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.