No Such Thing as Can't : One Man's Journey Across the Southern Seas, through Poverty and Ordeals, to become one of Indonesia's Most Prominent Bankers

by Iskan, Dahlan

• ISBN13: 9781462019236
• ISBN10: 1462019234
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-06-21
• Publisher: Author Solutions

Excerpts

Chapter OneRescuing the Bank with Blood, Sweat, and TearsThere were many highlights of happiness Karmaka Surjajuda has had in his 74 years life journey. There is one which stands out the most among others: to witness how NISP had become one of the most prominent banks in Indonesia.Why was it so?By almost all accounts, the bank founded by his father in law-Lim Khe Tjie, should have been torn apart. It should have been smashed to the worst anyone could imagine. If it were a boat, there were simply too many storms which could have drowned it. It was marvelous that ach time the boat started to sink; Karmaka would be able to get 'the boat' back to floating again. Then, in some miraculous ways, he would be able to fix the engine again. Further by adding more 'fuel' of his blood, sweat and tears, he succeeded at making the NISP boat back on course to become what it is today.Who would not have felt amazed and delighted to see NISP, which has gone though unpredictable tortuous routes from a small local bank, limited to West Java only, and ranked below 50th, is now, in 2008, among the Big Ten banks of Indonesia, with more than 360 branches, 500 its own ATM machines, 1,000,000 customers, and an asset of 3 billion US Dollars.The blissfulness was multiplied many more times by this one fact: The current leadership of NISP Bank are non others but his own children, the next younger generation, Pramukti and Parwati, who have, from their initiatives, successfully established the new foundation for the growth, development and modernization of the bank.Karmaka felt so blessed that he had gone through the passage of life accomplishing many good deeds. When he was painfully fighting for the survival of the NISP "ship" against the unceasing assaults of the raging storms, he could still guide and prepare his children so that they would be the foundation of the bank in the future. Eventually, his plan and efforts have been successfully proven to be so.Karmaka was also delighted that he was still able to witness with his own eyes the new development of NISP with his children leading, a witnessing with feeling full of pride. Karmaka did not ever dreamt that at age 74 he was still able to see and feel the "flag" of NISP triumphantly rose higher and higher to its peak of today. Moreover, Karmaka was still able to participate in visiting the bank branches and advising his children who are now holding the helm of the bank.On the contrary, it was a miracle that he survived at all. Karmaka should not have witness all of his accomplishment. Karmaka should not have lived on this earth many a time. Karmaka was supposed to die and be buried a long time ago. Several times he was attempted to be murdered. At a time he attempted to commit suicide. He had been admitted to hospitals tens of times, undergoing several minor and major surgeries, being in several comatose conditions. Also, Karmaka suffered a mental torture in desperation when faced with seemingly unsolvable predicaments to save NISP Bank from extinction, not of his own fault but by circumstances and fate, including the mental pressure of having to lay off thousands of loyal employees, comrade-in-arms during the struggles to save the bank.Karmaka often asked himself: Why when one crisis was overcome, other crises relentlessly followed behind. No matter how convoluted the problems faced to save the bank; how exhausted his mental and physical capabilities to cope, and how grave his illness was that he should have died, yet as if by miracle, someone or some circumstance that gave him a way out and resolution.Of course, at the time Karmaka was in his seventies, to be exact 74 years old, NISP has apparently grown into a strong bank. As if by miracle, Karmaka was indeed destined to see the success of NISP, as a gift from God to a person who, in his life time, was willing to work hard, to be fair to others, to use his wits and skills to their best, and to repent for his mistakes and sins. "Later, I will tell the remorse I felt because of the actions I took and decisions I made," he said.Karmaka finally felt that God is good. With his wife, who had been always steadfastly on his side in facing the challengers, they were still destined to see their children, guided by them, showing their prestigious accomplishment. Either the children who joined the bank or the one who became a civil servant, all showed their best; and all were the prides of Karmaka and his wife. "All their accomplishment I can see with my own eyes," said Karmaka.In spite of being saved by good people from several attempted murders and from his attempted suicide, but he still have to face other causes of death. In 1996 Karmaka was pronounce to die. "One very famous liver specialist in the Untied States determined that I was too late to be discovered with a terminal liver disease," said Karmaka.Karmaka had done his best by all means to hear more advices and find remedies for it. "I have traveled to the best hospitals in this world. But all said that I could not be saved anymore," said Karmaka.The only way that could give him a slight hope was to get a liver transplant. "But I did not want to do it," said Karmaka. Why did he not want to do it? At that time, 12 years ago, liver live transplant was still an experimental surgical procedure. The risk was still very high. "I rejected it. I would rather die in Bandung," he said.But deteriorating functions of his liver and upon the forceful insistent of his wife and children, he relented to have a liver transplant, which proved to be successful beyond the expectation even of the liver transplant experts. The liver has been well functioning to this day. However, five years after the liver transplant, came another pronouncement of death. The doctor discovered that Karmaka has a severe kidney disease. It came to a point that his kidneys were so gravely malfunction that Karmaka was thrown in a comatose state. "Every one thought that I would soon die. My portrait had been prepared for my funeral preparation," said Karmaka laughing. At the time, the children flew the still unconscious Karmaka abroad to save. Karmaka did not know at all of those happening. Later Karmaka relented to have one his worse kidney surgically taken out, because cancerous cells were discovered there and not long later had a kidney transplant for the worsening remaining kidney."I, who has once been arrogant to God, eventually I admit the greatness and the blessing of God. He made me alive after my suicide attempt. After the pronouncement of death from the two doctors for my lethal diseases, He saved me. Even after being readied for my funeral, He gave more years to live," Karmaka said.And God... there was one more.Karmaka was faced with three murder attempts, but God, the all knowing, recognized who the evils were and wisely knew on whose side He was. "Apparently, I was favored to live," Karmaka said.Karmaka said that he was blessed by being saved from the many deaths to a time when he was able to see the results of his many sacrifices, his good intentions, his dedications, and his remorse to mistakes."I am apparently also given the chance to tell his life story to all of you. Who knows it could be a comparison to a person's life. I am going to tell the story honestly what the problems were that almost sank NISP, how I overcome the problems, what threats I have to counter, why I decided to commit suicide, who had been meritoriously involved in saving NISP," he said."I also will also tell the stories of how I had to face grave illness and one-by-one overcame them, why and how I prepare my children, how my wife's roles were extremely crucial, and how I feel now after all the bog problems were over, and seeing NISP grew to prosperity under the leadership the third generation from the founding of the bank on 4 April 1941 sixty year ago!!!," said Karmaka.