11-1-11

Today is my birthday. Today is also my 6th wedding anniversary. Today, this year is more special as it's on a special date: 11-1-11. Well, of course I do believe that every day is a unique and special, but to me, a special occasion like birthday celebration becomes more special, as the day will force to remind you not only about who you are and yourself, but also about your life, how you live and life, and to be grateful to your creator, and all that you have and have experienced in life.

Everyday on this 11 January, I used to let myself have a birthday's reflection. Where I've been and where I'm going. Do I have accomplish all of my dream and goals, do I become a better person this year, not just to myself, but to other, and most importantly in the eyes of my creator. Do I make HIM happy? Do I make HIM pleased and not regretting that HE created me. Do I make people happy with my presence, especially to those surrounding me.

There are many things that I haven't fulfilled in my life, and still eager to do it or to have it. But also there are some that I always want to have it and do it, and I have fulfilled it. Of course I still see myself as a woman who still wants to do so many things in her life, and wish that there are more time and support for her to fulfill those dreams.

I just want to share here to some few things that I have always wanted to do, and I have been able to accomplished and more importantly have been blessed that HE has given it to me. Today I welcome 11-1-11 with a grateful heart, and these are just to remind me some of thousands that HE has done for me.

• Continue my study and pursue a higher degree with the money that I earned. This is to prove to parents that they have succeed to raise and educated me, they can trust me, and let them proud that they can see me being financially independent. On year 2002, God trust me and fulfilled this dream. I continued my study and earned my bachelor degree on Business Administration at the University of Indonesia. Well, my parents specially my mom admired this university as the best in the country. Unfortunately when I have fulfilled this dream, both of my mom and dad has passed away, but I am hoping that they would be proud with me, from heaven above.

• Have a job that I would love and have passion with. On year of 2000, God introduced me to the new career path for me. I previously worked for the profit oriented at some multinational companies (and I used to feel bored and useless), but since that year till today, I have working and contributing myself and knowledge on development sector, by assisting the Government of Indonesia on various development projects (from small medium enterprises, support women and children projects on maternal and child health and HIV/AIDS, legal reform and now for the economic reform), which all aims for a better Indonesia. I love being on this field, I feel needed and not only I get paid but most importantly that I can also contribute something for my country. I am hoping that I could be more and more beneficial to wider community.

• When I was a young girl, I considered myself as a lucky person. I have the best parents whom could provide me not only care, love and home, but also education, and more. But also I have witnessed that many girls out there were not having the same opportunity as I did. I then committed to myself, if I already could earn money, I must save some of it and contribute to support young girls for their education. God gave me this opportunity to support about 50 Acehnese young girls starting on 2002, and till today HE even allowed me to support education for poor girls, particularly in Salatiga (Central Java), and Papua. I just hope that oneday those girls will remember that God sent them someone to help them to fulfilled their dream, and they will also remember to help the other girls in return.

• Adventure myself to live and work outside Jakarta, and for sometime remove my attribute as a city girl. On year 2003, God sent me to Papua, eastern Indonesia well known as the most remote areas in Indonesia. I was there to worked with UNICEF, to assist the projects for women and children, on maternal health and child health issues and HIV/AIDS. I was there till 2008, and I must admit that this was one of my most valuable experiences in life. Living in Papua has taught me so many life lesson, and help me to be a strong woman who must learn to survive !

• Learn diving and explore the ocean. Well, I did tried my first discover scuba on 2006 in Biak, Papua. It was in Cendrawasih Bay, and I have falling in love with the underwater world since then ! I took a formal diving course on 2008, and till today I have dived in many beautiful diving spots allover Indonesia and even outside Indonesia. Being a scuba girl diver is not only bring excitement but also has extend my network and broaden my view to a larger and amazing world !

