My birthday wish for the nation if I were President Megawati
My birthday wish for the nation if I were President Megawati
Kornelius Purba, Staff Writer, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta,
korpur@yahoo.com
If most people expect presents on their birthday, I, the
Indonesian President, would change this custom and use the
occasion to confer the most memorable gift from the president to
all Indonesians.
I would try to answer their demands for a better life. I would
apologize to those who voted for my Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) for disappointing them. I would also
answer (with love) all cynical views about my leadership,
including from the media and from people jealous of my luck. I
would want to prove that I am not deaf. I am not as stupid as my
critics suspect because I am just a university dropout, but, of
course am not as great a genius as many of my followers believe.
Of course I would also wish that the people, especially those
who are impatient to be called Bapak President, open their ears.
I would also wish that the media were not just keen to criticize
me but also to open their hearts to listen to my rebukes.
First of all, on Thursday morning, I wish that it will be my
husband Taufik Kiemas, and not one of my three colonel adjutants,
who, this time, wakes me up with his whispered, "Happy birthday
honey". Then we would say our dawn prayer in our private room.
Unlike the glamorous celebration of my husband's 60th birthday
party in Bali on Dec. 31, I wish to celebrate my 56th birthday
only with Taufik, our sons Rizki and Pranada, daughter Puan
Maharani and our grandchildren.
I love Taufik very much and am very proud of him as he has no
feelings of inferiority as the husband of the country's fifth
president. He is my third husband and he loves my two sons as his
own children. In March we will commemorate our 30th wedding
anniversary. And, no less important, we share the same sign of
the zodiac, Capricorn. I know that many people do not like his
role in my life but Taufik and I are inseparable.
If Taufik asked me to make a birthday wish I would say: "I
want you to swear that your love to me will not fade away."
Another would be, "Please just talk to me and not to the public.
And avoid the problematic tycoons."
I was born in Yogyakarta on Jan. 23, 1947. On my birthday, I
always read page 247 of my father's book Sukarno: An
autobiography as told to Cindy Adams:
"Never will I forget the night of Jan. 23. It was thundering.
My wife lay in the bedroom, which had been fitted out specially
as a hospital. Suddenly the lights went out, the roof caved in,
the dark, swollen clouds opened and water rained in like a
river ... In the darkness, by the light of a candle, our daughter
was born. We named her Megawati. Mega means cloud."
I felt very lucky from my birth. I was born the daughter of a
president. And when I die at least I will leave this world as a
former president.
By the way, I do not expect any birthday present. I'm relieved
that I have even presented the most memorable gift to the nation:
I agreed to review the price of fuel, electricity and telephone
rates. For me it was a great sacrifice, because I had to swallow
my own words, that no one could force me to change my mind about
the price hikes. It was a very bitter decision.
I did not want to back down to the protesters. But my
ministers and advisers were too horrified at the demonstrations.
Were they worried about the country's stability, or just fearful
for their own positions?
I think I have been benevolent, not just to my own loyal
voters from PDI Perjuangan but also to my political rivals, such
as Amien Rais. On Tuesday I openly declared my readiness to run
for next year's presidential election. It would have been better
if I had just kept the plan to myself. But I was very upset at
the ambitious politicians who wanted to delete my name from next
year's campaign.
However, I would also tell the people that I would not
sacrifice the country for the sake of my ambition. It is true
that I want to join the presidential race, because in 1999 I was
elected only as vice president. I became president in July 2001
only because Abdurrahman Wahid was impeached by the People's
Consultative Assembly. Therefore I want to achieve my dream of
being elected, not appointed, as president.
Back to my birthday plan: On Thursday I would chair a plenary
Cabinet meeting and scold all the ministers. My first target
would be Attorney General MA Rachman. I would tell him to leave
office within a week. How can an alleged corruptor be entrusted
to eradicate corruption? I would also tell my favorite minister,
Kwik Kian Gie, to shut up or leave the Cabinet, because I need a
united Cabinet, even though I do respect him.
I would also bluntly tell Minister of Energy and Mineral
Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro and State Minister of State
Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi that they will lose their seats
unless they are able to clean up state oil and gas company
Pertamina and state electricity firm PLN within a month.
Then I would hold a rare media conference with my husband and
children. I would use the opportunity to apologize to the poor
for my negligence toward them. I would promise not to repeat my
arrogance in the price hike. And no less important: I would
apologize also for my unforgivable foolishness in supporting the
reelection of Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso.
I would donate half of my monthly salary to help the education
of poor children, whom I would select personally.
In the media meeting, my husband Taufik would also pledge to
withdraw from business activities during my presidency.
And how about Vice President Hamzah Haz? I would praise him in
public for his cooperation with me. But, of course, I would not
announce that he would be my running mate for the 2004 general
election. I need him to counter Amien and other ambitious
politicians. In realty, I will make Hamzah wait for my decision
until the last minute. I think he also realizes that he cannot
defeat me in the next presidential election. His only choice is
to be nice to me.
And what about the media? Don't worry, the media bosses are
just jealous of my fortune!