3/10/12 REVISITING PONTIANAK...

27 Sept., 2012 (Thursday) I took the 0830 hours MasWing flight to Pontianak. Departing home around 0630 hours, I could only reached the airport at about 07.50 hours ie just mere 10 minutes before the check-in counter was to be closed. Starting from the main road from my home right to the flyover junction at the airport road, the traffics were snailing. As I couldn’t sleep well the night, I fall tidur-tidur ayam all through the journey. That took me out of the unnecessary concern of the traffic jammed.Upon boarding, I noticed  MasWing had changed their sitting arrangement. Previously, the so called Business Class is located at the front, now they changed to the rear. Their reason I would say to facilitate those Business Class passengers to outboard earlier than the rest. But what exactly is the concept of the Business Class, is it boarding and out-boarding matter, or is it all about Privacy and Exclusivity? I suggest they should conduct Customer Survey before they should decide on the matter. I believe as a discipline to be a Developed Nation, we must be a bit research oriented in our deal.

(2) Upon reaching the airport, I quickly dashed out to the check-in counter, but unfortunately few entrances to the checking hall was blocked due to the huge crowd turn-up to send those leaving for Hajj. I was blocked from immediate access to the Check-In Counter which was just in front of me. I was asked to take another distance entrance. The airport turned a bit chaotic. Going for Hajj normally is a real big deal especially for the Malays community. Particularly for the rural folks or the lower income groups, the trip may cause them their whole life saving and hard working. Thus most relatives and or friends, would love to send their love one to the door of the plane for reason of barakkah. Never mind about that, but my only concern, as I highlight to the MAS, Immigration, security, and the Tabung Haji (TH) staffs whom were on duty: We are supposed to move into the Modern Society, yet daily in our lives affairs we are going to the opposite direction. Hajj is an annual affair, and it has been there since the existence of human kind, and TH had been organizing Hajj and Ummrah for so long, yet we can’t get thing properly organized. I wonder, Islam is about discipline, yet the day we want to purify ourselves, we depart with lots of chaotic. TH, I believe don’t really understand the Japanese culture of continuous improvement, they should learn and learn. TH can’t be complacent about their so call ‘good’ reputation and just remain status quo. I believe the Indonesian Hajj is much larger than ours, yet, there is less complains from them and about them. I did see how much organized they especially during their ummrah. Their fee was also much cheaper with lots occupying better hotel facilities than Malaysians. If business is about cost-effectiveness, my judgement then, they must have been better than us, despite with the less support of their government.

(3) A friend of mine, Mas Kris was with me. We landed in Pontianak by 0815 hours local time, though I took off at 0830 Malaysian’s time . In fact the two cities are located on the same latitude, the same time zone. Pontianak is located right at the Equator, while Kuching is just 40 mile north. As we landed, the airport, the Pontianak air was hazy. Burning was all over the places. I felt a sharp pinch in my chest as I breath the smoky air. Peat soil burning is a usual phenomena in Pontianak especially during the drought season.

(4) After checking into the Mercure Hotel, we then immediately left for Dinas Perkebunan. There we were shown all those areas that had been allocated for Plantation development. About 3.60 million hectares of land had been given out. Based on the map shown, it is very clear that there is no more State Land available for alienation. To date, only about 800,000 hectares had been planted with oil palm. Kalimantan Barat is targeting to have about 1,500,000 million of oil palm plantation. As my natural habit, I request for the acquisition of all those maps that I could later use to plan and pin point of our interest areas.

(5) Then we have quick lunch at Dangau. About 15 years ago, Dangau is a very nice cool eating place. Located near to the airport, in the paddy field, the breezing air heightened one’s appetite. Today, Dangau lost all her serenity and the taste of the foods had changed to just nice. Myself nad Mas Kris took lots of ayam kampong bakar. Later we went over to see the Planning Branch of Pontianak City Council Head. We were shown the potential new growth area of Pontianak. By a glance, it brought me back to the early days memories when I was at the SPU, Sarawak in helping the preparing of the Greater Kuching Master Plan. In fact, Pontianak resembles the growth constraint of Kuching. The north, is the much flat swampy peat land but having greater access to the Pan Kalimantan Region. This is the new great growth area since most of the hinterland is now opened up for plantation development. The south which host the existing town, is crowding and expanding toward the sea. In most cases, the ground is a bit below the MSL. Thus the drainage in this area, is considered poor. But this is the section that house most of the population.