• Go on as many vacations as I can, and see other cities and other countries, see many cultures and people. Well, of course I haven't seen all due to many limitation in terms of money and time :) but hope that I can continue my passion on travelling and witness many beautiful places. I also still have a dream to see the real "white snow", and would like to have the opportunity to work in overseas. Hope this would also come true, with God on my side :)

• Build my own home and design it together with hubby. Well, this is a dream when I just got married. But due to many limitation and situation, only by last 2010, we finally could saved some money and bought a small house for the two of us. We called our first house: the Pine 11 :) Hopefully this house will be completed by mid of this 2011. I will never forget that almost every night I was crying and praying to God that one day I could have my own house, and when we finally have it, and now seeing our Pine 11 is being built, I just feel that I see a miracle tailor made for us, for me !

Those are some that I would like to share on this special day, on my birthday celebration, and more than everything, I thank God for I wonderfully made by HIM.

I've Got the Power

Life is short. Don't ever waste it. Life is sweet. Take time to taste it. Life is a journey. Find the right path. Life is entertaining, don't be afraid to laugh.

Life is for good times. Make them last. Life has its bad times, put them in the past. Life is a chance. Make sure you take it.

But most importantly, life is what you make it.

(Kelsey Lyn Carone)

In The Name of God

The above picture was taken from Marie Claire Magazine, January 2011 edition.

The article at page 87 titled "In the Name of God", is capturing a story about inter-religious marriage in Indonesia. It captured about my marriage, and a group of Indonesian Interfaith Couples that I found on late 2005, and currently we already have about 500 members across Indonesia.

In this lovely country, inter-religious marriage needs more than just love, money, and family blessing, because the reality is, it also requires government's permit !

Road Sign of Life

[Picture of me & my girlfriends during teen's life, we called our gank as JERARO]

This afternoon I was let my self have an adventure by walking to my playground area when I was a teenager. This is all because a night before the twitter world was captured on the life at 90's. So including me, we are the generation 90 ! During the decade, I was on high school years, university, and on the late 90's entering the work's life, the adult's world !

The years might be the most important years of my life. As a teen girl I was on my journey for growing up, experience life in swirling emotions, adjustment, sorting out who I am, what I want, learning about friendship and relationship, and many others. Many good memories !

So here I am...strooling my self to the road sign of my life. Of course due to limited time, I just picked up one place, the famous Blok M area, or when I was a teen, it called "Lintas Melawai". During the decade, the area were famous as the young flock ! Together with my friends we used to spent time and hangout on this area, even with my parents ! Lintas Melawai, Aldiron Plaza, Melawai Plaza, AH Restauran, DQs, HD Roller Blade, etc.... those were some places that I used to visit during those years. Today only Melawai Plaza is left. While others were gone, or changing the design and building. This afternoon I was also even tried the old restaurant that I used to visited with friends and family. I ordered the same menu like when I was kid, it still tasted the same ! When I bite it, it feels like I was bringing back to those years by a time machine ! The shocking one, some owner of jewelry shops at Melawai Plaza (Mawar and Kaliem) that I visited today, were remember me ! Seriously ! Well, my mom used to be their loyal customer and I used to accompanied her to those shops ! They were not only remember my mom, but also how I looked when I was kid ! hahaha :)

Well, even only for a short journey, but it always feel good to get in touch again with your roots. It's kinda make you feel "return to the base", and at the end it makes your spirit up lifting again !

So this is my "little adventure", my story on how I spend my weekend when far away from the ocean :)

Welcome 2011

[I have closed my 2010 with an advanture to Gili Trawangan in Lombok]

The year of 2010 has gone, but made me strong. The path was long but I walked with a song. There were fears, tears, and sadness, but I also had response for cheers. Many things had been done, many hope had been gone, but also there's a lot of thing stay the same.

Some dreams came true on 2010. Some are still not, but I will never stop dreamming. New people came into my life, some are became new good friends to me. Some were left me, some hurt me. Some remains good friends.

I traveled quite often on 2010, both domestic and international destination, and accomplished some good things. I hope I will continue on my journey to see more new people, new cultures, new cities, and new countries.

So as I did, may you too enjoy happy memories of 2010, and welcome 2011.

"For faith makes all things possible. Hope makes all things work. Love makes all things beautiful. Prayer makes all things happen".

