The New President Director of Indramayu PDAM: Between the Fountain of Officials and the People’s Tears
By: Adlan Daie
Political and socio-religious analyst
For the newly appointed President Director (CEO) of Indramayu PDAM, it’s important to pay close attention to the statement of Acep Syahril, an Indramayu poet. He wrote this on his Facebook account:
“THE TAP WATER IS OFF. YOU PDAM MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY,” he wrote, continuing:
“PDAM, can we issue a warning letter to terminate the employment of the President Director or the official responsible for providing clean water? Just as you often issue us warning letters to terminate our subscriptions when we are late paying our monthly bills?”
The sentence above is quite simple, but it carries the weight of a harsh slap to any official with even the slightest degree of political civilization. That is the essence of democracy, said Amartha Sen, the 1998 Nobel Prize winner in economics.
“Democracy is not just about how someone, anyone, has the right and freedom to rule, but also about the freedom for the people to ignite the flames of protest against any public official,” wrote Amartha Sen.
Long before the establishment of modern democracy, Ali ibn Abi Tholib, in his book “Nahjul Balaghah,” emphasized the importance of public criticism of those in power to reduce the possibility of officials acting recklessly and deceitfully.
“Wala takunanna inni mu’ammarotun fa’utha’a,” Ali wrote in high-level Arabic in the book, meaning “do not feel that you were appointed to office through a legal mechanism and then demand 100% obedience from the people without reservation or criticism.”
Officials at any level and in any power without public criticism will, once again, in Quranic terms, be “Attakatsur,” reckless. Those who are reckless and cunning will hasten their descent into the pit of “Maqobir,” falling into disgrace and humiliation.
This is what Lord Action’s dictum, “Power tends to corrupt, absolute power, corrupt absolutely,” refers to: power tends to corrupt, and power without criticism, or even worshipped as “unlimited,” will lead to insanely corrupt behavior.
We don’t need to have “high” expectations of Regent Lucky Hakim and the new PDAM CEO, for example, to emulate the leadership example of Umar bin Khattab during his time as caliph (leader).
Umar bin Khattab, known for his firmness and even his stern appearance, suddenly collapsed in tears when he discovered a poor family unable to eat in his jurisdiction.
Umar bin Khattab’s crying was clearly not an act, nor was it simply due to negligence. for his responsibilities as a leader, but Umar bin Khattab imagined God’s wrath in the afterlife for neglecting the trust entrusted to him.
The spiritual message is that a leader’s responsibility is not merely administrative and political, but also physical and spiritual, even in the afterlife (for officials who believe in the afterlife).
This is where the urgency of democracy comes into play, which Francis Fukuyama defines as a “noble and civilized” political system in which the people actively control officials, regardless of their position.
Any position, including the position of regent and the President Director of the Regional Water Company (PDAM), is noble and must be maintained by everyone, including the person currently holding the position, to prevent any actions that may tarnish it.
Position is not a “spring” for the machinations of officials and their cronies, because the only consequences will inevitably be painful tears for the people. The more tears shed, the more political risks that can erupt into a devastating political flood.
An old adage, the wisdom of our ancestors, warns us “No matter how clever a squirrel can jump, it will still fall.” This means that no matter how sophisticated the political machinations of officials, the universe will stop them in unexpected ways.
Congratulations to the newly inaugurated officials. May the people not always be deceived by political machinations. **
Indramayu, October 18, 2025
Wassalam
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