(6) In the late afternoon, I decided to rest but prior to that I just rushed over to the nearby Shopping Mall and spent a bit of time going through the books at Gramedia. I landed with carrying back 23 books mostly those on spiritual and self-experience novels. I did also spent some times having a coke at the nearby KFC with two young poor kampong ladies of Pontianak Malays. Their brief life stories activated my mind over the fate of the Nusantara Nation that I now is pondering. By the night, I spent most of the time inventorying and glancing through those books that I have bought. The best among the books is about Dahlan Iskan whom was a journalist, and later was tasked to lead the Indonesian Electric Supply Company, PLN. He is of those Jack Walse and Steven Job character person. Upon taking over as the CEO of PLN, he made a pledge to electrify and solve the rotaional routine power shut down in Indonesia. He made a target of making 1,000,000 connection on daily basis, and aims a mere one year to lightened every Indonesian homes instead of the forecast 10 years under the previous scenarios. He did it and he achieved it without much Indonesian government subsidy. He in fact made PLN free of government subsidy and thus propels the Company into profit. Dahlan Iskan achieved his duty with lots of sacrifice of personal gain and glory. He traveled all through Indonesia. He met and works with all his people at all levels. He even briefed by his men not in the comfort of a conference or meeting rooms. In some instances he discussed the Organization problems by sitting on the floor without chairs and tables. He left after serving the Organization for four years. He is now working to make a turnaround in PETROMINA. I believe, he must be making either ESSO or PETRONAS as his bench mark. Previously he made TEN Malaysia as his challenge, and he achieved such benchmark fast.

(7) 28 Sept., 2012 (Friday), after late breakfast, we made some visit to the north side of Pontianak. Few properties development areas were earmarked. We made a stop at one Affordable Housing Project, where a two room house size 20’ by 30’ semi detached are sold at IDR210,000,000-350,000,000 or RM70,000-120,000. Affordable homes in Pontianak is without Government subsidies or control. It is left to the market. The design is interesting with the possible expansion of at least another two bedroom well accommodated. Along the way, I could see nice RuKo concept, which coincide in fact with what I had proposed for the Kek Lapis Industry Clustering at the Darul Hana Project in Kuching. RuKo is an acronym for Rumah dan Toko, shop house. But the design of the upper storeys resemble a normal living place. Clustering of these Projects form a nice neighbourhood, if we care to design all those open space and good parking area. I would believe, if the one that I had suggested for Darul Hana is well implemented, not only the place will be of paradigm shift but most interesting is to see how the Malays within their traditional environment could emerge as a great business-enterprising societies. My personal vision of Darul Hana Project as the stimulant to the renaissance of the Sarawak Malays' Soul. I had put up my view about soulless development in the past.

(8) Later we had a Friday pray at a nearby Old Malays Architecture Mosque. Again my memory travel back to the days I had been struggling in the formulation of the Darul Hana Project mosque, I had worked to combine the Javanese, Kelantanese and Pattani architecture into the Plan. Except for the dome which takes the third Kuching Old Mosque dome, the rest of the mosque is planned to be totally Malays. The idea is to give Darul Hana the Malays' Soul into the whole plan. At the mosque, what interest me most was seeing so many kids joining the pray. This is the specialty of the Indonesian societies, they really ummarah their mosques. This in fact is what I tried to visualise for Darul Hana Mosque-Madrasah Complex. I wish, one day the concept of integrating the Mosque-Madrasah into a Community Service Center which would play the central role to develop our young into the Islamic Corporate Force, will be realized. The Mosque, Madrasah, Market Place and Water Taxis-Cultural Center, and Kek Lapis Clustering are the center piece of Darul Hana, and in fact such planning configuration I derived from my long reading and thinking of the initial Masjidil Nabawi-Bazaar development during Muhammad SAW and Umar Al-Khataab times. My wandering at Madinah and Mecca in last March, confirmed the Concept. I hope to emulate such development to provide the needed environment to nurture the Islamic Sense of Place. Seeing these kids made me wonder: probably, poverty and life miseries make one closer to Allah! We than have our lunch at a nice Rumah Makan Padang.

