery. It was the duty of doctors to warn patients and families of known risks of a procedure or course of treatment, popularly known as the duty of informed consent. Further aggravated err; they forgot to check the patient’s vital signs with an electrocardiogram (EKG).

In their defense, they argued they had done their best efforts to save both mother and child. Sadly, the mother died of heart failure by a gas embolism. There was obviously a difference between deliberate acts of malice and non-intentional mistakes, even though the outcome is fatal in both cases.

They tried to save life, and not to take it. This difference means that they should be treated completely differently and not be criminalized. The case criminally charging the doctors over an error in administrative procedures is feared to drive doctors away from the practice of medicine or interfere with patient treatment and safety, some argued.

As a result, the prospect of going to jail for something they did while trying their best to treat a patient, will affect treatment decisions and hinder improvements in care.

Meanwhile, some legal experts say the verdict is a way to root out harmful errors. It’s also handed down by a judge with high judicial integrity whose decisions are perceived as accountable and just.

This is to say that the professional class of doctors do no longer possess any impunities if found guilty of negligence and malpractices towards patients and which leads to a trial in a court of law.

In addition, most patients do not have the knowledge to notice whether doctors have properly diagnosed or treated their illnesses. Some have the courage to lodge malpractices allegations, and end up waiting to settle out the court. But many just accepted their ‘fate’ as the will of God.

Consequently, most cases of malpractices went unpunished because some said due to “the conspiracy of silence “demonstrated by doctors. That is almost gives the medical professionals with impunity. Hence, the ruling is extremely rare and possibly unprecedented in the medical community in this nation.

Nonetheless, the growing unrest among medical community is perfectly understandable as medical negligence or misadventure was and still remains a serious concern all over the world, including in the developed countries. As in the case of euthanasia and abortion, these problems have been one of the most debatable issues of controversy in the United States and other developed countries over the past decades. It is not just a medical ethical problem, but also having legal, philosophical, religious and political dimension.  

For me personally, I have mixed feeling towards this uproar. I have my own bad and good experience toward doctors. Many do their job great. The patients’ well-being and life is their number one priority. Only few dare to perform reckless medical decision-making, and if such happenstance takes place, it usually relates to financial circumstance; the poor uninsured patient often receives poor-service.

Recently my dad was admitted to the intensive care unit at our local hospital in Solo in the dead of night due to hemorrhagic strokes (bleeds) resulted from a weakened vessel that ruptures and bleeds into the surrounding brain. His whole body paralyzed. He suffered difficulty to breathe due to lack of oxygen flowing to his brain. He was pale as a corpse.

Once he was admitted to an emergency room. The health personnel there without delay provided their best health care treatment to save his life. Once, he was stabilized, the nurse escorted my family to settle the administrative and financial procedures for the next stage of an in-patient admission.

“Saving life priority over financial hurdle” demonstrated by these health personnel had saved my dad’s life.

Another completely opposite story disclosed by one of my colleagues. His father suffered similar attack. Yet, before admitted to the ER, the health personnel requested him to provide legal guarantee of who would cover the medical expenses. Once this was settled, then the patient was treated accordingly.

Many poor families do not have such basic needs of health access due to financial constraints. Often, such patients lose their life unnecessarily because they do not receive proper medical treatment they urgently need. “Financial provision is above the life saving policy.”

So, in my opinion, the verdict of criminally charging the doctors can be a good start to advocate for legislative reforms to define criminal conduct and prohibit the criminalization of health care decisions made in good faith, including cases involving allegations of medical malpractice.

The rules should be clarified. If malpractice is discovered, they should be punished accordingly. And if they had worked in accordance with the high standard medical procedures, then they should walk free.

In Pursuit of Happiness over Promotion

I was struck by my friend’s plain matter-fact question related to promotion over lunch. I slightly raised an eyebrow.

“I have been working head to toe for about eight years with absolutely nothing to show for it. I thought that would secure me a promotion as a reward. But look at me now, still miserably at the same old spot. What have I done wrong? Was it because I come from second class job career path?” He blurted out in anger, then slumped down into the chair. His shoulders slumped forward in disappointment.

I held my breath, thinking to say something genius or just trying to find ‘proper words’ as not to offend him. I offered him a look of sympathy. In the end, words failed to materialize and we lost in our own thoughts.

He is one of the many people graduating from college with idealistic notions that being brilliant at college, then great at job would guarantee them a place in the corporate sun with their company. Reality often feels like a slap on the face.

