Guess What? Ichlasul Amal

Guess What? Ichlasul Amal

No one ever though that Prof. Dr. Ichlasul Amal, the prominent
political observer as well as rector at Gadjah Mada University,
was also a humorous poet and poetry reader.

Not until last Tuesday when he read his own compositions
during The Art Performances for Peace held at the University's
Graha Sabha Pramana auditorium to celebrate the university's 50th
anniversary.

With his trademark smile and amusing miming actions to his
humorous poetry, Amal was a surprisingly refreshing entertainer
for some 5,000 people attending the celebration.

For example, in the first of 16 couplets he wrote in four
pages -- only one rhymed in "u" and the other rhymed in "i", he
wrote: Hadirin dan para undangan yang saya hormati/Malam ini saya
diminta membuat orasi/Saya jadi bingung sekali/Karena saya tidak
tahu lagi siapa yang harus dicaci-maki. (Distinguished ladies and
gentlemen, I am asked to make an oratory tonight, It makes me so
confused, As I no longer know whom else to ridicule at).

Long applause followed Amal's performance that night, no
shorter than those given to other entertainers, including the
King of Monolog Butet Kertaredjasa, prominent poet W.S. Rendra
and the enchanting Addie M.S.'s Twilite Orchestra.

"Of course I wrote the poetry myself. I stayed up all night
just to prepare it," Amal told The Jakarta Post after the
celebration. (swa)