The Barefoot Lawyer

Other blog

2011-11-16T11:29:00.000+07:00

Apologies for the lack of updates - sadly I haven't been traveling lately since I'm occupied with my graduate studies. However, I often blog in the Jakarta Post's public blog here.

Please drop by to my other blog and feel free to write to me.

View of Pulisan

2010-12-17T21:25:00.000+07:00

Blooming Mushrooms

2010-12-02T17:10:00.000+07:00

Catch of the Day

2010-12-02T16:57:00.001+07:00

The next day after the Tangkoko Nature Reserve trek, we went to Pulisan Jungle Beach Resort which is located in Pulisan village, North Sulawesi. We managed to book a taxi who is willing to take us to the resort, and if I can remember it was around a 2 (or was it 3?) hours drive from Manado. There were no roads leading directly to the resort, so we stopped at the point where the road ended and trekked through the jungle and finally arrived at the beach where the resort was located (hence the name jungle beach resort).

Along the way we met a fishermen who just came back from his daily fishing chore, and he managed to show his catch of the day.

Batuputih Beach, Tangkoko Nature Reserve

2010-12-02T16:35:00.000+07:00

Inside the Tangkoko Nature Reserve, they have a beach area named oddly Batuputih, which means white stone. But the sand there, or at least the ground beneath are surprisingly black. The view from the beach was amazing, especially when the sun glistens and shines through the nearby landscape, and although it's not necessarily good for swimming, it's nice to splash around there because there were no reefs around.

Spectral Tarsier, Tangkoko Nature Reserve

2010-12-02T16:23:00.000+07:00

The Spectral Tarsier (Tarsius tarsier) is one of the stars of the Tangkoko Nature Reserve. It lives in the giant ficus tree and it is nocturnal, thus we have to wait for a while until the sun sets for this little primate to come out. The guides lure these huge-eyed animals out of their resting place with a cricket, and they quietly creep out to snatch them. According to IUCN, they are vulnerable to extinction.

Giant Ficus Tree

2010-12-02T16:07:00.000+07:00

This giant ficus tree is home to the Tarsius spotted in the Tangkoko National Park. My guide said that it is approximately 60 years old.

Note: Apologies for the lag in updating, will try to do some catch up now.

Macaca nigra, Tangkoko Nature Reserve

2010-07-09T08:08:00.001+07:00

Next stop was the Tangkoko Nature Reserve. Head to Bitung, another big city in North Sulawesi, and there will be a small sign (you can barely see it) stating that this is the road to the Tangkoko Nature Reserve. The roads are small and hilly, and make sure you ask people where it is because you can easily get lost in the area. Arriving in the nature reserve, each guest must pay an entry fee (they differentiate between local and international tourists - foreigners pay approx IDR 85,000 each), and they will provide you with a guide. I forgot whether you also have to pay for the guide or not, but it is better for you to have one because the forests are lush and deep and it's hard to get around if you don't know the field. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes, and don't forget to use an mosquito repellent lotion.

We were lucky that right away, we spotted a Celebes Crested Macaque (Macaca nigra) on top of a tree, and our guide suggested that this fellow is one of the scouts for the macaque groups. He said that these macaques travel in groups, and usually they put one scout in front of the group and this scout will report to the group's leader on the situations ahead. Their body and skin are entirely black, except that their bum is a bit white (or reddish) and hard. We can't get too close to them, and were advised not to look at them directly to their eyes (as it shows an offensive gesture) but we were very lucky that we saw them in their natural habitat. According to the IUCN list, they are critically endangered.

Waruga in Airmadidi

2010-07-09T07:44:00.000+07:00

Our first visit on the next day during our trip around North Sulawesi was Airmadidi (which literally means Boiling Water), that had some ancient Minahasan tombs called waruga. Corpses are not buried underground, but they are placed in a fetal position inside the tombs, together with jeweleries and other material possessions that they have. Of course there are no corpses inside the waruga in Airmadidi now, and most of the treasures inside them are either plundered, or some treasures that luckily survived is housed inside a museum (somewhere which I do not know). It's very interesting to see the carvings on top of the tombs.

Portrait: Children Playing at the Airmadidi Waruga

2010-07-08T07:39:00.000+07:00

Cute kids. Until they said "minta doi" to me. I asked my guide on what is the meaning of "minta doi", and he said, they're asking me for money. Hmm.

Flowers, Lake Tondano

2010-07-08T07:36:00.000+07:00

Stopped by at Tumou Tou restaurant by Lake Tondano for our last site of the day. The lake has an eerie feeling to it for some reason, and I guess the best time to come would be in the afternoon where usually it gets a bit more interesting when the surrounding mountains gets misty and mysterious...

Out with the old, in with the new

2010-07-02T06:48:00.000+07:00

After our trip to Bukit Kasih, we wanted to go to Lake Tondano. We got lost, obviously, because we were clueless about the area and there's no map in our hands. But I didn't mind getting lost amongst the paddy and corn fields, and here I spotted two farmers, one with a tractor and one with an ox, chatted in the middle of the road, and then said their goodbyes and moved on with their errands. Simple things such as this makes me happy.

Portrait: Farmer Oma

2010-07-02T06:36:00.000+07:00

Portrait: Hat Seller Girl

2010-07-02T06:33:00.000+07:00

Portrait: Accessories Seller Man, Bukit Kasih

2010-07-02T06:29:00.000+07:00

Bukit Kasih, Kawangkoan

2010-07-02T06:26:00.000+07:00

I guess the epitome of religion/faith-based tourist attraction in North Sulawesi would be Bukit Kasih in Kanonang, Kawangkoan district. When I first arrived in Manado, there were several posters stating "Torang Samua Basudara", which I guess the literal translation would be "we are all brothers and sisters". This philosophy would be the core foundation of religious tolerance in North Sulawesi which I find very, very impressive. There's this Western view that Indonesia is a terrorist-ridden country, and just because the majority of the population are Muslims, there's no room for other people of different religion to practice their faith. That view is absolutely wrong, and Bukit Kasih is a perfect example of harmony between the religions in Indonesia.

Since Bukit Kasih is basically a hill, a sulfuric hill to be exact, there are two stops that you can visit when you hike that hill. The first is the area where they built five praying buildings, Buddhism, Christian Protestant, Catholic, Hinduism and Islam, side by side. On the cliff, they carved a depiction of a Minahasan ancestor so it adds an interesting aspect to the site. The place also had several Minahasan statues and rumor has it, on some days the statue can move and dance on its own (tourist guide myths - although I must admit the statues were creepy). The second stop would be a giant cross, overlooking the surrounding area. You can see Lake Tondano and several agro-tourism spots that circles Bukit Kasih from above.

A word of advice, don't forget to bring water and perhaps some snacks when you hike the hill. We had no clue of how high the hill was and I tell you, I was out of breath and needed to take quite a long break when I reached the top because it is indeed pretty high.

Kawangkoan Coffee Stop

2010-07-01T20:37:00.000+07:00

After the gruesome sight in Tomohon Market, we continued to Kawangkoan in order to see Bukit Kasih, another religion-based tourist attraction in North Sulawesi. But before that, we stopped by the road to buy some Kawangkoan peanuts, which I recently knew that peanuts were the thing to buy if you go there. Besides the peanuts, make sure to drop by at Rumah Kopi Gembira for the great coffee, brewed from local beans, and the steamed buns. Oh, the steamed buns. We tried the steamed buns filled with mung beans (Bakpao Temo') and it is by far the most delicious steamed buns I've ever tasted. You can also try the pork-filled steamed buns (Bakpao Ba'), but we skipped that.

So I bought some steamed buns for souvenir snacks. Keep them refrigerated, and it is still eatable by a week - but make sure you steam them again before you eat them. We also wanted to buy some coffee beans, but unfortunately a man came just before us and bought the last of them :(

Trees, spotted in Lahendong Sulphur Lake

2010-07-01T20:19:00.000+07:00

Tomohon's Macabre Market

2010-07-01T20:11:00.001+07:00

The Tomohon market in North Sulawesi, Indonesia is basically your usual market, I guess…for the people of Minahasa. But definitely not for tourists or for those of you who are, uhm, prone to queasiness.

You see, Minahasa people are quite (in)famous for their reputation to be able to eat anything. Yes, anything.

So in this particular market, they sell bat meat and dog meat, and I was “fortunate” to see them still being sold at the market. If you’re really adventurous, go on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays in the morning where they have more selections or specialties, i.e. snake meat. They say they also eat cats. Come in around August where they have this kind of feast, but don't bring your pets as they might end up in your plate.

*moment of silence*

The worst part is you see live dogs in cages. Just like you see pigs or chickens before they are butchered, but here you see dogs. To make you feel better (I guess - I'm being sarcastic), the caged ones are ugly, skinny dogs (Indonesians say it as anjing kampung), not one of those fancy ones - the kind Paris Hilton would adopt.

I don't want to put pictures of grilled bats or, maybe the worst is grilled dogs (literally - not the sausage kind). If I do, my blog would probably be reported by PETA. If you want to see the pictures, you can contact me and I’m willing to share the adventure. Or the cruelty. Or the gruesomeness. Or maybe just to fulfill your curiosity. So I'm just going to share this "safe picture" instead :)

Ring the Bell

2010-07-01T19:47:00.000+07:00

They say if you can ring the bell with a coin that you throw, you can get what you want based on the point where you are standing. Happiness is tempting, no?