He failed to notice that promotion is a tricky mix of advanced interpersonal skills, self-marketing, competent work, responsibility, strategy and sometimes ‘connection’. Missing any of these elements, you might end up working for ages for a company and never receive the promotion you deserve.

Being great is not enough. I know he’s great at what’s he’s doing, surpassing his team’s expectation. Unfortunately, he lacks of advanced interpersonal skills and rarely markets himself. Consequently, he becomes a shining diamond in the deepest end of the ocean. No one notices him, as he never comes to the surface of the deep ocean.

Another friend of mine had promotion recently. Oddly, she was not happy at all about it. She stubbornly said she wish she could turn back the hand of time.

“Congratulations! You’ve been promoted! Oh… um, by the way, we’re sorry we’re not going to pay you another nickel, even as you take greater responsibilities, work longer hours!” She said cynically, a flicker of fire lit in her black coal eyes.

I gaped in surprised. My jaw dropped. Are you kidding me? Seriously?

She rolled her eyes, annoyed and irritated.

I recollected myself and smiled awkwardly before giving her a sympathetic friendly embrace.

I view this jarring scenario as having an air of unreality about it. It’s hard to believe that something like this is happening. Then, a bitter recollection emerged on the surface of my consciousness. I have suffered similar scenario, well although it was not as tragic as that of my friend.

So, I should have known. It’s an ordinary reality. With so many workers running scared these days and job seekers flutter around in abundance, promotion-without-a-raise is a gambit some are forced to reckon with.  

Recounting these two tales, I smile lightly. I always have this silly motto that often invite criticism and skepticism from my colleagues, “I don’t want to go after promotion as long as I have decent job to feed my family and a handful of smiles from friends that keep me happyJ. Do the best and let God do the rest.”

They called me a pessimist, having no big dream at work. In my defense, I told them I was more interested to pursue happiness over promotion.

 Getting my head bald for working tirelessly to get promotion is absolutely not in my list . It’s enough having spent most of my precious time on clogged streets. There’s no room left for frustration of such silly promotion, lol. What matters is landing on the job I love that I’ll never have to work a day in my life, lol.

I remember once a renowned Indonesian author of short stories, essays, and movie scripts, Seno Gumira Ajidarma, said in his “Menjadi Tua di Jakarta” (Becoming Old in Jakarta):

"Alangkah mengerikannya menjadi tua dengan kenangan masa muda yang hanya berisi kemacetan jalan, ketakutan datang terlambat ke kantor, tugas-tugas rutin yang tidak menggugah semangat, dan kehidupan seperti mesin, yang hanya akan berakhir dengan pensiun tidak seberapa." 

"How terrible it would be to grow old with memories contains only road congestion, fear of coming late to the office, soulless routine tasks, and  a machine-like life, and  only end up with meager pensions."

Blood for Life

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/11/01/citizen-journalism-let-s-donate-blood.html

Arriving early this morning, I saw hundreds of people lining up to donate blood. There was a spark of joy in their eyes, full of enthusiasm to save life. Despite the long queue, they seemed eager to contribute.

Ibu Ani was one of dozens of volunteers who participated in the three-day blood donation event held by Bank Indonesia annually, in cooperation with the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI). She said it was her second time to donate blood. Asked the reason, she said it was the least act of charity she could make, a noble cause to save life.

“First time, I was afraid it would hurt and affect my health. To my surprise, it was easy and painless. I felt healthier afterwards. And I always get a goodie bag in return.” 

I knew the organizing committee always offered attractive gifts to attract more donors, from cheap smartphones to traveling bags. It is always a great success. 

According to the PMI, there is always a constant lack of blood despite the vigorous campaigns for blood donation. Indonesia needs to recruit more that 4.8 million regular blood donors annually, about 2 percent of the total population. However, only 3.5 million blood donations can be collected on a regular basis because so few people are aware of the importance of giving blood. 

This leaves a staggering shortfall of 1.3 million donors-worth of blood supply, preventing a substantial amount of life-saving blood transfusions. The PMI along with various institutions hold blood drives regularly to cope with the shortage. 

Blood centers around the country are increasingly relying on small tokens of appreciation — gift cards or goodie bags — to entice blood donors. At a time when fewer people are giving blood, these gifts can often lead to more donations, at least in the short term. 

I remember three years ago, my cousin suffered a severe hemorrhage after giving birth to a baby girl. Her face was ashen-white, as if a ferocious vampire had drained her blood.

Her doctor said she needed a blood transfusion immediately at least five ampoules (blood bags). The hospital could only provide three ampoules so we needed to immediately find blood donors to make up the shortfall.

