Azim Premji

Posted on September 27, 2007

He is obviously the only Forbes 2007 Top 30 Billionaires who drives a humble Ford car, wears non-branded suits and flies with Economy class. An idol all Indonesians, including the corrupt bureaucrats, the haves and the stupid celebrities, should follow.

A few days after I came home some months ago, a friend who works with the UNDP (United Nation for Development Program) came to me asking me a difficult and very important question: how to earadicate corrupt practices in this country. I know him well. His integrity, honesty and gut to go against a corrupt trend is well known and earns him a national fame. His question must’ve been serious. And my answer should be as serious as it can get.

I talked about it from various angles; socio-cultural, politics, religion, etc. How every aspect of lives we, Indonesians, associated and affiliated could be used either way–as weapon for negative and positive purposes. And most important, who can do the best job for that.

When I talked about what our socio-cultural level can do, one name came up in my mind: Azim Premji of India. We needs an icon with gigantic charisma not only for his abundant wealth but also at the same time for his simplicity and humility. This is a personality we dont have and should have sooner or later to set a reversal trend; a strong personality who as hardworking as anyone else, as rich as any billionaires in any parts of the world, capable of having anything money can buy; yet as far as his daily lives goes, he’s just a simple and humble person who…

…travels abroad (he flies business on long hauls, economy on domestic tours), he even packs a travel iron and detergent powder to wash clothes on his own. He is not comfortable with branded wear (I could not make out what brand his blue shirt was, considering that I turned up in an Allen Solly and a Ralph Martin tie). His wristwatch was Indian — no fancy Swiss brands. Even his shoes were ordinary. He has no 3-door Lincoln special (he graduated from a Tata Sierra to a Ford Escort). No bodyguards. No security paraphernalia. He in fact jogs up the ten floors to remain fit as a fiddle at 54 (he hardly ever uses the lift). [1]

In 2006 FORBES ranked him at 25th among the world richest. In 2007 FORBES ranks him at 21 on the World Richest Billionaires. Yet, as mentioned above, he even doesn’t have a fancy brand wear; and nor even a Mercedez.

Someone who amassed a lot of wealth and not using it for personal “glory” must be a great man with a very strong personality; one who is not so concerned with prevalent trend of extravagant lives. A kind of individual who sees money as a tools for higher purpose: to trickle it down to those who need it the most. One who emphasises more on quality, integrity and excellence. Money is just the result of those; not the goal in itself.

Indonesia, I told my good friend, needs someone like him. To be an umbrella, a trend setter against the prevalent trend; a trend which regards money and wealth as the sole purpose of lives, of pride, of dignity and consequently desperately try hard to have it no matter how to achieve it including by justifying all means possible in one’s power.

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Notes:
[1] Quoted from India Today magazine

Filed Under Blogger Indonesia, Culture, Fatih Syuhud, Indonesia, Personality