(9) Upon returning to the hotel after lunch, we met few allocated plantation land owners that are willing to sell their approved land. From the discussion with Mr. Agus, a freelance consultant, I figure the land application in this part of the world is very much complicated. In fact, almost all over the South Pacific, the native land tenure system had hindered the progression of the people. In Kalimantan, the customary land law is such uncertain that patient and determination will only present the success. The western corporate culture would not work here. A much People Sympathy Development Model had to be deployed. Worst, if the locals are governed by different political parties as those in Jakarta or Pontianak. I believe Allah had given me great experiences in managing the same nature of business when I was leading the LCDA of Sarawak. I hope my experiences could make a difference here. I believe the potential conflicts with the people could be eliminated is one’s practice the Islamic Corporate Culture, which I’m trying hard to figure out. Basically, if the have not and the have, care for each other needs, this world would be in much prosperity and harmony. In Islam, the compulsory Sholah, Zakat, and Care for the Needy had been seen in isolation to each other. I believe, such directive by Allah means an Integrated Center Piece of Islamic Adeen. I believe that is the basic precondition of the Islamic Corporate Culture. May Allah help me to define such precisely in the very near future.

(10) Later in the late afternoon, I rushed back to the nearby Ayani Mall and bought some more books especially on the Jebon and Segon Timber Plantaion with some other more novels and heart filling publication. Jebon tree is a fast growing soft timber species that could be planted for plywood, chip and fibre board productions. The tree can achieve the 1.60 cubic meter volume within 6-7 years of cultivation. A high less branches bole, reaching to 10-15 meters height. We were told, in the olden Dutch period, Jebon trees are exclusively theirs for ammunition manufacturing purposes. I’m exploring the possibility of this tree species as the alternative to the thirsty and fire hazard Acasia.

(11) In the evening we have nice dinner at Abang Kepiting Restaurant. An old friend, En. Tarmizi, whom previously was with Sime Darby and now serving a Trengganu-based Plantation firm, is managing a plantation in Sambas joined us. With his long experienced serving in Kalimantan and Indonesia in general, I’m now a bit educated in land dealing in this part of the world. InsyaAllah, may He provides me with great strength and health, I would make some foot step to my dream to start-up with what I called as the Nusantara Renaissance. Later I fallen flat asleep since I have very early appointment to catch up the next day.

(12) 29 Sept., 2012 (Saturday), En. Tarmizi took me to pay a courtesy call to Bupati Landak. We went to his private home sharp by 0800 hrs local time. While having Teh Bujang we discussed the possibility of looking at all those land that have been given Izin Lokasi but not yet developed, and thus possible for takeover. In general there is no more State land available for further alienation. Returning to the hotel later, I invited En. Tarmizi for real heavy breakfast. Later my friend Kris join me, where then we explore to change hotel. I love to try the much chaotic Jalan Nusa Indah area at the down town.

(13) We choose to shift to Hotel Kini. Here, it is much happening, though the environment is a bit slum. After heaving real heavy lunch at Rumah Makan Padang, I took a long late afternoon nab. It was almost Magrib only I woke up, and then having light dinner with Bebek Goreng and Bakar at the road side stall. The very most capturing that I made is the way a guy preparing Sambal Terasi. It look very unpleasant but, as I said, sometimes we have to live with old tradition, who knows one day, we may have to endure it. I strolled those shops nearby and bought myself a leather shoe for about RM100.00 which in Kuching sure will cost me RM250.00. I then strolled all those souvenir shops along Jalan Patimura , which long times ago were fruits stalls and bought, among others an interesting small books, a research by a lecturer about Sex Game and Trade among the Universities girls and boys. Probably for our Educational Facilities Planners, reading this book would give them some clue of the social danger when we do things without detailing the social impact of the Plan. This I could now see happening in Kota Samarahan and I won’t be surprise one day there will be a phenomenal findings that our girls and boys are trapped into such pleasure game and trade.

