NIPPON MARU CORNER: LET THE HISTORY SAY SOMETHING SOMEDAY
In 1989, the Indonesian participants of the Nippon Maru Program (Indonesia Participant Youth/IPY) were granted a distinguished opportunity to engage in discussion with H.E. Tuk Setyohadi, then Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Singapore. The meeting took place in the formal setting of the Indonesian Embassy, where the atmosphere was dignified yet cordial. Seated neatly around the discussion table, the IPY listened attentively as the Ambassador spoke of diplomacy, Indonesia’s role in the region, and the quiet responsibilities carried by young people who represent their nation beyond its shores.
Among them sat a Participant Youth named Joni Setia Budi, better known to his friends as Joni Bond. Throughout the entire discussion, Joni Bond remained perfectly silent. He neither raised his hand nor uttered a single word, choosing instead to absorb every exchange with a calm, observant gaze. His silence was not awkward; it was deliberate—an act of attentive presence, as though he had decided that listening itself was his chosen contribution to the moment.
Only after the formal discussion had concluded did Joni Bond make his move. With a casual air and a glint of quiet mischief, he approached Ito-chan, a fellow participant from Jakarta (now in Bali), and politely asked to be photographed at the discussion table. His request was precise: the microphone had to be clearly visible in front of him. When asked why, he offered a simple explanation—so that history might one day record that he had delivered a speech in the office of the Indonesian Ambassador to Singapore.
That small, playful gesture became one of the most fondly remembered moments among the IPY of Nippon Maru 1989. In Joni Bond’s thoughtful silence and his carefully staged photograph, there was a gentle irony that drew both laughter and admiration. It was a reminder that history is not shaped only by words spoken aloud, but also by how moments are remembered—and sometimes, by how cleverly one ensures that they are never forgotten.
IPY-89