Pagoda Ekayana, Tomohon

2010-07-01T19:41:00.000+07:00

Moving on to another religion/faith-based tourist attraction in North Sulawesi, we traveled to Tomohon and stopped by at the Ekayana Pagoda. It's located not far from when you enter Tomohon, but you have to ask the locals where it is exactly located. Arriving at the Pagoda, you are greeted by the line of statues decorating, or should I say "guarding" the place with their backs against the Lokon Mountain in the background. Apart from the Pagoda, there's the Kwan Im Shrine (I hope I get this right) and some sort of shrine shaped like a tortoise. I'm very bad with the facts so please share me the information or a bit of history on this pagoda :)

Jesus Bless Monument

2010-06-30T07:46:00.001+07:00

You might think that since the majority of Indonesians are Muslims, other religions don’t have the chance to express their faith in art or in any other forms. Manado is one of the special case in Indonesia where the majority of its population are Christians, and instead of seeing mosques or musholla in every 5 meters you walk in the street, you will see mostly churches.

The Jesus Bless Monument (Monumen Yesus Memberkati) was built by Ciputra, a prominent real estate developer in Indonesia. The Jesus statue itself is modeled after the “Jesus Christ the Redeemer” in Corcovado in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, with 30 meters in height, and 20 meters for the statue’s pedestal. It is located 242 meters above sea level, overseeing Manado and the surrounding area.

According to my tour guide, it is the second largest Jesus statue in the world and the largest in Asia.

Boat in Bunaken

2010-06-30T07:08:00.000+07:00

Snorkeling in Liang Beach, Bunaken

2010-06-29T14:32:00.001+07:00

As I mentioned earlier before, one of the main reasons for me to come to Manado was to visit the Bunaken National Marine Park. I wanted to get my diving license, but for one other reason I decided not to and traveled around North Sulawesi instead.

I did manage to have a day trip to Bunaken and snorkeled around Liang Beach area. The corals were white (I assume it's dead due to ocean acidification), but there were many fishes swimming around the area and you can feed them while you snorkel. The better looking corals were deep down, and you can basically see a wall filled with corals and other marine life ~ which actually prompted me to really get my diving license soon.

Sunset over Manado Bay

2010-06-29T12:18:00.000+07:00

Tantalizing Treats in Manado

2010-06-29T07:03:00.003+07:00

I've had the opportunity to travel around Manado and its surrounding area in North Sulawesi during the early week of May 2010 (after my quick trip to Wakatobi). The main reason for my trip to Manado was of course Bunaken, and the food. Oh, the glory of Manado/Minahasa food. Here's some that I ate at the Bumi Beringin restaurant in Manado, a colonial setting restaurant (almost Peranakan style I assume) which is located in a hill overlooking Manado Bay.

This is the Goropa Woku-woku, which is Goropa Fish cooked in a spicy sauce, and the Nasi Tustus, which is a kind of almost-burnt rice (Indonesians call it kerak nasi) with Cakalang Fish. Yum.

Bumi Beringin Restaurant
Location: Jl. Sam Ratulangi II No.9, Manado, Indonesia. Phone: (62) 431 853535/854747. Opening hours: Mon - Sun, 11:00 - 23:00.

Sunshine and Rainy Day

2010-06-17T08:13:00.001+07:00

Both pictures are taken on the beach of Patuno Resort. You can clearly see the difference between a sunny and a rainy day in the atmosphere.

Patuno Resort, Wakatobi

2010-06-17T07:54:00.026+07:00

Would’ve loved to get around Wakatobi, but since I was only there for a day, I only made my trip to Patuno Resort, a relatively new four-star resort located in Wangi-wangi Island, approximately 5 km from Matahora Airport.

Three types of rooms: Standard (IDR 500,000/night), Deluxe (IDR 750,000/night) and Executive (IDR 1,000,000/night). The rooms are clean and fully air-conditioned, bathrooms are supposed to have hot water but apparently it didn’t work, but it’s clean nevertheless. Expect power outages to happen, because the island is having electrical problems as a whole.

Food is great. They have a select of local and western food, but don’t expect the western food too much, because they have a hard time with the ingredients stock - must be due to difficult logistics. I tried the Nasi Goreng Tomia and the Kakap Merah Goreng/Bakar. Price is mid-range.

The resort offers a range of recreational activities, i.e. diving, snorkeling, sightseeing, etc. A word of advice, don’t snorkel right away after you have lunch. An idiot tried to do that and gave the food that she ate to the fishes due to seasick. Yes, that idiot would be me.

Too bad the weather was very cloudy and rainy, otherwise the visibility of the corals would be perfect. Maybe next time I should prepare my visit by looking at the weather predictions beforehand. Well, I know it might not work - nobody can predict the weather nowadays but it’s worth a try.

The Patuno Resort is indeed expensive, since it is targeted for the mid-upper class range anyway. I was lucky that I stayed there for free, and if I do come to Wakatobi I’d rather go the budget range (read: my range). But the place is perfect for those of you who do want leisure and relaxation - plus, they have honeymoon packages! The area also doesn’t have any cellphone coverage - perfect for those of you who are indeed having their getaway (but not for those who needs to be on call 24/7).

Info: contact for resevation - patapulogroup@hotmail.com. Patapulo Makassar: (0411) 442021/440409, Patapulo Kendari: (0401) 330883/331082/3131883, Patapulo Wakatobi: 08114002221/085241806574 (with Ani).

Getting to Wakatobi

2010-06-16T05:52:00.002+07:00

Wakatobi is an acronym of the four main islands that consists it, which are Wangi-wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia and Binongko. Initially it was named Tukangbesi Islands, because of the people who lived in Binongko Island who are mainly blacksmiths (tukang besi in Bahasa Indonesia) by profession. Nowadays Wakatobi is famous for their underwater national park.

When I went to Wakatobi, I flew from Jakarta to Kendari (the capital city of Southeast Sulawesi province), arrived at Haluoleo Airport and then took a smaller plane to Matahora Airport (Wangi-wangi Island). Garuda Indonesia flies to Kendari daily from Jakarta with a stop in Makassar. Other airplanes fly to Kendari also, such as Merpati, Lion Air, Batavia Air, Sriwijaya Air, and Express Air. As of now, only Express Air flies to Wakatobi. You can also go by speed boat from Kendari with a transit to Bau-bau (5 hrs), travel by car to Lasalimu (2 hrs), then speed boat from Lasalimu to Wanci in Wangi-wangi (1 hr).

I was very excited when I flew over Wangi-wangi, and no longer than 30 minutes, I already arrived in Matahora Airport. Don’t be surprised by the very minimum facilities in the Airport, such as the manual labor baggage claim. Would love to go to Wakatobi again, because I only spent one night there. Maybe next time I’ll go by boat, for the added adventure. :)

Kendari-Wakatobi Trip, May 2010

2010-06-15T05:51:00.005+07:00

I had the opportunity to accompany my college friend to do some work on local elections in South Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi in early May for three days. Since it was a short trip (and was on a very tight work-related schedule), I only went around to several places but managed to do some "scouting" if I were to visit Kendari and Wakatobi next time around.

Getting to Kendari: Garuda Indonesia flies to Kendari daily from Jakarta with a stop in Makassar. Other airplanes fly to Kendari also, such as Merpati, Lion Air, Batavia Air, Sriwijaya Air, and Express Air. You will arrive at Haluoleo Airport (which was then Wolter Monginsidi Airport), located in South Konawe regency (and apparently also in the air force compound), and it is approximately 30 minutes to Kendari. I'm not sure about the public transportation or taxi from the airport to the city, so better to arrange your airport pickup beforehand.

Where to stay: we were fortunate to stay in the better hotels in Kendari, which was Hotel Horison Kendari. It was relatively new, with clean and bright rooms with hot showers, and breakfast included with a choice of Western/Indonesian food. The only thing I find odd was that it was located near a shop-house compound (ruko) which was not common for a hotel location as far as I know. Also, if you are a non-smoker, the lobby doesn't have a strict no-smoking policy so be prepared to share the air with those nicotine addicts. When we went there, recently Swiss Belhotel also opened a hotel in Kendari, with a better location facing the mangroves of Kendari Bay. I assume the price range would be for middle class and up-market if not targeted for business purposes. There are cheaper options for accommodation but you need to look around for more.

Where to eat: Alamo seafood restaurant in Jl. Sultan Hasanuddin. President SBY, during his campaign for the 2009 Indonesian elections, ate at the restaurant (along with his Democrat entourage) so I assume it is pretty famous among the locals (or local politicians). Try the grilled kakap merah (red snapper), squid, and shrimps. They have the make-your-own sambal with fresh tomatoes, chilis, limes and peanut sauce (yes, peanut sauce!) to tantalize your grilled seafood. If you are very hungry then please be patient - they take quite a while so don't expect the service to be snappy.

Brft Lwyr

2010-05-22T18:09:00.000+07:00

Please visit my tumblr page at http://brftlwyr.tumblr.com for quicker updates. I will upload what I have in tumblr in this blogger version also, because I intend to post longer entries into blogger and shorter ones into tumblr.

Cheers,
FF

Sri Mulyani's Speech Transcript

2010-05-19T09:59:00.002+07:00

Disclaimer: this is copy-pasted from someone's Facebook page. I have no rights whatsoever regarding this transcript.

