Taking place at a hotel in downtown of Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan Province, on Saturday, the book launch event was part of the commemorative programs of the 2020 National Press Day's Anniversary.
The book that he wrote along with two ANTARA journalists and a former journalist of Tempo news magazine, is part of Tamrin's ongoing endeavors to implement a cultural approach and strategy in developing his city and improving the prosperity of his people over the past eight years of his leadership in Baubau.
In implementing the culturally-based development approach, Tamrin revives and re-internalizes the genuine cultural and philosophical values as well as local wisdoms, deeply rooted in the lives of the people of Buton Island from generation to generation since the early era of the Kingdom of Buton in Southeast Sulawesi.
"The values of 'Polima' are compatible with the basic principles of our State Ideology Pancasila," he told the attendants of the book launching event that was officially opened by the representative of the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) Central Executive Board, Professor Rajab Ritonga.
The five "Po" values comprise "pomaamaasiaka" (love one another), "popiapiara" (care and protect one another), "poangkaangkataka" (respect and support one another for human dignity), "pomaemaeka" (feel ashamed of doing wrongdoings), and "pobincibinciki kuli" (do not hurt one another), he explained.
Tamrin said the implementation of these "Polima" values is not just necessary for administering the city government and residents, but it may also help strive President Joko Widodo's mental revolution initiative as a key to changing the mindset of Indonesians.
The book launch was followed by a book review by three leading experts of the Public Administration Institute (IPDN), including Professor Ermaya Suradinata, Professor Khassan Effendy, and dan Dr Sampara Lukman, MA.
According to Ermaya Suradinata, AS Tamrin who obtained his doctoral degree from IPDN after successfully defending his dissertation on the "Polima" in 2016 could have explored and synthesized the cultural and philosophical values and local wisdom of his people, and adopt them in administering Baubau and his people towards a better city and better quality of people.
Professor Rajab Ritonga, a scholar of communication science at the Jakarta-based University of Prof.Dr.Moestopo and former journalist of Indonesia's national news agency ANTARA, also commented on the main point of AS Tamrin's book saying that the "Polima" values were quite relevant to a collective endeavor to make a better Indonesia.
Owing to the significant achievement of his city administration over the past eight years through a culturally-based development strategy, AS Tamrin, who was born in Baubau on Nov 20, 1952, was selected by the PWI's board of examiners as one of 10 cultural award winners of the PWI during the commemoration of the anniversary of this year's National Press Day.
He was awarded the title along with nine other city mayors and district heads, including Ibnu Sina of Banjarmasin (South Kalimantan), Soekirman of Serdang Bedagai (North Sumatra), Danny Missy of West Halmahera (North Maluku), Richard Louhenapessy of Ambon city (Maluku), and Umar Ahmad of West Tulangbawang (Lampung).
The awards were also presented to Anang Syakhfiani of Tabalong (South Kalimantan), Airin Rachmi Diany of South Tangerang (Banten), Badingah of Gunung Kidul (Yogyakarta), and Indah Putri Adriani of North Luwu (South Sulawesi).