Girl Stuff

I was so excited when I saw this book at Border Book Store, Singapore, when I was there two weeks ago. I just remember my loving niece, Christie, and would like her to read and love this book too, as I do ! I wish I would have had this book when I was growing up !

It isn't easy being a girl today, I know it from my experience too though ! :) So I wish that this book could be a friend to the teen's journey of my Christie !

To my Christie, as you are a teenager young girl now, and these coming years might be the most important years of your life. It's your life ! Your time ! Love it and live it ! Grab on to the adventure ! Dream and plan ! Take the good with the bad, and stay true to yourself and be good to others along the way.

I love you, and proud to be part of your life, watch you grow from where I am today. And as you grow into the woman you are meant to be, I hope you are blessed with joy, love, fulfillment, peace and wisdom.

Just celebrate how fantastic it is to be the gender that has so much complexity, and, without a doubt, so much power !

One of My Sad Story in Papua

There's something wrong with yahoo email system. One old email that I sent on last four years ago (!!!) keep sending back to my inbox on this week. So it's kind of pushing me to re-read the message again, and it reminds me of my old days while living in Papua. Especially it reminded me to the poor family that I met on the trip, and to one baby boy suffered with malnutrition during my field visit to Jayawijaya highland. I tried to did my best to help the baby, but latter I have to watched him die.

Four years after, today, ... still Papua reported as the highest risks of death due to malnutrition and also maternal mortality.

This posting is just another story in my life. From what I see, from what I've learned, in life and about life !

******

From: Lia Marpaung -Abidin [mailto:lia_rina_marpaung@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, May 19, 2006 7:47 PM
To: TAF Alumni; 'Hari Kusdaryanto (E-mail)'; 'R. Alam Surya Putra (E-mail)'; Helga Sianturi; Anna Dartania; Gindo Sianturi; roger@swanidobiak.com; 'Hannah & Charles'; Osa Hartoyo; Medianero Luis Miguel; Iwan Kurniawan; Noni Jade
Subject: Sad Reality - My Story in Papua


Dear Friends,

Yesterday together with one of our Unicef consultant and his family, we went to Depapre in Jayapura sub-district (2 hours driving from Abepura/Kotaraja, my house area) to visiting one of health center there. Then coming back from the mini-loc meeting with Depapre health staff, we went to the Genyem area. After driving about 3 hours in a very bad condition of the local road, and not really having breakfast, we realized we were very starving. Unfortunately there were no restaurant or even small warung ! So when we saw a little sales booth (selling pinang) which was attached to a house, we stopped the car and I got out to ask the lady if she could make us something to eat and we would pay her. Well, she actually took me into her kitchen in her house where I saw with my own eyes that the only thing she had to eat were green bananas ! Pisang mengkel !!! I asked her "do you have any vegetables? Any sagu, any keladi, greens, petatas ??? ( i didnt dare to ask if she had rice).... and the answer was always 'no'. So I asked "what did you eat last night ?" and the answer was boiled bananas. I asked her, what do your meals usually consist of and she smiled and replied "boiled bananas".... well i told her "okay, i would like to order boiled bananas". I asked her how much that would be and she had no idea so I asked her to make me 10,000 rupiah worth of boiled bananas :-)

I kid you not when I say she overloaded a plate with boiled bananas !!! The kids of my colleague didnt really like it and so am I ! I did ate a few boiled bananas just because am so damned hungry ! Then we ended up hiding the remaining boiled bananas in the car and gave the lady back an empty plate.

I know we have read the reports about the nutritional challenges in Papua but seeing it for myself reinforces my opinion that change here needs to come from concentrated supporting activities and not "one off" events. These people need to be shown (if possible) on a daily basis what to eat, what to cook and be continually encouraged to maintain the new lifestyle until they do it on their own and continue to do it on their own once the (unicef ?) facilitators leave.... of course easier said than done....:-)

Anyway, this is just some story from our field visit yesterday ... this time is from the nearest town nearby jayapura city ! Last week i went to a small village in Biak island, the local food is even better .... at least, together with the local people, i can ate "sagu" with fresh fish ... ( am starting enjoying their "sagu" now :-)

Lia,
from West Papua

Catatan untuk Pasangan Beda Agama (PBA)

Berikut ini adalah tulisan teman, Ari Perdana, di milis Kawin Campur, yang saya posting disini.