Semalam SMI memberikan pidato/kuliah di seminar ttg kebijakan publik dan etika publik (kalau tidak salah ya - mohon koreksi). Saya copy paste dari note facebook teman saya, ini transkrip dari jurnalis Media Indonesia, Ririn Radiawati. Selamat membaca.

Salam,
Fika Fawzia

- - - - -

Saya rasanya lebih berat berdiri disini daripada waktu dipanggil pansus Century. Dan saya bisa merasakan itu karena sometimes dari moral dan etikanya jelas berbeda. Dan itu yang membuat saya jarang sekali merasa grogi sekarang menjadi grogi. Saya diajari pak Marsilam untuk memanggil orang tanpa mas atau bapak, karena diangap itu adalah ekspresi egalitarian. Saya susah manggil 'Marsilam', selalu pakai 'pak', dan dia marah. Tapi untuk Rocky saya malam ini saya panggil Rocky (Rocky Gerung dari P2D) yang baik. Terimakasih atas...... (tepuk tangan)

Tapi saya jelas nggak berani manggil Rahmat Toleng dengan Rahmat Tolengtor, kasus. Terimakasih atas introduksi yang sangat generous. Saya sebetulnya agak keberatan diundang malam hari ini untuk dua hal. Pertama karena judulnya adalah memberi kuliah. Dan biasanya kalau memberi kuliah saya harus, paling tidak membaca textbook yang harus saya baca dulu dan kemudian berpikir keras bagaimana menjelaskan.

Dan malam ini tidak ada kuliah di gedung atau di hotel yang begitu bagus tu biasanya kuliah kelas internasional atau spesial biasanya. Hanya untuk eksekutif yang bayar SPP nya mahal. Dan pasti neolib itu (disambut tertawa). Oleh karena itu saya revisi mungkin namanya lebih adalah ekspresi saya untuk berbicara tentang kebijakan publik dan etika publik.

Yang kedua, meskipun tadi mas Rocky menyampaikan, eh salah lagi. Kalau tadi disebutkan mengenai ada dua laki-laki, hati kecil saya tetap saya akan mengatakan sampai hari ini saya adalah pembantu laki-laki itu (tepuk tangan). Dan malam ini saya akan sekaligus menceritakan tentang konsep etika yang saya pahami pada saat saya masih pembantu, secara etika saya tidak boleh untuk mengatakan hal yang buruk kepada siapapun yang saya bantu. Jadi saya mohon maaf kalau agak berbeda dan aspirasinya tidak sesuai dengan amanat pada hari ini.

Tapi saya diminta untuk bicara tentang kebijakan publik dan etika publik. Dan itu adalah suatu topik yang barangkali merupakan suatu pergulatan harian saya, semenjak hari pertama saya bersedia untuk menerima jabatan sebagai menteri di kabinet di Republik Indonesia itu.

Suatu penerimaan jabatan yang saya lakukan dengan penuh kesadaran, dengan segala upaya saya untuk memahami apa itu konsep jabatan publik. Pejabat negara yang pada dalam dirinya, setiap hari adalah melakukan tindakan, membuat pernyataan, membuat keputusan, yang semuanya adalah dimensinya untuk kepentingan publik.

Disitu letak pertama dan sangat sulit bagi orang seperti saya karena saya tidak belajar, seperti anda semua, termasuk siapa tadi yang menjadi MC, tentang filosofi. Namun saya dididik oleh keluarga untuk memahami etika di dalam pemahaman seperti yang saya ketahui. Bahwa sebagai pejabat publik, hari pertama saya harus mampu untuk membuat garis antara apa yang disebut sebagai kepentingan publik dengan kepentingan pribadi saya dan keluarga, atau kelompok.

Dan sebetulnya tidak harus menjadi muridnya Rocky Gerung di filsafat UI untuk pintar mengenai itu. Karena kita belajar selama 30 tahun dibawah rezim presiden Soeharto. Dimana begitu acak hubungan, dan acak-acakan hubungan antara kepentingan publik dan kepentingan pribadi. Dan itu merupakan modal awal saya untuk memahami konsekuensi menjadi pejabat publik yang setiap hari harus membuat kebijakan publik dengan domain saya sebagai makhluk, yang juga punya privacy atau kepentingan pribadi.
Di dalam ranah itulah kemudian dari hari pertama dan sampai lebih dari 5 tahun saya bekerja untuk pemerintahan ini. Topik mengenai apa itu kebijakan publik dan bagaimana kita harus, dari mulai berpikir, merasakan, bersikap, dan membuat keputusan menjadi sangat penting. Tentu saya tidak perlu harus mengulangi, karena itu menyangkut, yang disebut, tujuan konstitusi, yaitu kepentingan masyarakat banyak. Yaitu mencapai kesejahteraan rakyat yang adil dan makmur.

Jadi kebijakan pubik dibuat tujuannya adalah untuk melayani masyarakat, Kebijakan publik dibuat melalui dan oleh kekuasaan. Karena dia dibuat oleh institusi publik yang eksis karena dia merupakan produk dari suatu proses politik dan dia memiliki kekuasaan untuk mengeluarkannya. Disitulah letak bersinggungan, apa yang disebut sebagai ingridient utama dari kebijakan publik, yaitu unsur kekuasaan. Dan kekuasaan itu sangat mudah menggelincirkan kita.

Kekuasaan selalu cenderung untuk corrupt. Tanpa adanya pengendalian dan sistim pengawasan, saya yakin kekuasaan itu pasti corrupt. Itu sudah dikenal oleh kita semua. Namun pada saat anda berdiri sebagai pejabat publik, memiliki kekuasan dan kekuasan itu sudah dipastikan akan membuat kita corrupt, maka pertanyaan 'kalau saya mau menjadi pejabat publik dan tidak ingin corrupt, apa yang harus saya lakukan?'

Oleh karena itu, di dalam proses-proses yang dilalui atau saya lalui, jadi ini lebih saya cerita daripada kuliah. Dari hari pertama, karena begitu khawatirnya, tapi juga pada saat yang sama punya perasaan anxiety untuk menjalankan kekuasaan, namun saya tidak ingin tergelincir kepada korupsi, maka pada hari pertama anda masuk kantor, anda bertanya dulu kepada sistem pengawas internal anda dan staff anda. Apalagi waktu itu jabatan dari Bappenas menjadi Menteri Keuangan. Dan saya sadar sesadar sadarnya bahwa kewenangan dan kekuasaan Kementrian Keuangan atau Menteri Keuangan sungguh sangat besar. Bahkan pada saat saya tidak berpikir corrupt pun orang sudah berpikir ngeres mengenai hal itu.

Bayangkan, seseorang harus mengelola suatu resources yang omsetnya tiap tahun sekitar, mulai dari saya mulai dari 400 triliun sampai sekarang diatas 1000 triliun, itu omset. Total asetnya mendekati 3000 triliun lebih.(batuk2) Saya lihat (ehem!) banyak sekali (ehem lagi) kalau bicara uang terus langsung....(ada air putih langsung datang diiringi ketawa hadirin).

Saya sudah melihat banyak sekali apa yang disebut tata kelola atau governance. pada saat seseorang memegang suatu kewenangan dimana melibatkan uang yang begitu banyak. Tidak mudah mencari orang yang tidak tergiur, apalagi terpeleset, sehingga tergoda bahwa apa yang dia kelola menjadi seoalh-olah menjadi barang atau aset miliknya sendiri.

Dan disitulah hal-hal yang sangat nyata mengenai bagaimana kita harus membuat garis pembatas yang sangat disiplin. Disiplin pada diri kita sendiri dan dalam, bahkan, pikiran kita dan perasaan kita untuk menjalankan tugas itu secara dingin, rasional, dengan penuh perhitungan dan tidak membolehkan perasaan ataupun godaan apapun untuk, bahkan berpikir untuk meng-abusenya.

Barangkali itu istilah yang disebut teknokratis. Tapi saya sih menganggap bahwa juga orang yang katanya berasal dari akademik dan disebut tekhnokrat tapi ternyata 'bau'nya tidak seperti itu. Tingkahnya apalagi lebih-lebih. Jadi saya biasanya tidak mengklasifikasikan berdasarkan label. Tapi berdasarkan genuine product nya dia hasilnya apa, tingkah laku yang esensial.

Nah, di dalam hari-hari dimana kita harus membicarakan kebijakan publik, dan tadi disebutkan bahwa kewenangan begitu besar, menyangkut sebuah atau nilai resources yang begitu besar. Kita mencoba untuk menegakkan rambu-rambu, internal maupun eksternal.

Mungkin contoh untuk internal hari pertama saya bertanya kepada Inspektorat Jenderal saya. "Tolong beri saya list apa yang boleh dan tidak boleh dari seorang menteri." Biasanya mereka bingung, tidak perndah ada menteri yang tanya begitu ke saya bu. Saya menetri boleh semuanya termasuk mecat saya.

Kalau seorang menteri kemudian menanyakan apa yang boleh dan nggak boleh, buat mereka menjadi suatu pertanyaan yang sangat janggal. Untuk kultur birokrat, itu sangat sulit dipahami. Di dalam konteks yang lebih besar dan alasan yang lebih besar adalah dengan rambu-rambu. Kita membuat standart operating procedure, tata cara, tata kelola untuk membuat bagaimana kebijakan dibuat. Bahkan menciptakan sistem check and balance.

