In the ACC Uteunkot Building Hall, Malikussaleh University, on September, 12 2017, Nezar Patria told some important stories of Adnan Ganto. One of the stories he quoted was the detention of Adnan Ganto on the border between Belgium and France in the fall of 1972. Nezar's storytelling style was captivating to keep the audience's attention, including revealing details of the restlessness of the young Adnan who was detained by the border police for up to two hours.
"After contacting an official from the Indonesian Embassy, Sutaryo, Mr. Adnan was finally released. It turns out that Pak Adnan's name is the same as a member of Black September, the military wing of the PLO who was involved in the attack on an Israeli athlete in Munich, Adnan Al-Ghasey. The year he was born was the same, ”said Nezar Patria who wrote the book Adnan Ganto's Difficult Decisions with Rusdi Mathari, an activist of the Independent Journalists Alliance (AJI) who is now deceased.
The hall full of attendees was like a grave because everyone heard Nezar Patria's solemn welcome. He also told other stories in a captivating manner. With that beginning, the book review event for Adnan Ganto's Difficult Decisions began by presenting a number of Acehnese figures as surgeons.
For Malikussaleh University (Unimal), Adnan Ganto is one of the foreign figures. Not only because he is a member of the Malikussaleh University Board of Trustees, but every important moment of Unimal's development cannot be separated from the role of Adnan Ganto behind him, either directly or indirectly.
This was conveyed by the Rector of Malikussaleh University, Dr. Herman Fihtra ASEAN Eng, shortly after hearing the death of Adnan Ganto at RSCM Kencana, Central Jakarta, March 23, 2021. At that time, the Chancellor was on his way from Sigli to Lhokseumawe after signing the report on how to hand over the management of Akper Pidie to Unimal.
The Chancellor shared some of Adnan Ganto's important roles for the progress of Unimal. Adnan Ganto's important lobbying with other Acehnese figures such as Ahmad Farhan Hamid to the central government changed Unimal to what it is today.
"Even when it is not related to his capacity as an advisor to the Minister of Defense, Pak Wa also uses his influence to help Unimal," said Herman.
Pak Wa is the nickname of a number of lecturers at Malikussaleh University to Adnan Ganto. This call emphasizes the closeness of Malikussaleh University to Adnan Ganto.
When he got the sad news, Herman immediately changed his plans from attending an event in Medan, North Sumatra. Still tired of taking the Lhokseumawe - Pidie trip without resting, the Unimal Chancellor immediately continued the road trip to Medan and the next day attended the funeral of Adnan Ganto at the Al Azhar Memorial Garden Islamic Cemetery, Karawang, West Java. Without staying overnight in Jakarta, the Unimal Chancellor immediately returned to Medan that day to attend other activities.
The former Chancellor of Malikussaleh University, Prof. Dr. Apridar, saw Adnan as a hard worker with a soft heart. "It is forbidden for him to see that his Muslim brothers are constrained by the necessities of life. He always gives out help sincerely without making calculations. He also doesn't want to be indebted to other people, ”said Apridar, as he stated in an in memoriam note in Serambi, Wednesday, March 24, 2021.
According to Apridar, Adnan also played an important role in the transfer of the ExxonMobil Housing Complex in Bukit Indah, which is now the Bukit Indah Campus. "He is concerned about the development of the nation's children, especially through educational institutions," added Apridar.
For the Head of the Malikussaleh University Research and Community Service Institute (LPPM), Dr. Muhammad Daud, Adnan Ganto is also known as a lover of Acehnese dance, seudati. Every time there is an event at the University of Malikussaleh, the committee always presents asudati if you are present at the event.
"Several times, Mr. Adnan distributed large amounts of money to dancers of the same age," said Daud who is familiarly called Syeh Daud because he is also a former dancer of the same age. This was conveyed by Daud in early March or long before he received the news of Adnan Ganto's departure.
Former Unimal Chancellor, Prof. A Hadi Arifin, also has a close relationship with Adnan Ganto. During a book review at the Uteunkot Campus, Prof. Hadi wrote a poem for Adnan Ganto describing Adnan's journey by bicycle from Buloh Blang Ara to Lhokseumawe. "Pak Adnan is an inspirational figure," said Prof. Hadi.
For the Vice Rector I for Academic Affairs, Jullimursyida PhD, Adnan Ganto is the pride of his nephews. "He is a hard worker, full of constructive ideas, humorous, and a motivator for us, his nephew," said Jullimursyida, Monday, March 29, 2021. Jullimursyida is one of Adnan Ganto's nephews.
Julli recalls that when he was a child, Adnan came home from the Netherlands with his family. "It crossed my head, I want to be like him one day. This desire is due to his activities working abroad and moving from one country to another. He is like a second father to me, ”continued Julli while attending tahlilan (pray for the dead) for Adnan Ganto at the Bukit Indah Campus, Monday, March 29, 2021.
She admitted that Adnan taught many things. In his eyes, Adnan is a figure who is very respectful and obedient to his parents, education is important, honesty is a message that is always ordered to his relatives.
"He is very detailed, meticulous, and thorough. All work is done as well as possible. Once upon a time, I was asked to work on his speech, he checked until the semicolon of the speech. Typing errors are also a concern for him, even though the speech is only for him to read, not to be distributed. But he asked me to fix it,” said Julli.
Adnan Ganto's figure was also very inspiring for the leader of Dayah Qari Hafiz (Qaha), Tgk Jamal. He admitted that he was not too close to Adnan Ganto, but that Dayah Qaha had received help from Adnan Ganto several times.
"Even when Mr. Adnan was hospitalized in Singapore, he sent a message, asking him to pray for his recovery," said Tgk Jamal who is also an alumnus of Universitas Malikussaleh.
Now Adnan Ganto has passed away. But his services will always be remembered, both for Aceh and for Universitas Malikussaleh. [Ayi Jufridar]