Ari (muslim) yang menikah dengan Julie (katolik) dan telah dikarunia seorang anak perempuan cantik dan lucu bernama Cemara, tidak percaya dengan pendapat yang mengatakan "pernikahan beda agama lebih sulit dipertahankan karena melibatkan agama yang berbeda", atau "beda suku saja sulit, apalagi beda agama."

Pernikahan adalah penyatuan dua individu, yang memiliki karakter berbeda, jadi sudah tentu pastinya diperlukan penyesuaian. Dan dua individu yang menyatu dalam jalinan pernikahan juga memiliki latar belakang berbeda, baik itu suku, pendidikan, culture keluarga, kebiasaan, termasuk agama. Tidak ada teori/best practice, semua hubungan, semua pernikahan adalah unik. Semua bisa sama sulitnya. Tinggal bagaimana ke-dua individu yang mau berjanji sehidup-semati menjaga komitmennya, punya tujuan besar, untuk mengalahkan semua perbedaan.

**********

Di milis kawincampur, pertanyaan paling sering diajukan oleh beberapa teman yang sedang menjalani hubungan dengan pasangan yang berbeda agama, dan tengah memikirkan untuk memasuki jenjang pernikahan, adalah “apa yang harus disiapkan/dilakukan?”

Jawaban atas pertanyaan itu ada dua aspek: soal mental, dan prosedural. Saya akan membagi beberapa hal terkait yang pertama. Intinya, yang terpenting dari semua ini adalah apa yang anda sendiri pikirkan dan rasakan. Jadi, tanyakan beberapa hal berikut ini.

Pertama -- ini standar untuk semua pasangan, bukan hanya yang beda agama. Apakah anda sudah benar-benar yakin, bahwa anda dan pasangan memang punya cita-cita bersama yang ingin dicapai? Bagaimana anda anda di masa depan, dalam 5, 10, 20, 50 tahun lagi bersama dia? Seberapa yakin atau tidak yakin anda atas masa depan yang akan anda lalui bersama?

Kedua -- coba mulai bertanya, apakah anda dan pasangan sudah siap dan sudah bisa menanggalkan semua ego? Okelah, bisa aja kita bilang, tidak ada masalah dengan pernikahan beda agama. Saya akan membiarkan pasangan gue dengan keyakinannya.

Tapi coba tanya lagi ke diri sendiri, apakah kita masih punya harapan atau gambaran ideal akan keluarga yang ke gereja/masjid bareng? Apakah masih ada 'idealisme' bahwa suatu ketika saya akan mengajak pasangan saya ikut agama saya? Apakah masih ada keinginan bahwa anak-anak harus ikut agama kita, dan tidak rela kalau ikut agama pasangan kita. Apakah kita masih menganggap bahwa kalau anak tidak seagama dengan kita maka doanya tidak akan terkabul, dan kita tidak bisa mendoakan keluarga kita?

Kalau masih ada hal-hal spt ini, lebih baik dikaji ulang. Mungkin sekarang, karena masih semangat untuk bersama, ini tidak keliatan. Tapi akan lebih repot kalau hal-hal seperti ini muncul belakangan.

Ketiga -- coba tanya lagi ke diri sendiri, apakah masih merasa berat untuk menjalani pernikahan beda agama karena takut dosa? Intinya begini. Setidaknya dari sisi Islam, ada banyak pandangan tentang pernikahan beda agama. Banyak yang bilang haram. Tapi banyak juga yang bisa memberikan argumen sebaliknya. Saya pribadi menghargai pendapat yang mengatakan itu haram. Tapi saya merasa yakin, dan nyaman, dengan pendapat yang mengatakan sebaliknya. gue merasa itu nggak salah, dan gue bisa menemukan argumen2 yang mendukung pendapat ini.

Tapi kalau sudah mendengar semua pandangan dan masih ada keraguan, masih merasa ada ketakutan untuk ‘berbuat dosa’, lebih baik berpikir ulang.