Karena kebijakan publik dengan menggunakan elemen kekuasaan, dia sangat mudah untuk memunculkan konflik kepentingan. Saya bisa cerita berhari-hari kepada anda. Banyak contoh dimana produk-produk kebijakan sangat memungkinkan seorang, pada jabatan Menteri Keuangan, mudah tergoda. Dari korupsi kecil hingga korupsi yang besar. Dari korupsi yang sifatnya hilir dan ritel sampai korupsi yang sifatnya upstream dan hulu.

Dan bahkan dengan kewenangan dan kemampuannya dia pun bisa menyembunyikan itu. Karena dengan kewenangan yang besar, dia juga sebetulnya bisa membeli sistem. Dia bisa menciptakan network. Dia bisa menciptakan pengaruh. Dan pengaruh itu bisa menguntungkan bagi dirinya sendiri atau kelompoknya. Godaan itulah yang sebetulnya kita selalu ingin bendung. Karena begitu anda tergelincir pada satu hal, maka tidak akan pernah berhenti.

Namun, meskipun kita mencoba untuk menegakkan aturan, membuat rambu-rambu, dengan menegakkan pengawasan internal dan eksternal, sering bahwa pengawasan itu pun masih bisa dilewati. Disinilah kemudian muncul, apa yang disebut unsur etika. Karena etika menempel dalam diri kita sendiri. Di dalam cara kita melihat apakah sesuatu itu pantas atau tidak pantas, apakah sesuatu itu menghianati atau tidak menghianati kepentingan publik yang harus kita layani. Apakah kita punya keyakinan bahwa kita tidak sedang menghianati kebenaran. Etika itu ada di dalam diri kita.

Dan kemudian kalau kita bicara tentang total, atau di dalam bahasa ekonomi yang keren namanya agregat, setiap kepala kita dijumlahkan menjadi etika yang jumlahnya agregat atau publik, pertanyaannya adalah apakah di dalam domain publik ini setiap etika pribadi kita bisa dijumlahkan dan menghasilkan barang publik yang kita inginkan, yaitu suatu rambu-rambu norma yang mengatur dan memberikan guidance kepada kita.

Saya termasuk yang sungguh sangat merasakan penderitaan selama menjadi menteri. Karena itu tidak terjadi. Waktu saya menjadi menteri, sering saya harus berdiri atau duduk berjam-jam di DPR. Disitu anggota DPR bertanya banyak hal. Kadang-kadang bernada pura-pura sungguh-sungguh. Merek emngkritik begitu keras. Tapi kemudian mereka dengan tenangnya mengatakan 'Ini adalah panggung politik bu.'

Waktu saya dulu masuk menteri keuangan pertama saya masih punya dua Dirjen yang sangat terkenal, Dirjen Pajak dan Dirjen Bea Cukai saya. Mereka sangat powerfull. Karena pengaruhnya, dan respectability karena saya tidak tahu karena kepada angota dewan sangat luar biasa. Dan waktu saya ditanya, mulainya dari...? Segala macem. Setiap keputusan, statemen saya dan yang lain-lain selalu ditanya dengan sangat keras. Saya tadinya cukup naif mengatakan, "Oh ini ongkos demokrasi yang harus dibayar." Dan saya legowo saja dengan tenang menulis pertanyaan-pertanyaan mereka.

Waktu sudah ditulis mereka keluar ruangan, nggak pernah peduli mau dijawab atau tidak. Kemudian saya dinasehati oleh Dirjen saya itu, "Ibu tidak usah dimasukkan ke hati bu. Hal seperti itu hanya satu episod drama saja. " Tapi kemudian itu menimbulkan satu pergolakan batin orang seperti saya. Karena saya kemudian bertanya. Tadi dikaitkan dengan etika publik, kalau orang bisa secara terus menerus berpura-pura, dan media memuat, dan tidak ada satu kelompokpun mengatakan bahwa itu kepura-puraan maka kita bertanya, apalagi? siapa lagi yang akan menjadi guidance? yang mengingatkan kita dengan, apa yang disebut, norma kepantasan. Dan itu sungguh berat. Karena saya terus mengatakan kalau saya menjadi pejabat publik, ongkos untuk menjadi pejabat publik, pertama, kalau saya tidak corrupt, jelas saya legowo nggak ada masalah. Tapi yang kedua saya menjadi khawatir saya akan split personality.

Waktu di dewan saya menjadi personality yang lain, nanti di kantor saya akan menjadi lain lagi, waktu di rumah saya lain lagi. Untung suami dan anak-anak saya tidak pernah bingung yang mana saya waktu itu. Dan itu sesuatu yang sangat sulit untuk seorang seperti saya untuk harus berubah-ubah. Kalau pagi lain nilainya dengan sore, dan sore lain dengan malam. Malam lain lagi dengan tengah malam. Kan itu sesuatu yang sangat sulit untuk diterima. Itu ongkos yang paling mahal bagi seorang pejabat publik yang harus menjalankan dan ingin menjalankan secara konsisten.

Nah, oleh karena itu, didalam konteks inilah kita kan bicara mengenai kebijakan publik, etika publik yang seharusnya menjadi landasan, arahan bagi bagaimana kita memproduksi suatu tindakan, keputusan, yang itu adalah untuk urusan rakyat. Yaitu kesejahteraan rakyat, mengurangi penderitaan mereka, menaikkan suasana atau situasi yang baik di masyarakat, namun di sisi lain kita harus berhadapan dengan konteks kekuasaan dan struktur politik. Dimana buat mereka norma dan etika itu nampaknya bisa tidak hanya double standrart, triple standart.

Dan bahkan kalau kita bicara tentang istilah dan konsep mengenai konflik kepentingan, saya betul-betul terpana. Waktu saya menjadi executive director di IMF, pertama kali saya mengenal apa yang disebut birokrat dari negara maju. HAri pertama saya diminta untuk melihat dan tandatangan mengenai etika sebagai seorang executive director, do dan don'ts. Disitu juga disebutkan mengenai konsep konflik kepentingan. Bagaimana suatu institusi yang memprodusir suatu policy publik, untuk level internasional, mengharuskan setiap elemen, orang yang terlibat di dalam proses politik atau proses kebijakan itu harus menanggalkan konflik kepentingannya. Dan kalau kita ragu kita boleh tanya, apakah kalau saya melakukan ini atau menjabat yang ini apakah masuk dalam domain konflik kepentingan. Dan mereka memberikan counsel untuk kita untuk bisa membuat keputusan yang baik.

Sehingga bekerja di institusi seperti itu menurut saya mudah. Dan kalau sampai anda tergelincir ya kebangetan aja anda. Namun waktu kembali ke Indonesia dan saya dengan pemahaman pengenai konsep konflik kepentingan, saya sering menghadiri suatu rapat membuat suatu kebijakan, dimana kebijakan itu akan berimplikasi kepada anggaran, entah belanja, entah insentif, dan pihak yang ikut duduk dalam proses kebijakan itu adalah pihak yang akan mendapatkan keuntungan itu. Dan tidak ada rasa risih. Hanya untuk menunjukkan yang penting pemerintahan efektif, jalan. Kuenya dibagi ke siapa itu adalah urusan sekunder.

Anda bisa melihat bahwa kalau pejabat itu adalah background nya pengusaha, meskipun yang bersangkutan mengatakan telah meninggalkan seluruh bisnisnya, tapi semua orang tahu bahwa adiknya, kakaknya, anaknya, dan teteh, mamah, aa' semuanya masih run. Dan dengan tenangnya, berbagai kebijakan, bahkan yang membuat saya terpana, kalau dalam hal ini apa disebutnya? kalau dalam bahasa inggris apa disebutnya?i drop my job atau apa..bengong itu.

Kita bingung bahwa ada suatu keputusan dibuat, dan saya banyak catatan pribadi saya di buku saya. Ada keputusan ini, tiba-tiba besok lagi keputusan itu ternyata yang menimport adalah perusahaannya dia.

Nah ini merupakan sesuatu hal yang barangkali tanpa harus mendramatisir yang dikatakan oleh Rocky tadi seolah-olah menjadi the most reason phenomena. Kita semua tahu, itulah penyakit yang terjadi di jaman orde baru. Hanya dulu dibuatnya secara tertutup, tapi sekarang dengan kecanggihan, karena kemampuan dari kekuasaan, dia mengkooptasi decision making process juga. Kelihatannya demokrasi, kelihatannya melalui proses check and balance, tapi di dalam dirinya, unsur mengenai konflik kepentingan dan tanpa etika begitu kental. Etika itu barang yang jarang disebut pak.

Ada suatu saat saya membuat rapat dan rapat ini jelas berhubungan dengan beberapa perusahaan. Kebetulan ada beberapa dari yang kita undang, dia adalah komisaris dari beberapa perusahaan itu. Kami biasa, dan saya mengatakan dengan tenang, bagi yang punya aviliasi dengan apa yang kita diskusikan silahkan keluar dari ruangan. Memang itu adalah tradisi yang coba kita lakukan di kementrian keuangan. Kebetulan mereka adlaah teman-teman saya. Jadi teman-teman saya itu dengan bitter mengatakan, "Mba ani jangan sadis-sadis amat lah kayak gitu. Kalaupun kita disuruh keluar juga diem-diem aja. Nggak usah caranya kayak gitu."

