PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - Abah Landoeng was one of the witnesses to the history of the 1955 Asian-African Conference in Bandung. He was in charge of collecting cars for the KAA participating delegates. The struggle to collect a car is not easy.

He worked on collecting cars after teaching in the afternoon. After sunset, Abah Landoeng immediately went around several places in Bandung to look for a car. Onthel's bicycle became a good friend who accompanied him on duty.

For two weeks, Abah Landoeng was able to collect 14 cars from various parts of the city of Bandung. The cars collected were considered luxurious for their time, such as the Mercy, Dodge and Impala. For Abah Landoeng, car owners who are willing to borrow their car have full trust in him.

Car owners know Abah Landoeng as a teacher. Cars were also used by the KAA participating delegates without needing to be rented. He collected 14 cars because time was limited. However, 14 cars were finally collected along with hundreds of other cars for use during the 1955 KAA.

Abah Landoeng was appointed by President Soekarno as the Rain Charmer. After KAA, Abah returned to being a teacher and in 1963 he was sent at Sukarno's request to Malaysia to eradicate illiteracy in the neighboring country.

This man, who has now entered his old age, was also an important part in making the song Oemar Bakrie sung by Iwan Fals very popular, especially in the 90s generation.

Landoeng or known as Abah Landoeng was born in Bandung on July 11 1926. He studied at Algemeen Metddelbare School (AMS) because his father was a foreman who took part in the construction of Gedung Sate.

When he was young, Landoeng used to work as a ball taker on golf and tennis courts. From his job, he collects penny by penny to buy rice and basic necessities.

After graduating from AMS, around 1942, young Landoeng toured the city of Bandung on his moped.

He would ask the pelvisers or farmers he met if they could read. If not, Landoeng will stop and teach them to read with a small blackboard and chalk that he puts on his moped.

Landoeng also taught rich merchants in Pasar Baru who were also illiterate. From these rich merchants, Landoeng usually gets food and drink.

He fought for education by teaching through reading to people who were illiterate and one of the stories of his struggle was when he was cycling and met farmers and was asked if he could read.

They couldn't, by their own admission, so he stopped cycling and was indirectly taught to read. At the time of independence, he was appointed as a teacher at SMPN 4 Bandung

However, despite his teacher status, he also took part in the war against Dutch and Japanese colonialism. After the war of independence, in 1950 he was sent to Malaysia to overcome the problem of illiteracy.
(Diskominfo Bandung City/UPI)