Keempat -- coba uji diri anda dengan sebuah kondisi hipotetis. Andaikan anda harus memilih antara menyenangkan keluarga atau meraih cita-cita bersama anda dan pasangan. Bisakah anda dengan yakin mengatakan, "I love my family but this is my life..."

Betul, kita tidak ingin konflik dengan keluarga. Kita ingin semua bisa berjalan mulus. Tapi mental exercise ini perlu untuk menguji kita, seberapa kita berani untuk menghadapi semua risiko. Kalau ternyata masih ada keraguan untuk itu, lebih baik berpikir ulang di saat ‘biaya’ untuk berpisah masih belum besar.

Pengalaman pribadi. Saya pernah dalam situasi ini dan mengajukan pertanyaan yang sama pada diri saya sendiri. Dan jawaban saya adalah: saya memilih hidup saya, dan masa depan saya bersama pasangan saya. Saya menyayangi keluarga saya. Dan hati ssaya akan hancur kalau sampai harus musuhan. Tapi saya akan lebih menyesal kalau saya tidak bisa memilih jalan hidup saya sendiri yang saya anggap benar.

Sejujurnya, saya sempat ada di titik dimana saya sudah bersiap-siap untuk jalan sendiri dengan pilihan saya. Secara harafiah, saya sudah menyiapkan kopor untuk angkat kaki. Akhirnya, saya bersyukur kalau opsi itu tidak perlu gue pilih.

Nah, kalau anda sudah ‘lulus ujian’ di atas, barulah kita bisa bicara soal2 yang teknis.

Pertama -- bagaimana pendekatan pada keluarga. Dalam kasus saya dulu, tantangan paling berat adalah ke ibu. Butuh dua tahunan buat saya untuk meyakinkan beliau. Tak terhitung berapa kali terjadi adu argumen adu referensi yang dipakai, bahkan saling membawa ahli agama yang bisa mendukung posisi masing-masing (saya mengajak ibu saya ke pak Zainun Kamal). Sampai akhirnya saya mengindikasikan, kalau memang beliau masih tidak bisa menerima argumen sata, apa boleh buat. Saya akan jalan sendiri.

Nah, ketika akhirnya ibu saya sudah bisa menerima, keluarga besar lain ya tidak punya pilihan lain selain merestui. (kalau tidak nggak, ya lalu mau bagaimana lagi memang?). Kondisi tiap orang pasti beda2. Tapi poin saya adalah, "win your most important supporter in the family."

Kedua – argumen seperti apa yang harus disampaikan. Ada hal2 yang paling sering dilontarkan. Misalnya: "kalo beda agama pasti nggak akan cocok," "nanti anaknya kasian," "kan nggak boleh sama agama," “tidak direstui Tuhan,” dan sebagainya. Ini memang harus dibahas kasus-per-kasus.

Tapi intinya, setiap pernikahan punya potensi masalah. Yang seagama juga punya banyak potensi masalah. Yang satu merasa yang lain kurang taat, atau kelewat taat (jadi suka maksa beribadah). Dan masalah-masalah lain yang tidak ada hubungannya sama keyakinan.

Di sisi lain, pernikahan beda agama nggak harus jadi masalah. Juli, istri saya, selalu menemani bangun sahur, dan kalau pas di rumah, kita berbuka bareng. Saya nggak merasa ada yang kurang dengan kenyataan bahwa ia tidak ikut puasa. Setiap minggu saya mengantar ke gereja. Di sana kalau nggak main dengan si kecil Rara, saya baca buku di luar. Dan kayaknya saya malah lebih hafal jadwal misa dari Juli. Selama ini, itu semua bisa berjalan secara natural.

Saya kenal banyak pasangan lain yang bisa mengarungi pernikahan beda agama relatif tanpa masalah. Sebaliknya, banyak pasangan seagama yang bermasalah, bahkan hingga pisah. Saya tidak punya statistik, tapi saya yakin, % pasangan beda agama yang berpisah lebih kecil dari % pasangan seagama yang berpisah.

