News Media and Web Journalism

"People Get Only One Job, I Get More"

A middle-age man was seen in front of a house. He wore a peasant clothes: only short pants and red worn-out T-shirt. His hair looked white. He was still painting the wall, not too long after he finished arranging the plants. People passing by will shout to him, "Work well!" For no reason, everyone would believe that this man was working in that house as a servant or gardener.

However, the judgment would change after knowing this man. His name is Duduh Santoso, who is now in his fourty-ninth. He is actually the owner of the house, not the servant or the gardener as what had been believed by some passer-byes. He lives in this house for 24 years now.

"The reason why I wear a common, even worn-out, clothes is because it is comfortable to use when I do painting or gardening. I usually wear this kind of clothes since it is my style at home", answered Mr. Duduh in the conversation. "I wear this kind of clothes, too in my office if I get to arrange the garden of the office. I am as responsible for about 50 ha office area, so that is why eventhough I am now occupied as the Building Maintenance System of PLN Corporate University Kedung Mundu Semarang, I have to not only ordering my men to work but also to be together with them doing some of the works."

Another unique thing about Mr. Duduh, in a glance, people might say that he does corruption so that his home will be this big and large. By judging from his occupation, his salary will never be that high to build a large house like this. "My neighbors will always say that this home is built because I do corruption. In fact, no, I'm not. People get one job, I get more. I am not only as officer in PLN, but also as motorcycle broker, you know, the one who buy one certain motorcycle then re-selling it to another people. Besides that, if there is guests or students coming from outside Semarang, I am then appointed as chaffeur to pick them up. People who have the same job as mine might object to be the chaffeur, but me, not. I do that because despite the fact that it is my boss' order, the payment is good", explained Mr. Duduh, "I was also graduated from Vocational High School majoring Building. So, in the weekend, if there is any of my relatives or my neighbors needing my help to fix or build their home, I will do it."

The reasons of Mr. Duduh is simply judged is actually interesting: how his common clothes style makes him to be judged as a servant in his own house. Even, his surrounding judgment of his large house as his result of his corruption will be rejected by his explanation that he has more than one job to give him proper payment to build the house.