'I don't need to feel superior to others'

'I don't need to feel superior to others'

Marzuki Darusman, who was appointed as Attorney General in
October 1999, is one of the busiest men in the country,
especially as the government has declared a war on corruption.

He served as a legislator in the House of Representatives from
1977 to 1992, representing the Golkar Party, before serving as
vice chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas
HAM) for the next five years.

In 1998, Marzuki was selected to be one of the Golkar Party's
chairmen and was installed as the faction's chairman in the
People's Consultative Assembly that same year.

The 55-year-old Marzuki has a daughter, Kianti Raisa, who is a
university student, from his marriage with Irmayanti.

The Jakarta Post's Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak talks to Marzuki to
uncover the lighter side of the somewhat serious-looking
personage.

Question: You have the funny habit of snorting all the time. Are you
suffering from some kind of allergy or is it a symptom of
distress?

Answer: No, I'm not distressed. At my age only a few of my hairs have
turned gray. No, I don't color my hair. I don't like things like
that. It's because of the dust. I have to read lots of old
documents. Too much dust there.

Q: Do you sleep well?

A: Yes. Well, I sleep late but it's quality that matters. The
point is we have to have the "submarine perspective" in sleeping.
We have to have problem-resistant compartments which we can lock
when we submerge. In the morning we go up to the surface and
later we submerge again.

Q: Why do you never seem to smile or laugh in public?

A: I have to appear serious or people will take me lightly. The
public itself wants me to look like that. But the public
relations consultant says, well, I have to look serious but be
more friendly.

But often there are questions coming from the press whose
answers they can figure out themselves. It's a waste of time.
This can easily change my mood ....

Q: How has your job affected you?

A: I have a better understanding of the people's impatience. And
I have learned that the people have to be involved in the legal
process, but they cannot be allowed to convict someone outside of
the courts.

But sometimes I'm disturbed by reports about the increasing
demands of the people, and particularly whenever Wimar (Witoelar,
President Abdurrahman Wahid's spokesman) talks.

(Once, Wimar said that Marzuki was going to resign - ed.)

Q: Why did you enroll in the nuclear physics department at the
Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) after graduating from high
school?

A: At that time it was cool to go to ITB.

Q: And then you changed your major to architecture.

A: I got a scholarship from the University of Frankfurt in
Germany. I took architecture because it is an abstract study,
which drew my interest. I came back to Bandung and studied
architecture at Parahyangan University. This was in 1966, when
students were demonstrating against Bung Karno (first president
Sukarno). I didn't have enough time to complete my drawing
assignments, so I double-majored in law. That's how I got my law
degree.

Q: If you had a choice what would you be doing right now?

A: Reading. It's my hobby. I'm losing my reading time now.

Q: What is the last book you read?

A: I read any kind of book and I never finish any, just some
pieces from here, some more from there. I buy books with the
thought that I may need them some day. Now I'm reading The Third
Way by Anthony Giddens. It's about political parties. I prefer to
read English editions because translated books sometimes are
misleading.

Q: What characteristics do you like about yourself?

A: Since I don't have the need to feel superior to others, I tend
to refuse to conspire. I prefer being an individualist rather
than becoming part of a group, uniting with a lot of people.
That's what I like about me.

Q: And dislike?

A: I often take problems lightly because at first I think there
is a solution, but in fact it's not that easy. The problems
accumulate and create others. Although I'm an individualist, I'm
not a subjective kind of person. I take things objectively. When
you have to take a decision, you have to be subjective, right?
But I tend to pile all the problems up before finding the
solution. This often puts me in conflict with others. And in this
process of being objective, I put off finding a solution for a
problem until it is solved in its own time.

Q: What makes you angry?

A: I hardly get angry. Mostly I am angered by my own stupidity or
by someone else's.

Q: What makes you cry?

A: I hardly do that either. (Long pause). I get sad if I see lots
of people cry. And whenever I hear an inspiring speech I'm
emotionally moved. So it's not crying, it's more like being
touched whenever I'm inspired by something, but not by sadness.

Q: Do you like watching movies?

A: I watch movies at home on laser disc, but not so often now. I
watch HBO and TV series like Law and Order, The Practice,
Chicago Hope, L.A. Law and Dark Justice. That last one is a good
series. If there was a dark justice here all the problems would
be settled.

Q: What is the most touching movie you have seen?

A: Schindler's List. It's a crazy film. One man can determine so
many people's lives.

Q: Your brother Chandra Darusman is a noted musician. Do you play
a musical instrument?

A: No. My brothers do. They took music lessons. I didn't have the
chance. I like classical music. My favorite is the soundtrack to
Schindler's List.

Q: Whom do you most admire?

A: Lee Kuan Yew. What a man he is.

Q: What are the qualities of a true friend?

A: The similarity in sensing what is right and what is not.
Nothing too deep. As long as they remain neutral in seeing
things: other people's background, religion, they fit me. I don't
get too close with those who judge others by their background or
religion. I meet them just for the sake of courtesy.

Q: Do you have any true friends?

A: A lot.

Q: Do they have names?

A: Yes. They are (House of Representatives Speaker) Akbar
Tandjung, (Golkar Party treasurer) M.S. Hidayat, (the chairman of
the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle House faction) Arifin
Panigoro. Although we have different political stances we get
along fine.

Oh, and also Pradjoto, the banking expert.

Q: What do you always carry with you?

A: My cell phone, wallet, handkerchief, a comb and amulet. Yes,
an amulet. I'm often told to bring this and that. Sometimes they
are jingling in my pocket. But I carry the amulet occasionally.

Q: What three things would you take with you to a deserted
island?

A: A cell phone, the second is a cell phone, the third is a cell
phone. I have an extreme need for information.

Q: What do you like to wear?

A: I don't have any preferences. But I like informal attire.
Sarong? I don't like to wear sarongs.

Q: How do you want to be remembered?

A: (Long pause). I don't know how to put this. I never thought of
that before. (Another long pause). I don't want to be
misunderstood. I don't want that.

Q: What will you do after leaving the Attorney General's Office?

A: I'm going to do easier things like, maybe, try to write a
book. Not a memoir but a book examining an issue. It's more
academic.