Indonesia's 200 millionth inhabitant is Wahyu Nusantara Aji, from the hamlet of Sepapan in East Lombok. The baby boy received gifts worth hundreds of millions of rupiah. President Suharto himself chose the name and gave the child a birth certificate. Everything came its way last Wednesday at a great hair-cutting ceremony (akikah akbar) held for it amidst much celebration at the East Lombok government open veranda (pendopo) in Selong. 'Please excuse me if I don't hand over the money immediately', said Population Minister Prof Dr Haryono Suyono. 'It is in the form of a bank deposit. No one must try to come begging to Wahyu's house'.
University
Wahyu got all his school fees guaranteed, even to university if possible, by the Post Office. Bank Rakyat director Djoko Santoso Mulyono gave him a bank deposit worth Rp 10 million (AU$ 5,000), which in 25 years time, when Wahyu has graduated from university, will have become Rp 193 million (AU$ 100,000), enough to start a business. 'This money cannot be withdrawn now. It will be Wahyu's later in the 21st century', he told his audience to laughter.
To help with the family's living expenses, Suara Pembaruan newspaper in Jakarta gave them Rp 5 million (AU$ 2,500), because Wahyu's birthday fell on the same day, 4th February, as that of the paper ten years earlier. The director of the Post Office, Cahyana Ahmad Jayadi gave the baby's mother, Rohana, Rp 1 million (AU$500), because her economist husband Ahmad Riyadi was about to leave her for Japan for training, on 23 February.
Radio
Another symphathiser who turned up was Mr H Fauzi Usman, director of the Bonsita radio station in far-away Medan. According to Haryono Suyono, that was because the radio station achieved sudden fame after it proclaimed for about a week that the 200 millionth baby would be a Batak. Fauzi Usman presented a gift in the form of a deposit at the BPR Kafalatul Ummah bank to the value of Rp 2 million (AU$ 1,000).
Ahmad Riyadi had actually already been in training with the Labour Department in Bekasi, near Jakarta for the last three months, in preparation for his departure to Japan to receive further training in the automotive industry. Yesterday he stood beside his wife who carried Wahyu on her hip, and expressed his gratitude. When asked if so much attention for his child would not make it more difficult to raise him, he answered: 'It is the responsibility of a parent to educate their children'.
Nearly every senior government official in Lombok attended the hair-cutting ceremony, as did community and religious leaders, and religious students from Selong in East Lombok. The village midwives were also there.
Cabinet
During the akikah akbar procession, several cabinet ministers, accompanied by music, in turn cut some strands of hair off the little 16 day old baby: Health Minister Azwar Anas, Population Minister Haryono Suyono, and Transmigration Minister Siswono Yudho Husodo. As is the custom in Lombok society, after the hair-cutting the three cabinet ministers each put two Rp 500 coins (25 cents) and a flower into the baby's shirt pocket. After that, flowers of nine different sorts, and yellow rice, were thrown over those in attendance.
Wahyu Nusantara Aji was born in a dry and impoverished area on Tuesday 4 February at 10 am. Haryono Suyono said President Suharto himself had chosen this child. There was a lot of competition for the honour. There were the children of senior government officials, the children of generals and those sponsored by governors, regents, sub-district chiefs or village chiefs. 'Some were sponsored by cabinet ministers', he said.
Village
But Wahyu Nusantara Aji was born into a happy family, and that made the child special. Rohana is active in official women's activities in the village (PKK). Ahmad Riyadi, meanwhile, is not just any average university graduate who just wanted to become a civil servant, but one who was ready to return to the village. He was prepared to become a private businessman. 'Mr President could hardly believe it. Was his bachelor's degree perhaps not genuine? Why should he want to return to the village?', he said, recalling the discussions before Ahmad Riyadi and Rohana's child was chosen.
According to Haryono, the local government report had only half convinced him during his audience with the President that Ahmad Riyadi's degree was genuine. 'But the fact that he was prepared to return to the village was decisive, because the President has worked very hard to bring development to villages all over Indonesia', he said.
Jawa Pos, 20 February 1997.
| Return to Table of contents Edition No.50 |