(14) 30 Sept., 2012 (Sunday) myself and Mas Kris fetched Hamid Bugo (Tan Sri) at the airport. After helping him to check into the Mercure Hotel, we again made a second tour of the City and the sub-urban area. We met some landowners whom are willing to sell their land for the proposed properties development. Later we had lunch at another nice Rumah Makan Padang. The haze was rather bad that day, so we decided to rest earlier in the afternoon as well as to give Hamid Bugo the chance to shop at the nearby Ayani Mall. In the evening we had dinner with the City Planning Division Head and his officials at a nice sea food restaurant called Rumah Kakap. We explored all the related procedure wrt properties investment in Pontianak. So far, there is none big developer operating there, and there is non-foreign investor ever setting foot there yet. During the discussion, I treat everybody to the best Kopi Item Pontianak.

(15) 1 Oct., 2012 (Monday) after nice breakfast we went to see the Head of Dinas Kehutanan. At the lobby of his Office, I took this photo Nundak Lantin which is considered very nostalgic to me. In my young days, at my Kampung Sedilo, Simunjan, I used to see logs being chained as such and being dragged to the nearby KTS and Hua Lim Sawmill. Sometimes, some of the logs will get loose, and myself with a friend name Wan Mahmud Wan Seman will take our sampan to race after the loose logs and took them to the nearest sawmill. We sold each log at RM1.00 and normally we made about RM5.00-10.00/week. That were good money for our school expenses. Our rezeki was better during the High King Tide, when the Tidal Bore  smashed those logs chains and made more to run loose. From the briefing by the Dinas Kehutanan Head, we then realise how investment in Indonesia can be very hazy. Each Dinas has their own authority and they could impose those very independently. The Dutch culture of  Break and Rule die hard.

(16) Our Monday running fast, and most are to organise all the maps that I needed. With the help of Allah, I got all those documents beyond my believe. Later I seek permission from Hamid Bugo to let everybody to have their own time. I rested to the late afternoon, until I again have to meet with two groups of landowner. I took them to the nearby restaurant, and due to their heavy smoking habits, I have to cut all the discussions short. Then I took my time to stroll the Jalan Nusa Indah where the Malaysians used to spend their time to shop.

(17) After the Magrib, I invited Mas Kris and our runner to take us to the good night lives of Pontianak. We were taken to the River-X Music & Lounge at the Aston Hotel. Well, the sky here is much more hazy, thundering and windy since almost everybody were smoking, dancing to the deafening music and drinking. I just endure with such environ to test the strength of my lungs since couple of weeks I had experiencing a sharp pinch on both side of my chest. The music and songs were great except when there were interventions by a Crazy Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR), hereafter I refer as Crazy YB with his girl friends on stage and on the floor. I chose to stay on, after I noticed interesting body language of the ladies, and I just love to do some psycho-analyse of his two girls friends. My mind travel as far as Chenna of India, remembering those Peacocks dance when they are fighting for their couple, I discovered in one of my those oversea traveling. The same with the Bird of Paradise that I saw in Papua New Guinea at one of my various visit there. The two young ladies, put and act to the best sexy acting to catch the attention of the Crazy YB. His act was very casual: hugging, kissing, singing, and dancing freely with both alternately either on stage or on the floor. Both ladies sometimes lingering around with the other men while the other was with him. I can sense a silent war between the two, and after about two hours or so, I decided to make a move, but coincidently the Crazy YB also took off. The very interestingly, both ladies were left to be taken by all his left over friends. Hopefully, one day I'll have a greater insight into this small psycho-analyse that I'm trying to master.

(18) As an overall, Pontianak had changed very much, to the better. All through the long days, I could only catch-up with only once, a lady bathing by the roadside drain as compared to my first visit about 15 years ago. The cars on the streets are much more and in varieties even better than home. The faces of the people are much happier. Less Jalan berlubang-lubang dan lubang berjalan-jalan. The people start to fill up with more fat. KFC seem well patronized. There are much less roadside stalls and more restaurants. The trishaws are not much more running around. The effect of the 800,000 hectares of Oil Palm development in the hinterland are making the impact.

(19) In this trip, I have defined the Malays are those associated with batik, belacan, tempoyak, sirih, pinang, pekasam, cabek, and pencak silat. But, the larger Malays, the Nusantara as I would dream oil palm, sago, marine-based food, spices, bright colorful tropical fruits and herbals are our immediate strength with Islamic Financial and Economic System should be our best gift to the world. May Allah help all of us to contribute for the best of the ummah and whole mankind. SubhanaAllah

Pontianak, Indonesia
27 Sept., 2012