Businessman Hengky Suryawan, with various social activities
reported by: Setiawan Liu
Kepri, 6 Mei 2021/Indonesia Media – Doing business of Shipyard and Cruise in Tanjungpinang City and Batam (province of Riau Islands / Kepri) with a number of 1600 workers including some shipping engineers, the shipyard’s operational is on a 30-hectare land near the Port of Telaga Punggur, Batam and adjacent to the project of Batam – Bintan bridge. The shipyard business, PT Bahtera Bahari Shipyard was built 30 years ago. His business is not always smooth, but the biggest constraint is the soaring price of iron plates. Ship-making processes are often bumped with the price of iron plates. “Year 2021, the need (a ship repair) in the semester 2021 to 2024 is quite significant. There has already been order (ship manufacturing) for nickel, alumina, manganese mills and so on. The industry of agricultural commodities also needs barges. The need of tug & barge reaches 250 sets per year, “said Hengky Suryawan (73 years)
In the midst of his tight schedule, working on his business, he always has time for social activities, religious, namely Buddhism. He himself is a strict vegan, developing compassion for all living things, in a sense of Buddhist’s teachings. He is building a big monastery in Tanjungpinang currently. He sacrifices some of his business to put into the monastery. “I believe (the monastery) accommodates many people comparing to living places which are for personal life. This happens to all religions and the devotees, not only Buddhism,” he said.
He started to build the monastery in 2000, and managed to hold the opening ceremony of the main prayer hall six years later. The construction is still in progress for the supporting building, including the pagoda. Many students come to the temple for recreation during the weekend. “When we need to build and develop something till we manage to discover the joy of good deeds, we need patience and commitment. It takes time to do a job, while wishing to perform good deeds. But I can see and I can feel, (that) my commitment affects my health, even my longevity when I started to build the monastery,” he said.
As the new Order Government (the regime of former Indonesian president, the late Soeharto), he was active in the activities of the Communications Body to Guide National Unity (Bakom PKB) in the province of Kepri (1983 – 1998). The organization was finished when the New Order Government collapsed (in 1998). Since revolving reforms, Bakom PK was finished. “It was actually good because the native chiefs stayed together, side by side in complete harmony,” said Hengky Suryawan.
Members of Bakom PKB were inaugurated by government officials. Most of the members were Chinese. If there was an internal conflict among the natives, the chairman of the Bakom PKB would reconcile them. Something experience is valuable and memorable to him because of intensive communication between the chiefs and members of Bakom PKB. “There was no indoctrination towards Indonesian Chinese people. Once I advised the government to turn on Singapore which is heterogeneous. There were Indians, Malay, Chinese, westerners in Singapore and there is harmony among ethnicity and class,” said a member of The Veterans’ Legion of Indonesia (LVRI).
Besides, he attended the class of Lemhanas (Indonesian national resilience institute), namely KSA (short educational course Programs) for four weeks. The Participants of KSA including Amien Rais (Chairman of the People’s Consultation Assembly / MPR; 1999-2004), Kwik Kian Gie (Former PDIP Politician), Megawati (5th President of RI), Yogie SM (Governor of West Java, 1985-1993), Christianto Wibisono (Indonesian business analyst in Indonesia), Faisal Basri (economist). “the participants of KSA were not obliged to prepare working papers (during the KSA in Lemhanas), we only had discussion on the essentials of nation-building programs are those in which unstable or economies, Nation-building which is generally assumed that someone or something is doing the building intentionally. At that time, we criticized the New Order Government,” said Hengky Suryawan. (sl/IM)
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