Dan saya punya teori untuk itu: kalau kita sudah memutuskan untuk menikah dengan pasangan berbeda agama, kita butuh punya rasa cinta yang jauh lebih besar dari pasangan pada umumnya. Karena untuk bisa mengarungi berbagai tantangan dari keluarga dan lingkungan, kita perlu passion yang jauh jauh lebih besar untuk mengalahkan itu semua. selain itu, kita juga akan berusaha untuk menunjukkan bahwa kita bisa menjalankan ini semua. itu semua akan membuat ego individu lebih kecil. Setidaknya ini yang terjadi antara saya dan Juli, juga beberapa teman yang saya kenal.

Tapi sekali lagi, kita perlu berpikir 100 kali sebelum memutuskan untuk menikah. Kalau kebetulan pasangan kita berbeda agama, kita perlu berpikir 1000 kali. Tapi, sadari juga bahwa banyak PBA yang sukses berumah tangga. Karena kesuksesan sebuah pernikahan, sebenarnya, bukan ditentukan oleh sama atau bedanya agama si pasangan.

This Time Trying Malaysia Underwater

On last October 20-25, 2010, together with a group of Thailand divers from The Living Sea, I went for diving in Sabah state of Malaysia. Its located at the Celebes sea, east of the major town of Tawau, and off the cost of Borneo, East Indonesia on the island of Borneo, or now known as Kalimantan.

From Jakarta, I must flied to Kuala Lumpur, it's about 2 hours, then continued by another flight to Tawau for about 2.5 hours, took a car driving for about 1 hour to Semporna city, stayed for a night at Sea Fest Hotel as we arrived on the late evening, and continued on the next day early morning, this time by speed boat for another 1 hour journey to Mabul Island. We stayed here at a very beautiful resort of Sipadan Water Village. I love this resort very much !!!

I was honestly quite shocked when I witness the beauty of the islands that we visited : Mabul, Siamil, Kapalai, and Sipadan. Especially the underwater scenes and the rich of its marine creatures. I love turtles, and I found them many in those islands ! I love sharks, and I met lots of white tip sharks, swimming elegantly ! School of Barracuda, Jack fish, Bumphead, Napoleon, and many others ! Including, amazingly, just in front of the resort, at the Paradise 2 site, for the first time I finally seeing many of beautiful mandarin fish !!! I visited Ambon in Mollucas Island and to Bunaken in North Sulawesi last year, but failed to seeing them ! Less than a week diving in Sipadan and its surrounding is just not enough for me !!! :)

As Indonesian, and honestly have this kind of dislike feeling to Malaysian (for many times they claimed and steel many of our assets, including the island of Sipadan and Ligitan), I was unsure to join into this trip, and have a feeling that the islands won't be as beautiful as many other islands in Indonesia. But I was wrong, and have to admit on the good work that the Government of Malaysia has done to protect and maintain the islands. With a big heart, I must say that we, specially our government, must learn from what they do in term of protecting the nature of its island. The Malaysian government announced restrictions on the number of tourist visiting the island of Sipadan, only 100 divers daily. By doing this, it protect the nature and the life underneath. I wish our government seriously consider to do the same such as for diving restriction in Nusa Penida Islands in Bali. Just to let you know, that during Mola's season, there will be hundreds divers down at the island, don't you think it will scary the marine creatures there, and on the same time it may destroy the environment too !

Another story of my life, another diving, and this time at Malaysia underwater !

Happy Birthday, Bapak Marzuki Alie ...

Indonesia sedang berduka. Berbagai bencana menimbulkan korban begitu banyak putera-puteri negeri ini, datang silih berganti. Jika saja airmata kesedihan yang tercurah dari mereka yang ditinggalkan dapat terkumpul, sepertinya telah dapat membentuk lautan baru di negeri bahari ini.

Belum habis duka kita akan bencana yang terjadi di Wasior, Papua, gempa dan tsunami di Kepulauan Mentawai, Sumatra dan meletusnya Gunung Merapi di Jawa Tengah, seakan saling berlomba menambah curah airmata di bumi ini.