Saya ingin menceritakan cerita seperti ini kepada anda bagaimana ternyata konsep mengenai etika dan konflik kepentingan itu, bisa dikatakan sangat langka di republik ini. Dan kalau kita berusaha untuk menjalankan dan menegakkan, kita dianggap menjadi barang yang aneh. Jadi tadi kalau MC nya menjelaskan bahwa saya ingin menjelaskan bahwa di luar gua itu ada sinar dan dunia yang begitu bagus, di dalam saya dianggap seperti orang yang cerita yang nggak nggak aja. Belum kalau di dalam konteks politik besar, kemudian, wah ini konsep barat pasti 'Lihat saja Sri Mulyani, neolib.'

Jadi saya mungkin akan mengatakan bagaimana ke depan di dalam proses politik. Tentu adalah suatu keresahan buat kita. Karena episod yang terjadi beberapa kali adalah bahwa di dalam ruangan publik, rakyat atau masyarakat yang harusnya menjadi the ultimate shareholder dari kekuasaan. Dia memilih, kepada siapapun CEO di republik ini dan dia juga memilih dari orang-orang yang diminta untuk menjadi pengawas atau check terhadap CEO nya.

Dan proses ini ternyata juga tidak murah dan mudah. Sudah banyak orang yang mengatakan untuk menjadi seorang jabatan eksekutif dari level kabupaten, kota, propinsi, membutuhkan biaya yang luar biasa, apalagi presiden pastinya. Dan biayanya sungguh sangat tidak bisa dibayangkan untuk suatu beban seseorang. Saya menteri keuangan saya biasa mengurusi ratusan triliun bahkan ribuan, tapi saya tidak kaget dengan angka. Tapi saya akan kaget kalau itu menjadi beban personal.

Seseorang akan menjadi kandidat mengeluarkan biaya sebesar itu. Kalkulasi mengenai return of investment saja tidak masuk. Bagaimana anda mengatakan dan waktu saya mengatakan sya lihat struktur gaji pejabat negara sungguh sangat tidak rasional. Dan kita pura-pura tidak boleh menaikkan karena kalau menaikkan kita dianggap mau mensejahterakan diri sebelum mensejahterakan rakyat. Sehingga muncullah anomali yang sangat tidak bisa dijelaskan oleh logika akal sehat, bahkan Rocky bilangnya ada akal miring. Saya mencoba sebagai pejabat negara untuk mengembalikan akal sehat dengan mengatakan strukturnya harus dibenahi lagi. Namun toh tetap tidak bisa menjelaskan suatu proses politik yang begitu sangat mahalnya.

Sehingga memunculkan suatu kebutuhan untuk berkolaborasi dengan sumber finansialnya. Dan disitulah kontrak terjadi. Di tingkat daerah, tidak mungkin itu dilakukan dengan membayar melalui gajinya. Bahkan melalui APBD nya pun tidak mungkin karena size dari APBN nya kadang-kadang tidak sebesar atau mungkin juga lebih sulit. Sehingga yang bisa adalah melalui policy. Policy yang bisa dijual belikan. Dan itu adalah adalah bentuk hasil dari suatu kolaborasi.

pertanyaan untuk kita semua, bagaimana kita menyikapi hal ini didalam konteks bahwa produk dari kebijakan publik, melalui sebuah proses politik yang begitu mahal sudah pasti akan distated dengan struktur yang membentuk awalnya. KArena kebijakan publik adalah hilirnya, hasil akhir. Hulunya yang memegang kekuasaan, lebih hulu lagi adalah prosesnya untuk mendapatkan kekuasaan itu demikian mahal.

Dan itu akan menjadi pertanyaan yang concern untuk sebuah sistem demokrasi. Maka pada saat kita dipilih atau diminta untuk menjadi pembantu atau menjadibagian dari pemerintah, Tentu kita tidak punya ilusi bahwa ruangan politik itu vakum atau hampa dari kepentingan. politik dimana saja pasti tentang kepentingan. Dan kepentingan itu kawin diantara beberapa kelompok untuk mendapatkan kekuasaan itu. Pasti itu perkawinannya adalah pada siapa saja yang menjadi pemenang.

Kalau pada hari ini tadi disebutkan ada yang menanyakan atau menyesalkan atau ada yang menangisi ada yang gelo (jawa:menyesal.red), kenapa kok Sri Mulyani memutuskan untuk mundur dari Menteri Keuangan. Tentu ini adalah suatu kalkulasi dimana saya menganggap bahwa sumbangan saya, atau apapun yang saya putuskan sebagai pejabat publik tidak lagi dikehendaki di dalam sistem politik. Dimana perkawinan kepentingan itu begitu sangat dominan dan nyata. Banyak yang mengatakan itu adalah kartel, saya lebih suka pakai kata kawin, walaupun jenis kelaminnya sama. (ketawa dan tepuktangan)

Karena politik itu lebih banyak lakinya daripada perempuan makanya saya katakan tadi. Hampir semua ketua partai politik laki kecuali satu. Dan di dalam bahwa dimana sistem politik tidak menghendaki lagi atau dalam hal ini tidak memungkinkan etika publik itu bisa dimnculkan, maka untuk orang seperti saya akan menjadi sangat tidak mungkin untuk eksis. Karena pada saat saya menerima tangungjawab untuk menjadi pejabat publik, saya sudah berjanji kepada diri saya sendiri, saya tidak ingin menjadi orang yang akan menghianati dengan berbuat corrupt. Saya tidak mengatakan itu gampang. Sangat painful. Sungguh painful sekali. Dan saya tidak mengatakan bahwa saya tidak pernah mengucurkan atau meneteskan airmata untuk menegakkan prinsip itu. Karena ironinya begitu besar. Sangat besar. Anda memegang kekuasaan begitu besar. Anda bisa, anda mampu, anda bahkan boleh, bahkan diharapkan untuk meng abuse nya oleh sekelompok yang sebetulnya menginginkan itu terjadi agar nyaman dan anda tidak mau. (tepuk tangan) Pada saat yang sama anda tidak selalu di apresiasi. P2D kan baru muncul sesudah saya mundur (ketawa, disini dia terlihat mengusapkan saputangan ke matanya).

Jadi ya terlambat tidak apa-apa, terbiasa. Saya masih bisa menyelamatkan republik ini lah.

Jadi saya tidak tahu tadi, Rocky tidak ngasih tahu saya berapa menit atau berapa jam. Soalnya diatas jam 9 argonya lain lagi nanti. Jadi saya gimana harus menutupnya. Nanti kayaknya nyanyi aja balik terus nanti.

Mungkin saya akan mengatakan bahwa pada bagian akhir kuliah saya ini atau cerita saya ini saya ingin menyampaikan kepada semua kawan-kawan disini. Saya bukan dari partai politik, saya bukan politisi, tapi tidak berarti saya tidak tahu politik. Selama lebih dari 5 tahun saya tahu persis bagaimana proses politik terjadi. Kita punya perasaan yang bergumul atau bergelora atau resah. Keresahan itu memuncak pada saat kita menghadapi realita jangan-jangan banyak orang yang ingin berbuat baik merasa frustasi. Atau mungkin saya akan less dramatic. Banyak orang-orang yang harus dipaksa untuk berkompromi dan sering kita menghibur diri dengan mengatakan kompromi ini perlu untuk kepentingan yang lebih besar. Sebetulnya cerita itu bukan cerita baru, karena saya tahu betul pergumulan para teknokrat jaman Pak Harto, untuk memutuskan stay atau out adalah pada dilema, apakah dengan stay saya bisa membuat kebijakan publik yang lebih baik sehingga menyelamatkan suatu kerusakan yang lebih besar. Atau anda out dan anda disitu akan punya kans untuk berbuat atau tidak, paling tidak resiko getting associated with menjadi less. Personal gain, public loss. If you are stay, dan itu yang saya rasakan 5 tahun, you suddenly feel that everybody is your enemy.

KArena no one yang sangat simpati dan tahu kita pun akan tidak terlalu happy karena kita tetap berada di dalam sistem. Yang tidak sejalan dengan ktia juga jengkel karena kita tidak bisa masuk kelompok yang bisa diajak enak-enakan. Sehingga anda di dalam di sandwich di dua hal itu. Dan itu bukan suatu pengalaman yang mudah. Sehingga kita harus berkolaborasi untuk membuat space yang lebih enak, lebih banyak sehingga kita bisa menemukan kesamaan.

Nah kalau kita ingin kembali kepada topiknya untuk menutup juga, saya rasa forum-forum semacam ini atau saya mengatakan kelompok seperti anda yang duduk pada malam hari ini adalah kelompok kelas menengah. YAng sangat sadar membayar pajak. Membayarnya tentu tidak sukarela, tidak seorang yang patriotik yang mengatakan dia membayar pajak sukarela. Tapi meskipun tidak sukarela, anda sadar bahwa itu adalah suatu kewajiban untuk menjaga republik ini tetap berdaulat. Dan orang seperti anda yang tau membayar pajak adalah kewajiban dan sekaligus hak untuk menagih kepada negara, mengembalikan dalam bentuk sistim politik yang kita inginkan. Maka sebetulnya di tangan orang-orang seperti anda lah republik ini harus dijaga. Sungguh berat, dan saya ditanya atau berkali-kali di banyak forum untuk ditanya, kenapa ibu pergi? Bagaimana reformasi, kan yang dikerjakan semua penting. Apakah ibu tidak melihat Indonesia sebagai tempat untuk pengabdian yang lebih penting dibandingkan bank dunia.

