The discussion of the regional head elections in Banda Aceh, the end of February 2016, became my special moment with Pak Husni Kamil Manik. The agenda invites KPUDs with special pilkada (local election) such as Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Papua. Aceh is hosts.
After one session, I left the room and headed for the toilet. Pak Husni sitting in the hotel lobby with Aceh Provincial Commissioner Robi Saputra called me. Shocked because Pak Husni knew my name. However, I think Robi introduced my name to Pak Husni. Later, I found out that there was also the role of Chairman of the Aceh KIP, Ridwan Hadi, in bringing me closer to Pak Husni-even emotionally.
Pak Husni tells a lot of things including his family history. About his father who built education in Kabanjahe. The story of his father built an Islamic-based education-he said-almost the same as the story of Laskar Pelangi (read: The Troops Rainbow), Andrea Hirata's novel which has been filmed and has been translated into dozens of languages in the world. "The difference, the school in Laskar Pelangi is now a memory. While the school that my father built now growing," says Pak Husni.
The school initially only utilize the existing musalla (a small mosque) in the oil palm plantation in Kabanjahe, North Sumatra. There, children around the palm plantation can learn for free. Pak Husni's parents teach Islam-based education in the Christian community. Everything goes with beautiful harmony.
One day, there was one rich businessman who prayed in the musalla and witnessed the spirit of the children who were studying. He talked to Pak Husni's father and was touched. Then, the entrepreneur buys the land around to be a more viable educational institution. Educational institutions are then developed despite its current status is still owned by the foundation.
Before the father died, the school was championed to become a public school despite being opposed by donors. The reason, many government schools are neglected, while the school owned by the foundation has become a favorite school. "My Father still strives to be a public school because no one takes care of it later. His children no one interested in taking care of the school," says Pak Husni more.
He was interested to record the story of his father's struggle in building education in a book. "Now the book is being written by my friend," Pak Husni said at the time.
Besides telling about his father's struggle in building education, Pak Husni also told about his father's death. When his father passed away, Pak Husni was in the middle of the forest for research assignment. However, he had a hunch when asked to go home suddenly. Unfortunately, he still can not see his father before he died because he was still in the middle of the forest. Pak Husni was at odds with the messenger who was about to announce his father was seriously ill. "But that's God's plan ..." Pak Husni said with a very distinctive voice and gesture.
The conversation at Hermes hotel in Banda Aceh became the beginning of my familiarity with Pak Husni. After the event, Pak Husni conducted a roadshow to a number of district / city KIPs in Aceh, including to the North Aceh KIP office in Lhokseumawe. There-after giving directions to all members of North Aceh KIP-Pak Husni said goodbye to the restroom. Once out, he handed me a bundle of hundred thousand dollars. He said he is proud to have a commissioner in the district who has several books, although the book is not related to the election.
The fiction book 693 KM Traces of Guerrilla Sudirman he bought and he granted to all provincial KPUD chairman in Indonesia. The spirit and honesty of General Sudirman he hoped to become a role model for the commissioner became another reason he rewarded the novel. however, the amount of money he submits is too much compared to the book price.
"Take it, as a form of my appreciation, and to add to the spirit of Ayi wrote the books," he replied.
In my eyes, Pak Husni is also a culinary connoisseur. While in Aceh, he often enjoyed coffee and aceh noodles. Previously, after the inauguration of the district / city KIP, in 2013, I sat in front of him at a coffee shop in Banda Aceh and he loved crab noodles. The story about coffee flows smoothly on the sidelines of the election discussion. Pak Husni's speech, his gestures, his composure, even his tone of voice, was still firmly in my mind. Pak Husni's interview with a national newspaper about his success held a transparent 2014 election, which I keep and will always remember that emphasizes the importance of steadfastness to the rules.
In the last working meeting that I attended with Pak Husni in Jakarta, June 2016, Pak Husni delivered good news for all commissioners regarding the increase of honor money and for the first time, the commissioners also received a lebaran allowance (THR). I thanked him on Twitter and Pak Husni retweeted it as usual. A national online media journalist who thinks I'm still active as a journalist retaliates; this is the latest reporter chirp that retweeted Pak Husni.
Pak Husni has left at a very young age (41 years old), just like General Sudirman who died at the age of 34 years old. However, his quietness, honesty, and his discipline were exemplary of all time. For all state organizers, for all the children of the nation.[]
Raga Pergi, Keteladanan Abadi (Mengenang Husni Kamil Manik)
PEMBAHASAN mengenai pilkada daerah khusus di Banda Aceh, akhir Februari 2016, menjadi momen istimewa saya dengan Pak Husni Kamil Manik. Agenda tersebut mengundang KPUD dengan pilkada khusus seperti DKI Jakarta, Yogyakarta, dan Papua. Aceh menjadi tuan rumah.
Setelah satu sesi acara selesai, saya keluar dari ruangan dan menuju toilet. Pak Husni yang sedang duduk di lobi hotel dengan anggota Komisioner Provinsi Aceh, Robi Saputra, memanggil saya. Kaget karena Pak Husni mengetahui nama saya. Namun, saya pikir Robi yang mengenalkan nama saya kepada Pak Husni. Belakangan, saya baru tahu ternyata juga ada peran Ketua KIP Aceh, Ridwan Hadi, dalam mendekatkan saya dengan Pak Husni—bahkan secara emosional.