Namun ada satu "bencana" lagi yang membuatku terhenyak, dan sungguh bersedih. Bencana krisis empati dan kepedulian anak bangsa khususnya para pejabat alias pemimpin negeri !

Kepada merekalah, para pemimpin negeri, jutaan rakyat yang terkena bencana saat ini seharusnya dapat mengandalkan dan meraih harapan mereka kembali. Namun ternyata bukan secercah harapan yang ditawarkan, melainkan ucapan dan tindakan yang justru menambah derasnya curah airmata korban bencana !

Marzuki Alie. Sang Ketua DPR RI periode 2009-2014 dari Partai Demokrat. Kelahiran Palembang, Sumatra Selatan pada 6 November 1955. Entah apa yang dipikirkannya sebelum beliau mengucapkan perkataan yang ternyata (kembali) menimbulkan kontroversi dan melukai begitu banyak anak negeri, termasuk konstituennya sendiri (termasuk diriku yang juga memberikan suaraku pada Partai Demokrat di masa pemilu lalu!).

Mulutmu, harimaumu ! Maka berhati-hatilah terhadap keluaran "pabrik kata-kata"mu.

Bukan ucapan penghiburan dan simpati yang terucap kepada masyarakat Kepulauan Mentawai, ketika 394 orang tewas, 313 orang hilang dan 23,000 orang mengungsi dan kehilangan tempat tinggal serta harta bendanya.

"Salah sendiri kenapa hidup di pantai. Siapa pun yang takut kena ombak jangan tinggal di pinggir pantai. Mentawai itu kan pulau. Jauh itu. Pulau kesapu dengan tsunami, ombak besar, konsekuensi kita tinggal di pulaulah". Dan kemudian beliau menyarankan agar masyarakat direlokasi ke daratan.

Sebelumnya, terkait rencana kunjungan para anggota dewan ke luar negeri yang bertepatan dengan terjadinya berbagai bencana, dan munculnya wacana agar para anggota dewan menunda kunjungan "study banding" mereka, sang pemimpin juga mengatakan bahwa tugas DPR adalah melakukan pengawasan bukan tanggap darurat, sehingga kunjungan ke daerah maupun luar negeri tak boleh ditunda.

Ucapan beliau yang sebentar lagi akan berulangtahun ke 55 tahun, usia dimana kematangan dan kearifan selayaknya telah diraih, rasanya memberi luka yang mungkin terasa lebih menyakitkan ketimbang terjangan gelombang tsunami. Sang pemimpin wakil rakyat yang tidak lagi berempati terhadap rakyatnya. Sepertinya kepedulian dan empati hilang raib ketika kursi dan tahta telah diraih, ketika telah mencapai puncak kejayaannya dan lupa mereka yang dulu berjuang bersamanya.

Selamat ulangtahun, pak Marzuki. Ditengah berbagai kekecewaan dan mungkin juga makian karena ucapan anda, semoga tetap membuat anda mampu berzikir dan merenung. Apakah sesungguhnya yang anda inginkan saat hendak meraih kursi DPR ? Membangun Indonesia dan memajukan masyarakat kah ? Atau meraih kepentingan anda semata dan melukai berjuta rakyat Indonesia. Hanya anda yang mampu menjawabnya.

Ohya ! Sekedar saran dari suara yang terlupakan: suara saya ketika mempercayakan hak pilih saya kepada anda. Di saat waktu senggang anda, cobalah pelajari lagi ilmu antropologi dan sejarah Indonesia, akan bermanfaat membuat anda mengerti bahwa tidak mudah merelokasi masyarakat dari satu daerah ke daerah lain. Pelajarilah sejarah negeri dan berbagai budaya masyarakat Indonesia. Juga, pecat konsultan komunikasi anda saat ini ! Carilah seorang konsultan komunikasi sekaligus konsultan politik, yang memang mampu membantu anda bekerja. Dan akuilah bahwa memang anda lemah dalam berkomunikasi, bangunlah empati anda ! Itulah dasar hakiki jika anda ingin menjadi pemimpin: miliki hati dan kepedulian !