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The 5th President of the Republic of Indonesia Megawati Soekarnoputri has just finished a speech on Ir Ciputra’s biography, “The Passion of My Life”, when Ir Ciputra entered the stage.

A moment later, Ciputra grabs the microphone and speaks slowly. “To mark the launch of this book, I want you to do a demonstration here,” said the man who usually called Pak Ci, to Megawati.

Chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) is one of the guests of honor at the Founders Day 2017 Ciputra Group as well as the celebration of the 36th anniversary of this business group at the Auditorium Ciputra Artpreneur, Jakarta, Wednesday (29/11).

On stage, Megawati, who was wearing a bright blue kebaya and matching cloth, was accompanied by Pak Ci and her son and daughter-in-law, as well as the Governor of Bank Indonesia Agus Martowardojo.

Pak Ci also gave a challenge to Megawati, that is how to make a boiled egg standing upright on the table without holding a bit. While undertaking the challenge, the second daughter of President Soekarno’s First RI said about eating habits in his family.

“My kids do not like to eat eggs. So to persuade them, I like [ber] pretending to be a magician. I told the children, if I can make this egg stand without holding it, they should want to eat it, “Mega recalled the audience laughed.

Then, Mega deftly stuck the egg on the table that has been provided, to make it stand without support. The action was followed by Pak Ci, his sons and daughters, and Agus to mark the official launch of a 600-page book written by Albethine Endah.

If you look closely, the action is not just a gimmick to show something different from a book launch event. There is a philosophical meaning to convey Pak Ci behind a game called the Columbus Egg.

The simple trick was said to have been first performed by Christopher Columbus while attending a dinner in Spain in order to award the award for his achievement of discovering the ‘new world’, the American continent.

In the middle of a banquet, suddenly there is someone who denounces it by saying that finding a new continent is not spectacular, because anyone can do it. Responding to that, Columbus challenged everyone present at the dinner to make an egg stand upright without holding it.

After a try and nothing works, Columbus takes his egg and slightly cracks the bottom of the egg and puts it vertically on the table. Everyone was shocked, and that’s when he exclaimed, “This is the simplest thing in the world. Everyone can do it easily, but after being shown how. “

The meaning behind the Columbus Egg is a reflection of what has been faced by Ciputra. Today, people are more familiar with it as a tycoon that guards the development empire of PT Pembangunan Jaya (1961), PT Metropolitan Development (1970), and Ciputra Group (1981).

Many think the 86-year-old man is a wealthy conglomerate from birth and has never known life difficult. That is why many people chatter, “Well, it’s easy for a Ciputra to establish his business empire and become the number one philanthropist in Indonesia.”

In fact, the transformation of a Tjie Tjin Hoan into a successful entrepreneur named Ciputra is traversed by steep roads and extraordinarily heavy struggles. “I just have the energy that is driven by ideals and dreams,” said the father of Rina, Junita, Cakra, and Candra Ciputra it.

Born from a simple family in Parigi, Central Sulawesi, Ciputra claims he can not leave the inner wound he experienced during his childhood. However, the wound is the incentive to fight the situation.

When his father was taken by the Japanese army, Mr. Ci’s family lived in a hut house and only had two cows. To be able to eat, sometimes Pak Ci have to hunt in the forest. “At that time, I decided that in order to move forward I had to go to school. I give everything to keep going, “he said.

Living life with all the limitations, Pak Ci and his family often swallow insults from others. However, he managed to prove himself as a man of dignity by studying architecture at the Bandung Institute of Technology.

While still a student, Pak Ci has struggled to establish CV Daya Cipta which now becomes PT Perentjana Djaja. In 1961, a major breakthrough began with the guard of PT Pembangunan Jaya.

The company also became a stepping stone to lobby Jakarta development project to the then Governor, Soemarno Sosroatomdjo. He offers the concept of Ancol area development in North Jakarta to become a folk recreation center.

Together with Soemarno, Ciputra was invited directly to meet President Soekarno to discuss projects that seemed impossible to do at the time. Moreover, Ancol region was still tangible swamp and famous prone to crime.

“I remember my father, Bung Karno, often invite me to eat satay madura in Marunda area. Every time we go through Ancol. And at that time my father said that one day Ancol no longer be a nest of monkeys, but a place of recreation, “said Mega.

According to Mega, his father told a businessman named Ciputra who promised to overhaul the face of Ancol. “Since then Ciputra’s name finally stuck in my memory and I keep following her story, even though I do not know it was her past full of suffering.”

Currently, Taman Impian Jaya Ancol is one of Jakarta’s icon. The younger generation may regard it as ordinary, but they do not realize that the site is the realization of the promise and the big dream of Tjie Tjin Hoan Son Parigi.

Mr. Ci’s life record became an inspiration to many people, including the Governor of Bank Indonesia Agus Martowardjojo. For him, Dian Sumeler’s husband is a visionary person, has big dreams, strong adheres, hardworking, simple, committed, and consistent in achieving dreams.

“Ciputra is a figure who upholds the standard of professionalism. Not just a property maestro and a developer, he is a true entrepreneur. His integrity and honesty are the main character of a leader, “said Agus.

Currently, after 36 years of work, Ciputra Group has expanded more than 45 cities in Indonesia and abroad with over 130 projects ranging from residential, commercial, hotel, golf course, and so on.

Only with a capital of Rp10 million, Pak Ci managed to prove that with high determination, small capital can be developed into a giant corporation such as PT Ciputra Development Tbk. with assets of Rp32 trillion.

“All my projects have to have their Columbus eggs. There must be something different, “said Pak Ci.

Ciputra Group President Director Candra Ciputra said at the age of more than 3 decades, the company is committed to improving the quality of life of stakeholders and bringing sustainable impacts for the country.

“Therefore, the well-preserved [Pak Ci] vision is raised in a celebration [Ciputra biography book launch] which can be given the theme of Sustainable Innovation.” He hopes his father’s spirit can inspire the young generation to have an entrepreneurial spirit.

(Source : Bisnis Indonesia)