Seolah-olah sepertinya negara ini menjadi tanggungjawab Sri Mulyani. Dan saya keberatan. Dan saya ingin sampaikan di forum ini karena anda juga bertanggungjawab kalau bertama hal yang sama ke saya. Anda semua bertanggungjawab sama seperti saya. Mencintai republik ini dengan banyak sekali pengorbanan sampai saya harus menyampaikan kepada jajaran pajak, jajaran bea cukai, jajaran perbendaharaan, "Jangan pernah putus asa mencintai republik." Saya tahu, sungguh sulit mengurusnya pada masa-masa transisi yang sangat pelik.

Kecintaan itu paling tidak akan terus memelihara suara hati kita. Dan bahkan menjaga etika kita di dalam betindak dan berbuat serta membuat keputusan. Dan saya ingin membagi kepada teman-teman disini, karena terlalu banyak di media seolah-olah ditunjukkan yang terjadi dari aparat di kementrian keuangan yang sudah direformasi masih terjadi kasus seperti Gayus.

Saya ingin memberikan testimoni bahwa banyak sekali aparat yang betul-betul genuinly adalah orang-orang yang dedicated. Mereka yang cinta republik sama seperti anda. Mereka juga kritis, mereka punya nurani, mereka punya harga diri. Dia bekerja pada masing-masing unit, mungkin mereka tidak bersuara karena mereka adalah bagian dari birokrat yang tidak boleh bersuara banyak tapi harus bekerja.

Sebagian kecil adalah kelompok rakus, dan dengan kekuasaan sangat senang untuk meng abuse. Tapi saya katakan sebagian besar adalah orang-orang baik dan terhormat. Saya ingin tolong dibantu, berilah ruang untuk orang-orang ini untuk dikenali oleh anda juga dan oleh masyarakat. Sehingga landscape negara ini tidak hanya didominasi oleh cerita, oleh tokoh, apalagi dipublikasi dengan seolah-oalh menggambarkan bahwa seluruh sistem ini adalah buruk dan runtuh. Selama seminggu ini saya terus melakukan pertemuan dan sekaligus perpisahan dengan jajaran di kementrian keuangan dan saya bisa memberikan, sekali lagi, testimoni bahwa perasaan mereka untuk membuktikan bahwa reform bisa jalan ada disana. Bantu mereka untuk tetap menjaga api itu. Dan jangan kemudian anda disini bicara dengan saya, ya bisa diselamatkan kalau sri mulyani tetap menjadi Menteri keuangan. Saya rasa tidak juga.

Suasana yang kita rasakan pada minggu-minggu yang lalu, bulan-bulan yang lalu, seolah-olah persoalan negara ini disandera oleh satu orang, sri mulyani. Sedemikian pandainya proses politik itu diramu sedemikian sehingga seolah-olah persoalannya menjadi persoalan satu orang. Seseorang yang pada sautu ketika dia harus membuat keputusan yang sungguh tidak mudah, dengan berbagai pergumulan, kejengkelan, kemarahan, kecapekan, kelelahan, namun dia harus tetap membuat kebijakan publik. Dia berusaha, berusaha di setiap pertemuan, mencoba untuk meneliti dirinya sendiri apakah dia punya kepentingan pribadi atau kelompok, dan apakah dia diintervensi atau tidak, apakah dia membuat keputusan karena ada tujuan yang lain. Berhari-hari, berjam-jam dia bertanya, dia minta, dia mengundang orang dan orang-orang ini yang tidak akan segan mengingatkan kepada saya. Meskipun mereka tahu saya menteri, mereka lebih tua dari saya. Orang seperti pak Darmin, siapa yang bisa bilang atau marahin pak marsilam?Wong semua orang dimarahin duluan sama dia.

Mereka ada disana hanya untuk mengingatkan saya berbagai rambu-rambu, berbagai pilihan dan pilihan sudah dibuat. Dan itu dilaporkan, dan itu diaudit dan itu kemudian dirapatkan secara terbuka. Dan itu kemudian dirapatkerjakan di DPR. Bagaimana mungkin itu kemudia 18 bulan kemudian dia seolah-olah menjadi keputusan individu seorang Sri Mulyani. Proses itu berjalan dan etika sunyi. Akal sehat tidak ada. Dan itu memunculkan suatu perasaan apakah pejabat publik yang tugasnya membuat kebijakan publik pada saat dia sudah mengikuti rambu-rambu, dia masih bisa divictimize oleh sebuah proses politik. SAya hanya mengatakan, kalau dulu pergantian rezim orde lama ke orde baru, semua orang di stigma komunis, kalau ini khusus didisain pada era reformasi seorang distigma dengan sri mulyani identik dengan century. Mungkin kejadiannya di satu orang saja, tapi sebetulnya analogi dan kesamaan mengenai suatu penghakiman telah terjadi.

Sebetulnya disitulah letak kita untuk mulai bertanya, apakah proses politik yang didorong, yang dimotivate, yang ditunggangi oleh suatu kepentingan membolehkan seseorang untuk dihakimi, bahkan tanpa pengadilan. Divonis tanpa pengadilan. Itu barangkali adalah suatu episod yang sebetulnya sudah berturut-turut kita memahami konsekuensi sebagai pejabat publik yang tujuannya membuat kebijakan publik, dan berpura-pura seolah-olah ada etika dan norma yang menjadi guidance kita dibenturkan dengan realita-realita politik.

Dan untuk itu, saya hanya ingin mengatakan sebagai penutup, sebagian dari anda mengatakan apakah Sri mulyani kalah, apakah sri mulyani lari? Dan saya yakin banyak yang menyesalkan keputusan saya. Banyak yang menganggap itu adalah suatu loss atau kehilangan. Diantara anda semua yang ada disini, saya ingin mengatakan bahwa saya menang. Saya berhasil. Kemenangan dan keberhasilan saya definisikan menurut saya karena tidak didikte oleh siapapun termasuk mereka yang menginginkan saya tidak disini. (applause)

Saya merasa berhasil dan saya merasa menang karena definisi saya adalah tiga. Selama saya tidak menghianati kebenaran, selama saya tidak mengingkari nurani saya, dan selama saya masih bisa menjaga martabat dan harga diri saya, maka disitu saya menang. Terimakasih

(standing applause)

(Rrn)

Heaven and Earth

2010-05-08T00:25:00.000+07:00

*Picture copyright by FF, taken in Sebangau National Park on November 2009

Initially I wanted to take a picture of our Park Guide, but then I noticed the view from the fishermen village on that afternoon was spectacular. The dark Sebangau peatland river was a perfect mirror for the skies above it.

I'm Just Hanging Around

2010-05-08T00:20:00.000+07:00

*Picture copyright by FF, taken in Sebangau National Park on November 2009

This adorable little girl was peeking through her little hammock to see the incoming guests.

*Picture copyright by FF, taken in Sebangau National Park on November 2009

And I find her necklace very interesting. Is it Arabic numbers?

Salted Fish

2010-05-08T00:09:00.000+07:00

*Picture copyright by FF, taken in Sebangau National Park on November 2009

There's no better way for you to eat a good, fresh, ikan asin (salted fish) than buying it straight from the local fishermen. I forgot how much this huge fish cost, but it was less than IDR 75,000, maybe around IDR 60,000 if I can recall. If I buy it from the market it will cost more, trust me. They said that this was a local fish in the river and the dark color of the fish imitates the dark color of the river for camouflage. I don't know exactly what kind of species this is, but I do know that it was the perfect souvenir for my mother, as we had ikan asin with sambal with hot rice for 4 days in a row. Yum.

A Fishermen's Village

2010-05-07T23:58:00.000+07:00

*Picture copyright by FF, taken in Sebangau National Park on November 2009

Abandoned Orangutan's Nest

2010-05-07T23:52:00.000+07:00

*Picture copyright by FF, taken in Sebangau National Park on November 2009

Sebangau River Cruise

2010-05-07T23:47:00.000+07:00

*Picture copyright by FF, taken in Sebangau National Park on November 2009

Peat Land Canal Blocking

2010-05-02T08:12:00.000+07:00

*Picture copyright by FF, taken on November 2009

In the past, peat land forests have been degraded as a result of forest exploitation, and canals were built to extract the timber (legal and/or sadly illegal) out of the forest and into the river for easier transport. If the peat lands are dry, they can get burned easily thus emitting many carbon emissions into the air. That is why WWF, the Sebangau National Park Management and the local communities have jointly built dams or canal blocking systems to leverage the ground water level and preserve the water in the dry season. This method will moisten the soil, prevent forest and land fire and in turn encourage natural revegetation around the dam.

*Picture copyright by FF, taken on November 2009

In the long run, I think making these canal blocking for eco-tourism might be an option. Care for a swim?

Sebangau National Park Guide

2010-05-02T07:57:00.000+07:00

*Picture copyright by FF, taken on November 2009

Park guides, which are the staff of the Sebangau National Park Management, are compulsory to accompany you when you enter the area and they costs IDR 150,000 per day.