Thank God, my aunt had a matching blood type. Some of the neighbors also volunteered to donate. It was a critical situation of life and death. We still regard it a miracle to get her back alive after such a crisis. It was indeed a gift of life. The experience relates to the idea that saving a life without doubt incites a feeling of heroism. 

In addition, the success of major medical operations is not without the essential, though often overlooked foundation: blood donors. What’s more is that research findings have discovered donating blood can help reduce the risk of heart attacks and cancer; and be beneficial for weight watchers as people burn up 650 calories with every pint donated.

The Achilles’ Heel of Political Dynasty

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/10/21/your-letters-the-achilles-heel-political-dynasties.html

 The recent arrest of Tubagus Chaeri Wardhana, the younger brother of Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah, along with disgraced Constitutional Court chief justice Akil Mochtar on allegations of widespread election rigging, has fueled a heated debate on political dynasty. The arrest has exposed how Atut’s family ferociously takes reign over Banten, politically and economically. 

At least five regencies and municipalities in the province come under the family’s control. Her husband, her brother, her sister-in-law, her daughter-in-law, her stepsister, her stepbrother, and her eldest son respectively hold key political posts in the province.

I have to shake my head in utter amazement on how the family succeeds to wrap up their long nasty creepy tentacles on the region. Further, a sensational rumor has it that a gang of jawara and black magic protects the family.

Whoosh, I could feel the hair stand up on the back of my neck!

Totally creepy! If I lived in the province, I should be extra careful not to mess around with the family.

My relatives who have been living in Serang confirmed that Jawara figure plays a key role in Banten, occupying an influent position and acting as an intermediary between Bantenese people and the political institutions. The jawara is not only a person who has traditional martial arts skills and granted powers by local shamans, but also deals with main business and political activities.

It’s not surprising at all that that Ratu Atut is the daughter of the revered jawara in Banten, H. Chasan Sochib, who played key role in the raising of the Djoko Munandar-Ratu Atut to lead Banten in 2002.

Atut’s rise to power marked the onset of the Chasan’s family increasingly dominated local politics in Banten. His power has enabled him to build massive political networks and strong financial muscle to support a run for political office, appointing many members of his family into strategic political positions, both at legislative and executive levels.

Guess what? That’s when the small octopus becomes a giant octopus having massive tentacles to get hold of power and wealth in Banten.

It’s a common knowledge that the business of being in politics is just a lucrative as a person who, from one generation to another, inherits and succeeds the profitable business conglomerate belonging to his forebears.

This is the essence of political dynasties – treating your political bailiwicks as your family business domain and passing the leadership and authority over these places in a sequential order from one generation to another.

The more the concentration of wealth, power and influence is in the family, the higher the chances of political dynasties to stay longer and get perpetuated.

Now, the family is under heavy public scrutiny. Their accumulated wealth is now on the grill. The Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) and the government’s Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) have released separate reports alleging severe budget misuse by Atut’s Banten government.

As investigators continue to unearth bad deeds and the unraveling of ill-gotten wealth or traditionally powerful liaisons, her administration has been allegedly fired to have committed embezzlement schemes, including the creation of more than a dozen fake or illegitimate organizations and billions stolen in marked-up public projects.

Gee, it shouldn’t have surprised me that history always repeats itself.

When Soeharto was dethroned by people’s power, one by one his faults were vulgarly exposed and put on display including rumors on black magic and shaman.

Yet, to our dismay, instead of learning from the past, these little kings and queens patronized the deposed President.

Don’t they should know better that if they live in a flashy luxurious life while most citizens live a hand to mouth, there must be something wrong in the system? That voices of the masses will eventually bring them down.

For that reason, the ferocity of some of the reactions this week had me thinking that they are justified. Something in the water is totally making us extra jumpy. These among many other such stories reinforce the idea that political dynasties are the Achilles heel to the basic right of citizens to decide whoever they entrust with the business of running their government.

Are political dynasties good or bad?

Well, in my personal point of view, political dynasties are not bad or good per se.

They can be good to the extent that they are serving the will and interests of the people. After all, many political dynasties are cast in positive light such as the Kennedys, Bushes, and Clintons in the USA; and Gandhi in India.

They can also be bad if they turn democracy into a fascist state believing and acting as if they are the sole authority always above the law without moral limits, feeling so superior all in the pursuit of power. I think the Filipinos and Syrians have had enough of these.

Unfortunately, most of our political dynasties have become corruptive and collusive along the way, filling their empires filled with treasures of the country’s wealth and most precious resources. Power and control make a man drunk: callous coarseness and depravity develop in him; believing they are ‘gods’.

