VIVAnews - His success in unraveling the terrorist atrocity in Bali on 12 October 2002 made him famous in wide circles, both national and international. In fact, it helped I Made Mangku Pastika win the Bali provincial election, which made him the first democratically elected governor of the island.
Who would have guessed that the man, who was born in the village of Sanggalangit, Buleleng, Bali on 22 June 1951, is a son of a teacher who grew up in the transmigration area? Growing up, since he was in fifth grade at Bubunan 3 public school, Pastika earned his own allowance by mowing grass or selling flowers.
When Mount Agung in Bali erupted in 1963, his family decided to join the transmigration program to Bengkulu. In their new home, his father, I Ketut Meneng, worked as a school principal, while his mother, I Nyoman Kinten, who still lives with him now, was a housewife. Pastika, who later became Chief of Police of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Papua and Bali, spent his early adulthood in the transmigration area.
At that time, his house was barely enough to accommodate the entire family. Thus, not infrequently, he would have to sleep on the chairs in one of his father's classrooms.
Pastika had to work hard to help his family survive. He tried many different jobs, including working as a helper for a Chinese family and selling ice cream. His hard work was rewarded when he made it through senior high school SMA 2 in Palembang.
Pastika started his career as a police officer even though it did not cross his mind before. He was at first merely accompanying his friend who wanted to enroll in the police academy.
“At first, I only accompanied my friend. However, when I learned that the school was free of charge, I enrolled myself in the academy,” said the 1974 graduate of the Indonesian police and military academy. He was admitted to the academy and by the time his career as a police ended, he retired as a three star general.
Pastika's achievement was quite exceptional. For instance, when he still served as an officer at West Jakarta Police Department, he successfully foiled a major smuggling attempt of electrical appliances at Tanjung Priok Harbor. The smugglers used a large cargo truck to transport their load to the warehouse. The suspects spoke in Chinese. Pastika, who understood the language well, ordered his men to stop the truck as it was about to enter the warehouse.
Pastika always completed his assignments successfully. This included the time when he was appointed chief of East Nusa Tenggara Police, which at the time was filled with refugees from East Timor.
From the NTT, he was appointed chief of Papua Police Department and assigned by his superior to investigate the murder of Theys Ulewai, a local leader. Despite being surrounded by conflict, Pastika has always managed to accomplish his tasks in a peaceful way.
His experience in the police mobile brigade and the criminal investigation unit helped him make the right decisions. He has always despised the gambling habits of the Balinese, his people, which lead them to ignore the education and the wellbeing of their family.
“I have personally experienced the negative impacts of gambling. My grandfather, who was previously a wealthy man with lots of property, went bankrupt due to gambling,” said Pastika.
Pastika remembered one time when he came across the Bali Police Department and wanted to be appointed police chief of his native province. Unfortunately, Pastika cannot hold the position at the time because he was overqualified. At that time he was already a two-star general, while the post was open only for a one-star general.
However, his wish soon came true. He was appointed Bali's Police Chief after its status was elevated to a two-star position. Prior to becoming Bali’s Police Chief, he had served as vice head of the criminal investigation bureau of the Indonesian National Police and the head of the Bali Bombing investigation team. After retiring from the police department, I Made Mangku Pastika was elected governor of Bali in August 2008, a position he still holds until today.
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Coverage by: Wima Saraswati | Bali.
Translated by: Edwin Solahuddin
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