We Have Many

I got this very lately, for I was experiencing a great lesson from the one I ask for love. One day I protest myself for being trapped in my own world, the world that finally fence me in. Why must to be like this, hoping for something that people even might not have any interest on it. Then one by one it appears obviously. First, I knew that we need to be out of [our own] box in order to get in to the extra miles. Second, many people give, and they give without being in what we received socially as a place of giving public service. We do, we can create it [oh God, even it must be better!]. That He provided me with all the best, I believe and I surender.

Now, lets accept it, that we are potentially contributive. Optimizing our potentials is now becoming our priority. My lecturer said that it must be started by being focus in what we do. That is true, I’ve implemented it in many chances. “Fokus pada pertandingan,” if you want to regard it so, just like one of our badminton players’s belief when he beat his Chinese counterpart.

Finally, can you build your own palace? Yes, we can. However, as Taj Mahal will be always for India, never compare yours to others’.

Days of Balthasar

Picture source: http://www.graphics.com/modules/Gallery/albums/album258/Dec2012jpg.sized.jpg

2012,,voila! let’s watch the movie! hahaha,, it is not about my thingking turning to this kind of concern. I do believe 100% of what The Book tells us about. But, it reminds me to Balthasar’s Odyssey (correct me if I’m wrong), and his journey to find the book of the end of the day. Year of 1666, it was, probably, the same as what Mayans thought about the year I mention at the beginning, which is 3 years a head from now. Yet, is it really like what it is expected? Oh my God, even we never find any of scripts telling us about a devastating tsunami in 2005. I mean, many big things happen around us, and it makes our prediction may be correct. One thing is interesting: what is the logic behind those forcasts existing in most of civilization? Which need is fulfilled?

But back to Balthasar, it is a great story Monsiour Maalouf! and I can’t wait to finish it soon,,hahaha

Lebaran Brought Me Home

Go home for gathering with all family members in Lebaran is always special for me. Since my sister’s marriage, we get in to a more and more lively home staying as my two little nephews have been growing up to become active and smart children.

A Call from Sidoarjo

source: http://hotmudflow.files.wordpress.com/2006/07/lapindo_kantorpertamina_tenggelam.jpg

I’ve just read a news about Lapindo mudflow in the Jakarta Post and I was shocked. Just check the news out, then you’ll find what a huge disaster it may be. It is rationally acceptable, that the land will sink when the part inside, which is the mud, spews in significant amount, leaving it bare. The sign, based on the news, has emerged, where some of houses’ base get down. This condition urges an immediate measure taking by government to stop the mud spewing. The government should focus on this quest, regarding that what they have done during this time, together with the company operating in that area before, is just responding the effects, not solving the very basic problem. As a result, we can see now, how it may cause more dreadful and expanding consequences. Yes it is difficult, but it will be more difficult to see more and more people lose their home..

Regional Configuration Involving China

BRIC leaders: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (1st L), Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (2nd L), China’s President Hu Jintao, and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

source: http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20090617/000cf1bdd03f0ba27afb01.jpg

Regional cooperation is one of interesting phenomena IR scholars have discovered in this last decade. Based on my own research, China belongs to the most active countries in configuring regional cooperation. The latest development come up from Yekaterinburg. Besides actively involving in Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) which consists of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, China is now taking important role in colaborating cooperation between four emerging world powers with Brazil, Russia, and India. China’s strategy is clear: being global player by embracing others through cooperation, both regionally or bilaterally.

source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/21/xinsrc_2521104212010453190742.jpg

In that mission, China is also involving in East Asia Summit (EAS), covering 16 countries, namely 10 ASEAN member countries, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea, while strengthening its position in ASEAN plus Three mechanism. This is “China’s containment,” or, refering to what Prof. Kishore Mahbubani of Singapore said, China’s pre-emptive strike.

Roh and Corruption

I was shocked reading a title on yahoo’s short news stating the death of former president of South Korea, Roh Moo-hyun when I just started to open web page today. Because of that, a plan to continue my previous writing (about ADB) is postponed, just to give a space of time for me to make a retreat on what happen with Asian politicians.

Roh is reported to commit suicide after a penetrating corruption investigation attacked his life these last days. He said, “too many people are suffering because of me” on his computer (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090524/ap_on_re_as/as_skorea_obit_roh), showing a deep sorry of what might coil he up.

This incident reminds me to what also often happen to the Japanese politicians when they are indicated have something to do with corruption. Shortly, it seems that corruption is the most embarrassing crime that should never be touched even just for a sip. Or, even if they have willingness to do so, it must not to be blown up to public. Let it sleep in secret.

Now, what happen to our respectful House of Representative’s members.. Many of them have been caught and imprisoned, yet there is no even a word of sorry they’ve said to the public. They are choosen to be the representative of people, to magnify people’s aspiration. In fact, they do corruption in that position and no words of apology because of it. Commiting suicide because of feeling sorry? Seems like a dream that is still far away from being true. I am not dreaming it, anyway. I am hoping for no more corruption. I do hope that the next president will be very serious in eradicating the crime. Whoever he/ she is. And, the most important is that, making those who corrupt feel ashamed for what they did!

