A woman in all black attire appeared from behind a glass door. She stepped into the center of the stage, which was set low and covered in red carpet. With firm tone, the woman read a poem that started with “Novel Baswedan is not the only victim.”
She called the acid attack against investigator of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Novel Baswedan, which happened exactly two years ago, was a repression. An attack is a consequence in the fight against corruption and many activists have become attack victims. Unfortunately, few of such cases are solved.
“Most of the cases ended up behind dark curtains // And the darkness grows thicker from time to time.”
Hundreds of eyes were glued to her performance, absorbing every line that demand justice to be served. Novel, she said, is a symbol of “us”. “Hence, Novel’s story is the story of all of us. His eyes are our eyes that keep on burning.”
The audience was hypnotized, nodding to her every word. She closed her performance by delivering the hope that the movement to fight injustice will always exist, that the fight will grow and snowball.
“Sooner or later, the movement will soar. Long live KPK!”
Thunderous applause ensued, a sign of approval to what the woman conveyed. She is Najwa Shihab, TV journalist/host who consistently criticize the country’s law enforcement. Her performance marked the opening of Cultural Symposium that was a part of a series of #DuaTahunNovel (#TwoYearsNovel) event to mark the two years after the attack.
Wahyudi, a member of Kenduri Cinta musical troupe, read an essay by writer Emha Ainun Najib titled “Debt of History”. The essay was meant to scold the government for failing to solve Novel’s case, which Emha called a debt that should be paid by the state.
“If the state and the judicial system do not collect the debt, not only that the perpeprator has a debt, the state also does too,” said Wahyudi, also sporting all-black attire except for his white cap.
How was Novel doing after two years? Before responding to the question, Novel stood up and stared at hundreds of pairs of eyes of the audience. After thanking the public for supporting him, he told a story about his own eyes.
“At first, both of them were blind,” he said. But now the right one could see letters and able to read, although the visibility is limited. The left eye, meanwhile, has wide visibility but it is foggy. Novel said the attack against KPK must not be taken lightly. If the cases left unsolved, the perpetrators will have free passes to launch more attacks, putting KPK’s employees in jeopardy and damaging their mental state.
“I’m worried that people will lose their bravery in doing their job, too afraid of the threats. We cannot let this happen,” Novel said.
Another question remains: How far is the government handling this case? Novel said he found some irregularities in the investigation process on his case. Plenty of evidence have been collected to disclose the perpetrator but many parties tried to keep it from happening. Moreover, many witnesses faced intimidation.
“It should not have been a difficult case because the evidence is abundant. But the longer the investigation process, the more difficult it is being solved,” Novel said.
Every attack and terror should be brought to the middle ground, he added, which means the perpetrator must be found immediately. The best protection for corruption fighters, he said, is solving every case in transparent way.
Agreed with Novel, Najwa said the attack was not only about Novel Baswedan, it was also about an assault toward KPK as an institution and toward corruption eradication efforts in the country. She urged the public to do something and to never tolerate corruption. Because the ones who suffer the most from the extraordinary crime are the people.
Emha, meanwhile, likened corruption eradication efforts in the country to a football match with a lot of pretenses, where a few players on KPK’s team have been bribed to make their own team loses.
“Some players scored an own-goal because they have been paid by the opposing team,” said Emha, known affectionately by Cak Nun. These players will do anything to make their own team loses—by scoring an own-goal, pretending to be sick, or pretending to be on the top of their game while they are not doing anything.
It is exactly the situation of corruption eradication efforts in Indonesia, according to Cak Nun. While KPK is struggling against corruption, many parties are not genuinely supportive.
“KPK is the gateway to change. Friends in KPK must struggle to create integral and complicated change. Starting today, let’s be on their side,” he said.
The #DuaTahunNovel event was another way to urge the government to solve the cases of Novel and other anticorruption warriors.
“This night is a huge pressure for the government,” Cak Nun said.
He closed the event with a prayer. “Kun fa yakun,”
Cak Nun menutup malam itu dengan berdoa. The Arabic phrase “Kun faya kun (Be! And it is)” echoed loudly at KPK’s front yard that night. Prophet Muhammad once said that the strength of the faithful lays on the prayer. So be, and it is.
(Public Relations Bureau)
