Schoolboy showered with rewards for his courage

Schoolboy showered with rewards for his courage

By Ahmad Junaidi

BEKASI (JP): Attired in his school uniform, Ahmad Taufik was
awarded on Wednesday for reporting his discovery of three live
grenades on a railway track near his house in Karangsari village,
Kedung Waringin district here on Monday.

The 15-year-old Taufik received a scholarship to complete his
three-year high school education from the Bekasi Police chief
Adj. High Comr. Idrus Gassing. A savings account was also opened
in his name with a deposit of Rp 1 million (US$105) by the
district head, Oman Rohman.

Accompanied by his parents, Emis, 65, and Manah, 59, Taufik
was applauded like a hero in a ceremony at the Kedung Waringin
police subprecinct, which also featured a local marching band.

Besides the gifts from the local authorities, Taufik is
scheduled to receive a reward from Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri on Sunday, Idrus said.

"The rewards are for his courage and quick decision to report
his discovery to the authorities," the police chief told
reporters after the ceremony.

The National Boy Scout Movement Pramuka will also reward
Taufik who is a Pramuka member in his school, State SLTP I Bekasi
junior high school.

Two officials from the state-owned railway company PT KAI
visited Taufik's house on Jl. Citarik Raya to inform him that he
would receive a reward from Minister of Communication and
Transportation Agum Gumelar on Thursday.

The officials also asked for Taufik's clothes and shoes sizes
and those of his parents, as they needed to be tailored for the
ceremony at the Gambir railway station in Central Jakarta.

The ceremony will also officially mark the end of the Idul
Fitri transportation services.

Idrus said the police would continue to provide protection to
Taufik and his family as the boy had spotted a scavenger behaving
suspiciously.

The scavenger was present at the location when Taufik found
two British-made and a Korean-made grenades, but left the area
after the herder reported the explosive devices.

City Police Chief Insp. Gen. Mulyono Sulaiman said on Tuesday
the grenades were "commonly used by military", although he
refused to speculate that certain members of the Indonesian
Military (TNI) were involved.

Spokesman for the City Military Command Lt. Col. DJ. Nachrowi,
however, insisted that it was unlikely that TNI personnel placed
the grenades.

Taufik had taken his three cows to graze along the railway
track, about 100 meters behind his house, after school on Monday
afternoon.

He was shocked to find that one of the cows had been treading
on wires which were connected to two grenades placed in the
middle of the railway track. The track is used for trains from
Jakarta heading to cities outside the capital.

When he traced the wires, he found a third grenade under the
track.

Taufik then ran to a nearby railway crossing post and told the
duty officer Didin about his discovery before collapsing. Taufik
was then rushed to the nearby Asih Hospital.

"I knew they were grenades because I have seen them on TV,"
Taufik said after the ceremony at the police subprecinct.

"The grenades could have killed my cows as the police said the
grenades were close to exploding," he said.

The railway company had to delay trains to and from the city
for almost three hours on Monday to allow the bomb squad to
defuse the grenades.

The findings followed a series of bomb attacks which rocked
the country on the Christmas eve. At least 19 people were killed
in the bombings.

Taufik's father, Emis, confirmed that his son was still afraid
and confused over the discovery.

"Since the finding, many people have come here, including
officials and journalists. So, we've decided to move Taufik to
his uncle's house," said the father of four.

Emis, who also has nine grandchildren, said Taufik stayed
overnight at the police subprecinct before moving to his uncle's
house.

Taufik said that he would use the reward money to support his
education.

"I want to become an aviation engineer," he told The Jakarta
Post over the phone from the police subprecinct.