Review of Presidential Vision-Mission Presentation held by KADIN

Jusuf Kalla
Strength(s):
1. Talkative
2. Relevant Humor
3. Simple words
4. Smart
5. Nationalist
Weakness(es):
1. Less point on economically-low people
2. Having too strong background of entrepreneur (influencing vastly his main topic)

SBY:
Strength(s):
1. Well organized (systematically structured)
2. Firm
3. Responsive to the issue (e.g. neolib-accusation)
Weakness(es):
1. Exceedingly formal
2. Sophisticated words

Megawati:
Strength(s):
1. Propose other perspective (perspective of a house wife who touches daily needs directly)
2. Simplifying words, but works (e.g. “gampang saja”, “sederhana saja”)
Weakness(es):
1. Lack of example (she repeated BPPN for times)
2. No concrete explanation about how “ekonomi kerakyatan” will be conducted

ADB, Indonesia and Global Financial Crisis

Global financial crisis attacking United States last year has widely spread almost to all region in this world and until now the issue is still grabbing serious concern from experts as well as policy makers. Asia is one of the region that pay more attention to the crisis since in this latest years this region is regarded as the fastest growing region ecpecially refering to China and India. Now, when the Asian Development Bank (ADB) conducting its 42nd annual meeting in Bali, the issue apears to become the main one to discuss. Some plans are issued, indicating that the crisis has caused a destructive impact to the Asian economies. But the question is, is that true that Asia is suffered that badly? And, how does Indonesia, as the host, make it relefant to the real need that Asians have today?

As we know that the crisis impacts a country if there is a strong connection between its economy with US’s and European countries’s economy, which is defined with the high percentage of their foreign investor registered in its stock exchange.

ADB’s response to the crisis features an additional $10 billion of ADB assistance in 2009-2010. The crisis assistance will include a new $3 billion Countercyclical Support Facility to disburse funds quickly and efficiently for urgent needs, and a front-loading of Asian Development Fund resources to provide $3.4 billion to ADF recipient countries this year. It also includes up to $1 billion to support trade financing, which is expected to generate up to $15 billion in trade support. (http://www.adb.org/Media/Articles/2009/12884-adb-annual-meetings/)

Cayman Islands

Do you know a song sung by the King of Convenience titled Cayman Islands? Several months ago I found the song and began to enjoy it so much. The song is so touchy and inspiring. There is a special part I like the most, here it is, “If only they have seen, if only they have been here..” [if I'm not mistaken]. O people, o rose, just like Kayam trickling good-taste wine down into a small cup in a silent bright morning. It fits to the name the singers take for their group: King of Convenience.

After wondering about the islands, I tried to google it, and here are some of their beautiful pics:

Let’s See How Indonesian Government Face the Cases

In a batch of transnational cases faced by Indonesian government, there are two newest among them that attract vast concern from its public. The first is the case of David Hartanto Widjaja’s death in Singapore, and the second is violative-indicated marriage between Indonesian Manohara Odilia Pinot and a Malaysian prince.

source: http://eddymesakh.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/jenazah-david-hartanto.jpg

The previous is getting more difficult since there are some indications that the death is not caused by what the Nanyang Technological University, the university where David studied, has published before. One of its indications is the odd condition of David’s body, where there are some scratches found on it. The other is the death of a university officer (if I am not mistaken, he is a lecturer assistant, originally from China) by committing suicide in his apartment in the university, that some people believe that it has a relation with David’s death. Some controversies arise. One said that David was not going to kill his professor, Mr. Chan Kap Luk (just like media firstly confirmed), indeed, he was the potential target of a murder. Regardless this controversy, the government should acknowledge this as a case of a crime, where David’s right as an Indonesian should be protected. This does not mean that the government should take, from the very begining, position that David should not be sentenced since he was the victim, but all of probabilites about this case is open. That’s why, government should pay more attention, and in some points, give emphasis to the government of Singapore that the process should be progressive.

source: http://jakartasocial.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/mano4.jpg

It also juxtaposes Manohara’s case. Yes, she is alive now, but her mother get some information, one from a phone call with Mano herself, that there is something wrong with her daughter’s marriage. Until now, Mano’s mom can not contact her. The relations among a mom and her daughter was cut. Even, she found information that Mano got bad treatment from her husband and, non-physically, by her husband’s family. I don’t really understand this (that’s why probably I have to understand first the system of Malaysian Kingdom), but from humanity point of view, what the Royal family has done to Mano is inhumane. Again, the government should be active in facing this case, regarding that, first, Indonesia and Malaysia have different legal sytem, and second, even if there is not any law (like in Indonesia where there is a protection under the law for the persons have been being in a family, or what we recognize as “Perlindungan terhadap Kekerasan dalam Rumah Tangga”) which concern to that protection in Malaysian system, the case is still serious since it violates the basic value of human being: no one could cut one’s relations with his or her mom, dad, or any other family members off.

So, I belive that there are a lot of international law experts in the Department of Foreign Affairs. What we need today is a serious concern of them to the cases so Indonesian will feel more secure for living out of their beloved country.