Thus, each political dynasty should be viewed through its own unique lenses for its merits and demerits. It is is a very complicated issue. It’s very much similar to the antitrust proposal that seeks to regulate monopoly and/or unfair competition in the business sector when it’s very much clear that the source of monopoly and unfair competition is the government itself and its protectionist policies and regulations.

In keeping up with political dynasties, we must take heed of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s words as he said, "The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to the point where it becomes stronger than the democratic state itself. That in its essence is fascism; ownership of government by an individual, by a group or any controlling private power."

The Constitutional Court on the Brink

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/10/08/your-letters-the-constitutional-court-brink.html

I was shocked and appalled at recent arrest of the Constitutional Court’s chief justice on suspicion of taking bribes worth more than $250,000 to fix a case hearing. The further findings of marijuana and ecstasy pills at his office sickened my stomach again. The last bastion of justice, which has enjoyed rare high public trust almost as good as the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is now on the brink of free fall if not immediately saved.

It seems the nature of change, once the tempo picks up, is that one drama follows another until several can be happening at the same time. Unfortunately, instead of slowing down, allowing us some respite; the saga continues with more climaxes and pinnacles to drain our energy, leaving us all exhausted and worn out.

Oh yes, the saga of corruption seems increasingly occupy our screens! It’s like watching a bad sinetron one over another on daily basis. Endless and frustrating!

The scandalous arrest makes it the second time in three months that the KPK has pursued the top official within the supposedly clean and prestigious institutions, after nailing down the chairman of the upstream petroleum regulator SKK Migas.

Well done KPK!

This nation without a doubt needs KPK to keep hammering down these corruptive rats that set our nation into limbo.

Yet along the successful arrest, one fundamental question remains unanswered. Is there still any trustworthy judiciary institution we can look up to with trust and integrity aside from KPK?

The Constitutional Court is the last place Indonesians can go to for legal redress involving all manner of issues. Under Mahfud MD, the court has received high respect for its integrity and independence, recorded many achievements settling various legal controversies from election disputes, questionable laws, to the rights of children born out of wedlock. 

Alas! The recent expose of criminal activity in this prestigious judiciary body has cast a dark cloud to the rest of the society. In line with the “broken window theory”, dishonest judge can induce honest judge and citizen to try to become even more corrupt. This may start a downward spiral of ever-increasing lawlessness if the actions to eradicate misconducts in the judicial system not taken immediately.

We still remember the disgrace Chief Justice once said confidently that those accused of corruption should have their assets seized and their fingers cut off. Asked by journalist of this statement, without any second thought he slapped the him hard on the face. A vulgar display of his immature and emotional character. 

The funny thing is how on the first place, he was ever elected as the Chief Justice by our lawmakers in the House over public outcries that he once implicated in a graft case in 2011. We “the people” elect individuals we somehow believe will be honest and have a bit of integrity.  

Oh, what fools we are!

Corrupt politicians, lawmakers, law enforcers, state officials steal from us and flash Cheshire cat smiles right in front of our face. One after another is being dragged and arrested with corrupt practices.  Bribery is so deep rooted so chronic most people take it as a normal business expense. Corruption has become an integral part of the system.

A belief that they will not be caught and that even if caught, punishment will be light keeps tempting them to follow their colleagues’ shoes. Either they are fools or too greedy for power and money.

This is an outrage. These greedy, money-hungry thieves should be punished severely for their crimes because they have destroyed the public trust. The penalty should provide a deterrent effect.

Well…. Capital punishmennt is out of question so perhaps the idea of the disgrace Chief Justice of seizing all the assets and cutting off the fingers is NOT a bad idea.

The harm has be done though. It makes us realize that judiciary corruption is far deeper and more extensive.

For that reason, the public trust on the judiciary bodies needs to be restored immediately. Rigged courts, bribed judges, phony trials, extortion by lawmakers should be eradicated, burnt down up to its roots. Those who are guilty should receive the highest sanction possible.

Related institutions should help to establish a clean judicial system to deter corrupt practices as corrupt judiciary encourages even greater corruption. Corruption normally thrives in societies where ethical and moral standards are weak and where punishment is lenient.

The law should stop the judiciary bodies from destroying their selves with greed and stupidity. Judicial reforms should be immediately imposed regarding judge gratuities and the code of ethics, performance standards for judges, or judge accountability, and legislative oversight of judges.

And we, the people, should keep standing strong and tall with KPK with its endless task to combat corruption. It’s the one standing institution so far with trust and integrity.

May God speed and save our nation from limbo.