Pak Husni bercerita banyak hal termasuk sejarah keluarganya. Tentang ayahnya yang membangun pendidikan di Kabanjahe. Kisah ayahnya membangun pendidikan berbasis Islam—katanya—hampir sama seperti kisah Laskar Pelangi, novel Andrea Hirata yang sudah difilmkan dan sudah diterjemahkan dalam puluhan bahasa di dunia. “Bedanya, sekolah di Laskar Pelangi kini tinggal kenangan. Sedangkan sekolah yang dibangun ayah saya sekarang tumbuh berkembang,” ungkap Pak Husni.
Sekolah tersebut awalnya hanya memanfaatkan musalla yang ada di kebun sawit di Kabanjahe, Sumatera Utara. Di situ, anak-anak di sekitar kebun sawit bisa belajar dengan gratis. Orang tua Pak Husni mengajarkan pendidikan berbasis Islam di tengah komunitas Kristen. Semuanya berjalan dengan harmoni yang indah.
Suatu hari, ada satu pengusaha kaya yang salat di musalla tersebut dan menyaksikan semangat anak-anak yang sedang mengikuti pendidikan. Dia berbicara dengan ayah Pak Husni dan tersentuh. Kemudian, pengusaha itu membeli lahan di sekitar untuk dijadikan lembaga pendidikan yang lebih layak. Lembaga pendidikan tersebut kemudian berkembang meski statusnya saat itu masih milik yayasan.
Sebelum ayah meninggal, sekolah itu diperjuangkan untuk menjadi sekolah negeri meski ditentang oleh donatur. Alasannya, banyak sekolah pemerintah yang tak terurus, sementara sekolah milik yayasan tersebut sudah menjadi sekolah favorit. “Ayah tetap memperjuangkan menjadi sekolah negeri karena tidak ada yang mengurus nanti. Anak-anaknya tidak ada yang tertarik mengurus sekolah,” tutur Pak Husni.
Dia tertarik untuk membukukan kisah perjuangan ayahnya dalam membangun pendidikan dalam sebuah buku. “Kini bukunya sedang ditulis oleh kawan saya, “ lanjut Pak Husni tatkala itu.
Selain berkisah tentang perjuang ayahnya dalam membangun pendidikan, Pak Husni juga bercerita tentang kematian ayahnya. Ketika ayahnya berpulang, Pak Husni sedang berada di tengah hutan karena tugas riset. Namun, ia sudah mendapat firasat ketika diminta pulang secara mendadak. Sayangnya, ia tetap tidak bisa melihat ayahnya sebelum wafat karena masih berada di tengah hutan. Pak Husni berselisih jalan dengan pembawa pesan yang hendak mengabari ayahnya sakit keras. “Tapi begitulah rencana Allah...” ujar Pak Husni dengan suara dan gestur yang sangat khas.
Percakapan di Hotel Hermes di Banda Aceh tersebut menjadi awal keakraban saya dengan Pak Husni. Seusai acara tersebut, Pak Husni melakukan roadshow ke sejumlah KIP kabupaten/kota di Aceh, termasuk ke kantor KIP Aceh Utara di Lhokseumawe. Di sana—setelah memberikan pengarahan kepada seluruh anggota KIP Aceh Utara—Pak Husni pamit ke kamar kecil. Begitu keluar, dia menyerahkan segepok uang seratusan ribu rupiah kepada saya. Katanya, ia bangga ada komisioner di kabupaten yang memiliki beberapa buku, meski buku tersebut tidak berkaitan dengan kepemiluan.
Buku fiksi 693 KM Jejak Gerilya Sudirman tersebut ia beli dan ia hadiahkan kepada seluruh ketua KPUD provinsi di Indonesia. Semangat dan kejujuran Jenderal Sudirman ia harapkan menjadi teladan bagi komisioner menjadi alasan lain ia menghadiahi novel tersebut. namun, jumlah uang yang ia serahkan terlalu banyak dibandingkan harga buku.
“Ambil saja, Sebagai bentuk apresiasi saya, dan untuk menambah semangat Ayi menulis,” sahutnya.
Di mata saya, Pak Husni juga sebagai penikmat kuliner. Selama di Aceh, ia sering menikmati kopi dan mie aceh. Sebelumnya, setelah pelantikan KIP kabupaten/kota, tahun 2013, saya duduk di depannya di sebuah warung kopi di Banda Aceh dan ia sangat menyukai mie kepiting. Ceritanya tentang kopi mengalir lancar disela-sela diskusi kepemiluan. Gaya bicara Pak Husni, gesturnya, ketenangannya, bahkan nada suaranya, masih terpatri kuat dalam benak saya. Wawancara Pak Husni dengan sebuah surat kabar nasional mengenai kesuksesannya menggelar pemilu 2014 yang transparan, saya simpan dan akan selalu saya ingat yang menekankan pentingnya keteguhan kepada aturan.
Dalam rapat kerja terakhir yang saya ikuti bersama Pak Husni di Jakarta, Juni 2016, Pak Husni menyampaikan kabar gembira bagi seluruh komisioner menyangkut peningkatan uang kehormatan dan untuk pertama kalinya, komisioner juga mendapatkan tunjangan hari raya (THR). Saya mengucapkan terima kasih di Twitter dan Pak Husni me-retweet kicauan tersebut seperti biasa. Seorang jurnalis media daring nasional yang mengira saya masih aktif sebagai jurnalis membalas; ini kicauan wartawan terakhir yang di-retweet Pak Husni.
Pak Husni telah pergi di usianya yang masih sangat muda (41 tahun), sama seperti Jenderal Sudirman yang wafat di usia 34 tahun. Namun, ketenangan, kejujuran, dan kedisiplinannya menjadi teladan sepanjang masa. Bagi seluruh penyelenggara negara, bagi seluruh anak bangsa.[]