Sebangau National Park - SSI Camp

2010-05-02T06:55:00.001+07:00

*Picture copyright by FF, taken on November 2009

The management of Sebangau National Park is divided into three areas: Pulang Pisau, Palangkaraya, and Kasongan. If you go from Palangkaraya or Pulang Pisau, you will most probably stay in SSI camp, which is a very simple place for accommodation with shared mandi. SSI is short for Sebangau Sinatra Indah, which was then a logging company which oversees the logging concession in the area. Since 2000-something, the logging activities has stopped and the government decided in 2004 that it should be made a national park because of the biodiversity there, such as Orangutans, Proboscis Monkeys, etc. Thus, the peat swamp forests in Sebangau National Park are actually secondary forests and the SSI camp have been a place for researchers to stay and examine the reforestation efforts. Currently SSI camp has been managed by WWF, in cooperation with the national park management office. If you want to know more, please contact them right away.

Oh, FYI, if you notice the top of the SSI camp building, it has decorations depicting the beaks of the hornbill birds which are native in Kalimantan. That is why most traditional houses in Kalimantan, or in Palangkaraya at least, have these hornbill decor.

Off to Sebangau National Park

2010-05-02T00:16:00.000+07:00

*Picture copyright by FF, taken from Kereng Bangkirai harbor on November 2009

From Palangkaraya, if you want to go to Sebangau National Park (Taman Nasional Sebangau in Bahasa Indonesia), you will need to go to Kereng Bangkirai Harbor (take a taxi or ask someone to take you there) and from the harbor it will take about an hour or so on a speedboat or three hours on a regular fishing boat like the picture above. If you want to go to Sebangau National Park, consult the Sebangau National Park management office branch in Palangkaraya beforehand and they will give you the list of prices and you will stay in SSI camp. We took the speedboat which costs roughly per trip IDR 225,000 (30 liters of gasoline included) and the speedboat driver for IDR 75,000, totaling to IDR 300,000. But thanks to the nice people in WWF, the speedboat was for free because we "boat-hiked" with them on their way for their routine field visit.

Lonely Boat

2010-05-01T23:54:00.000+07:00

*Picture copyright by FF, taken in Kereng Bangkirai Harbor on November 2009

Notice how the Sebangau river is very dark, almost black? The peat lands surrounding the are is what causes the river to be very thick. It is actually clean and it provides a certain mystery to it, unlike any kind of river I've encountered before. It was my first time to see a peat swamp forest before, so it was really quite a treat for adventure. It also makes a perfect mirror to the sky.

Eating the King of Fruits for Dummies

2010-04-30T09:41:00.001+07:00

*Picture copyright by FF, taken on November 2009

The world is categorized into two people: those who love durians and hate them. I fall into the latter category.

My late grandfather always say that when you eat a durian, it's like farting while eating sugar. It's a very sweet and meaty fruit, but the odor makes you want to run away to the nearest supermarket and buy all the air-freshener available. Ok, maybe I am exaggerating, but some countries do ban durian in hotels, elevators, and public transports.

Durian is a native fruit of the island of Borneo, and since I was staying at a friend's house during my trip to Palangkaraya, we were offered a durian party. We had to have the party (not too exciting, I tell you) on the rooftop, because if we eat it inside the house, well, go figure. Since it will be very rude to my hosts if I decline to eat the durian, thus I brave myself into the depths of fart-sugar heaven and/or hell.

At that moment, I learned the trick to eating durian for beginners is to drink water from the shell of the durian afterwards. This is a Dayak traditional knowledge that has been passed on from ages, and it actually does help to neutralize the smell and acid from the durian.

Well, nobody looks good while eating a durian. But if the Durian Producers Association* would hire Julia Roberts as their spokesperson and she still looks as beautiful as she is, I guess that would nullify my hypotheses.

My review about durian is definitely biased, but you should try eating one nevertheless. And if you do, please don't drink alcohol after consuming durian. It might kill you.

*Disclaimer: I don't know if such association exists. I made this up.

New Chapter in Singapore

2010-04-16T18:43:00.001+07:00

*Picture copyright by FF, taken on February 2010

I've been having this picture as my wallpaper for a couple of weeks now. If you've read about "the secret", the key is to envision yourself to where you want to be in the future. I think. I'm not exactly sure because I haven't read it, I just know it from my friend.

Anyways.

Life gives you an answer in three ways: yes, and it gives you what you want; no, and it gives you something better; and wait, and it gives you the best.

So after waiting for quite a while, the results of my admissions to this school was revealed: I'm in. Alhamdulillah. I'm really eager for the next chapter in my life.

Tjilik Riwut Road Trip - Rungan Sari Resort

2010-04-16T18:24:00.001+07:00

*Picture copyright by FF, taken on November 2009

Rungan Sari Resort was the last site that we visited on our Tjilik Riwut Road Trip. It's basically a compound that consists of housing for expatriates, hotel, restaurant, and even an international school. We went around the area and saw the eco-village (I think you can rent a place here, not sure though), ate some good western food (which is hard to find in Palangkaraya), and swam at the swimming pool for IDR 40,000 per person. After the long trip, swimming was indeed a good idea to relax and unwind.

Tjilik Riwut Road Trip - Tangkiling Pier Visitors

2010-04-16T18:08:00.001+07:00

*Picture copyright by FF, taken on November 2009

Two clueless visitors (read: my and my friend) stepping on the docks of Tangkiling Pier.

Tjilik Riwut Road Trip - Tangkiling Pier

2010-04-16T18:01:00.001+07:00

*Picture copyright by FF, taken on November 2009

A bit further from Bukit Tangkiling, they have a small pier by the river. Here you can see some of the children taking a bath on the river.

Tjilik Riwut Road Trip - Bukit Tangkiling

2010-04-16T17:22:00.003+07:00

*Picture copyright by FF, taken on November 2009

Bukit Tangkiling is a small hill that oversees a bit of the area, where you could see the forests (or the remains of the forest) from above. The area is popular for the locals for picnic or other social gatherings.

Tjilik Riwut Road Trip - Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rehabilitation Center

2010-04-14T08:55:00.003+07:00

*Picture copyright by FF, taken on November 2009

The Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rehabilitation Center is located approximately 30 km from the city of Palangkaraya. Since we came there on an ad-hoc basis, we were unable to get inside the quarantined area, where you can actually see and (perhaps) play with the Orangutans. You need to get a permission and inform the person in charge there that you want to come (and you must be healthy) if you want to get inside.

Thus, we could only watch the Orangutans from the Information Center where they display the Orangutans through a tinted window. The Orangutans know that there are people watching them, such as these guys trying to peek inside.

*Picture copyright by FF, taken on November 2009

If you want to know more about Nyaru Menteng, click here.

*Picture copyright by FF, taken on November 2009

Tjilik Riwut Road Trip

2010-04-14T08:19:00.000+07:00

*Picture copyright by FF, taken on November 2009

Palangkaraya, being the capital city of the Central Kalimantan province in Indonesia, is a very quiet city (compared to Jakarta, of course), and is not among the top destinations to visit if you go to Kalimantan. However, since I've never been to Kalimantan, and my friend wanted to go there for a field research in one of the villages in Katingan, I immediately tagged along.

We rented a motorcycle for IDR 50,000 (approx USD 5) per day from a taxi driver that we've met, and that's basically the whole transportation that we need for just the two of us. It was quite a sight for the locals because since I didn't know how to ride a motorcycle, my bule friend was the driver and I was the passenger.

Anyways.

The road in Palangkaraya is pretty simple and straightforward, but if you're not good at reading maps, you can get lost. Thankfully, although I'm not blessed with the skill to ride a motorbike, I can read maps. And I make a pretty damn good navigator. We bought the Palangkaraya Map in a local bookstore, which was pretty hard to find, since they only have one shopping mall, named Palma (short for Palangkaraya Mall).

So we finally decided to go for a road trip along Tjilik Riwut road, which is left from the Bundaran Besar and Palma (if you look at the map from above). Among the sights where we wanted to see is the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, Bukit Tangkiling, and the Rungan Sari Resort.

FYI, if you go on a motorcycle in Palangkaraya, it can get very hot so you can get easily tanned, and prepare yourself with a raincoat in case when it rains.

*Picture copyright by FF, taken on November 2009

The Bridge over the River Kahayan

2010-04-03T07:55:00.001+07:00

The only time I've been to Kalimantan was when I had to take a transit to Manado, and I never went around anywhere. So on November 2009, me and my friend took a trip to Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan. One of the first sights in our quick tour around the city was the Kahayan Bridge over the Kahayan River.

Underneath the Kahayan Bridge there are some small warung (food stalls) which sells nasi goreng (fried rice), rawon (Javanese beef stew), soto (some kind of soup), and some es campur for dessert. They also have Ketupat Kandangan, which is a Kalimantan specialty, but the opening hours are a bit unpredictable when we came there.

Ibu Fatima

2010-03-28T14:46:00.006+07:00

Meet Ibu Fatima. She has been a masseuse in Ocean Queen Resort, Pelabuhan Ratu, West Java, Indonesia for more than twelve years. She's not an employee at the resort, but you can ask the resort for a massage session and ask for Ibu Fatima. You could have your massage inside your hotel room or at the mini bungalows by the beach. The beach would be preferable because the sound of the waves are very soothing and adds a special effect for your comfort.

