Friday, April 20, 2012

Gonjang Ganjing BBM

Masih ingatkah sampeyan dengan demontrasi besar-besaran yang terjadi di  berbagai daerah pada akhir bulan lalu? Demonstrasi itu merupakan wujud penolakan masyarakat terhadap rencana pemerintah untuk menaikkan harga BBM. Para demonstran menganggap bahwa dengan menaikkan harga BBM berarti  pemerintah telah bertindak sewenang-wenang dan ndak memihak kepentingan rakyat. Di sisi lain pemerintah berpendapat bahwa rencana kenaikan BBM harus segera dilakukan menyusul melambung tingginya harga minyak dunia, jika ndak segera dilakukan maka hal itu akan berdampak buruk kepada APBN dan mengganggu stabilitas keuangan negara.

Meskipun para demonstran beraksi di berbagai daerah dan banyak dari aksi tersebut berujung bentrok, namun nyatanya bukan karena itu yang membuat pemerintah batal menaikkan harga BBM, namun yang menyebabkan batalnya kenaikan BBM adalah hasil rapat paripurna DPR yang memutuskan adanya penambahan Pasal 7 Ayat 6 huruf A dalam UU APBN-P 2012. Pasal itu merupakan pasal krusial karena di dalamnya memuat syarat dan ketentuan yang harus terpenuhi apabila pemerintah ingin menaikkan atau menurunkan harga BBM bersubsidi, dan nyatanya syarat dan ketentuan itu belum terpenuhi sehingga pemerintah belum bisa menaikkan harga BBM pada tanggal 1 April 2012 kemarin.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Inspiring People and Bloggers

Last Sunday I watched a nice story in one of Television programs. It’s the story about a young man from Gresik, East Java named Muhammad Amanatullah, people called him Aam. He was born without hands and has only one complete leg. For his daily activity, he uses a tricycle made by his father. At first he went to a special school, but his teacher argued that Aam only has physical disability, not a mental disability, so he should go to public school like a normal kid. Thanks to his teacher, finally he went to public school after spent 5 years in special school.      

Aam is really special, despite having physical disability, he has an incredible talent which no one or normal person has. He has been able to paint using his toes. He even once won a painting competition among the students in provincial level, while his competitors  were mostly normal people. He recently received a scholarship from PT. Semen Gresik, and he also joined a painting studio to improve his painting skills.