Despite her skinny figure and bony fingers, she can loosen the tensest of muscles and straighten out your curled nerves. In my case, it was an afro because I never take massages. Even twice a year would be a record from me. The result: I squirmed and screamed most of the time. When I asked whether I was the loudest customer she ever massaged, she didn't replied. It's either that she's concentrating on ~~her piece of work~~ me or it was a silent, polite yes.

She uses her own handmade coconut oil which takes her 5 hours to make for just a small bottle because you burn it over firewood in order to separate it from the coconut milk. If you use gas it doesn't have the same effect and aroma unlike using firewood, that's why it takes so long. The coconut oil is a good moisturizer for your skin, and I do smell like coconut afterwards (d'uh). If you put me in a soup with vegetables I would be very savory for cannibals.

Anyways. She learned massage from her father, her father learned from his father, and basically it's traditional knowledge that has been given from generation to generation. Her daughter, was also a masseuse at the resort.

Although she is very skilled at what she does, I sense that faint smile and tiredness in her eyes. She mentioned that she wanted to get away and have some new opportunity, because for each massage she only charges IDR 40.000 (USD 4). It's not much. Especially if there are few tourists around, it's really, really, really not much. For the consumer it's good, but I gave her a bit more than that because I feel guilty about paying good service with mediocre compensation.

I asked whether she can market her coconut oil, but she tried and it didn't work because if you don't have the capital for making it as a mass product, you won't get much either.

In the end, I promised her that I will now take frequent massages. Once a month, at least. Not only that it'll be good for my muscles, but it's also an economic opportunity for those who need them, just like Ibu Fatima.

Solitude

2010-03-28T13:56:00.001+07:00

A lone fishermen is trying his luck in solitude while a group of them are trying theirs on the boat in the background. Pelabuhan Ratu is a bay in western Java so you can enjoy the beach and see the mountains of Java at the same time from afar.

Mini Boats

2010-03-28T13:42:00.002+07:00

These mini version of the fishermen boats are handmade by the locals in Pelabuhan Ratu and are sold for IDR 25.000 (USD 3) each.

Ocean Queen Resort

2010-03-28T13:32:00.002+07:00

The Ocean Queen Resort in Pelabuhan Ratu, West Java, Indonesia could be an option for those of you in Jakarta looking to spend a weekend out of the city and have some fun at the beach. It's a 4 hour drive from the city, through the Jagorawi toll road, via Sukabumi and choose either the Cibadak or Citarik route. The road in Cibadak is a bit bigger but more crowded, while the Citarik route is filled with steep zig-zags but there are less cars and you can see the view of oil palm and rubber plantations on the road sides.

The resort is not directly located in the town area of Pelabuhan Ratu or near the Cimaja surfing spot, but it is more located in Cisolok, which is about 11 km from the town.

Their Javanese-type bungalows are nice and clean, and the 4-bedroom with AC with 2 bathrooms outside with hot showers per night costs about IDR 1.400.000 (USD 150) but you can easily squeeze 15 people in one bungalow because it is rather spacious so it's quite a bargain.

Since it is a private beach, there's not much people around. So if you're looking for some peace and quiet, this place is recommended. But if you're looking to strut your new bikini, have some eager eyes to drool on you (as if I'm drool-worthy) and expect some quick romance then better take the next plane to Bali.

*moment of silence*

Anyways. The undercurrent there was very strong and the waves break too close to the beach so it's not good for surfing at all. Body boarding might be plausible but it wouldn't be much fun either. I tried to body board without the board and yes, it was a bad idea. You can rent the board from the resort but yes, I'm a scrooge. The results: expect some sand burn on your stomach afterwards. Swimming is okay but personally I wont recommend it for children or for those of you who are not accustomed with strong waves. The resort has their own swimming pool so you can swim there as well.

The seafood barbecue for dinner is recommended. They have someone to grill those shrimps and ikan kue outside of your bungalow, and its a set complete with white rice, soup, and cah kangkong. Bintang beers and wine are available, but better that you check beforehand. Afterwards they clean up for the dishes in your bungalow because each bungalow has a bungalow boy/girl that takes care of the cleaning there.

Would I go there again? Yes, but I would probably go there with more crowd and take some time to get around the area. I hear there's the Halimun National Park, a bat cave and a hot spring in Cisolok - so maybe next time.

Granite Rocks by the Beach

2010-03-21T21:16:00.004+07:00

Belitung Island is a perfect getaway from Jakarta. Located in the south-eastern part of Sumatera, it's approximately one hour by plane, and you can choose either Sriwijaya, Batavia, or Linus Air - I've heard that Garuda have also recently opened a route to Tanjung Pandan (the name of the airport). The beaches are white and clean, with calm waters that are perfect for swimming. Don't expect to surf there because the waves are not good for surfing.

What struck me the most in Belitung is their granite rocks along the beach. I am not a geologist, thus I was very confused how the hell did those huge granite rocks end up along the shores of Belitung, such as in Tanjung Tinggi, and Pulau Lengkuas. I've asked the locals and they also can't give an answer how such huge rocks can end up in the middle of the sea. The locals did explain, however, that the reason why the beaches are so white because it's due to the crushed granites that have mixed with the sand and corals.

Belitung is one of the poorer areas of Indonesia, although in the past their natural resources have made BHP Billiton one of the largest mining companies in the world to date. They acquired a tin concession in 1860 in Belitung, which was then a no-named island that is later named after the company, Billiton.

Today, Belitung still focuses on their natural resources: palm oil, some leftover tin mining (which are not always legal), and what I've heard, granite.

I sincerely hope Belitung Island's tourism sector will thrive. In terms of beaches it is superb and still pristine. In terms of culture, their mix of Malay and Chinese roots should be explored more if they do expect more tourists to come, if they ever want to compete with Bali in terms of cultural attractiveness.

TIMEasia Magazine's Best Local Beer

2010-03-01T11:36:00.006+07:00

They weren't joking.

Cumbersome connecting flights

2010-03-01T11:04:00.003+07:00

* Picture copyright by FF, taken in Ho Chi Minh City, 14 February 2010

Last Valentine's Day/Chinese New Year was a bit of a record for me: 4 countries in 12 hours (well, more or less). I had to travel to Manila from Vientiane for an office mission - I need to stop to Phnom Penh, then to Ho Chi Minh (or Saigon, as some people still say that), then finally a 3-hour flight to Manila. Cumbersome connecting flights, indeed.

I prefer to travel with trains rather than airplanes. I hate heights. I hate the takeoff and landing part, plus, airplanes cause more carbon emission than trains. Which reminds me, I might have to offset my carbon emissions due to my mileage. I must say, I reckon it's my number one environmental sin.

The ASEAN region unfortunately do not have a comprehensive railway system like Europe. I think there's the Singapore-Kunming railway link but I have no idea whether this is already well established or not. The thing is, even if there's a railway system in ASEAN, we still need to fly to Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines. So I guess cumbersome connecting flights such as these are unavoidable after all.

Double ang pao

2010-02-13T09:13:00.002+07:00

* Picture copyright by FF, taken in China Town Singapore, January 2010

It would be nice if you're dating a Chinese right now. You would get a double ang pao. One for Chinese New Year (it's the year of the Tiger - my year, btw) and one for Valentine's day.

Ion Orchard

2010-02-06T00:59:00.003+07:00

I think I saw this seed as an art piece in front of ION Orchard, Singapore. But I took this picture during my walk in Bogor Botanical Gardens, Indonesia.

No, I have no idea what kind of seed this is or what kind of plant it will grow into. It just looks nice.

The Queen...

2010-02-06T00:14:00.001+07:00

View from the lighthouse, Belitung

2010-02-03T23:16:00.003+07:00

I love this particular view in Belitung.
* Picture copyright by FF, taken in April 2009

Lady in Saigon

2010-02-03T22:46:00.001+07:00

Poznań City Hall

2010-02-03T22:25:00.001+07:00

Poznań City Hall (Ratusz) in Poznań's Old Market Square.

The barefoot philosophy

2010-02-03T22:08:00.001+07:00

I love studying law, I do. Lawyers like to think that we're a far more superior human being who knows it all, but we Google too.

Practicing law in a country that I love so dear is heartbreaking, where the practice of corruption is deemed as business-as-usual (and can be counted as an actual element in a cost-benefit analysis), which makes trusting and being in the system is always keeping you on the verge of losing your humanity.

Elizabeth Gilbert once said that the appreciation of pleasure can be an anchor of one's humanity. It is your duty (and also your entitlement as a human being) to find something beautiful within life, no matter how slight.

Thus, I find my pleasure in taking long walks while I'm traveling, sightseeing, having conversations with people to listen to their life stories, and of course, stopping for a photograph or two. Walking barefoot, is a term that I like to use because it gives you that sense of natural harmony with the places you go to and it always reminds me to stay grounded, no matter how far your journey may take you.

How to pick-up guys with a DSLR

2010-02-03T20:34:00.027+07:00

I've learned a few tricks to get acquainted with interesting men with a DSLR (which was borrowed, not owned).

Hey, I don't find anything interesting here, can I shoot you?

Or perhaps

You know, this picture would look nicer if there were you and me in it.

*moment of silence*

No. I never tried that in real life, but am thinking to do so in the near future.

*Picture copyright by FF, taken at a Christmas lunch in Copenhagen, December 2009