“Dari Kuala Lumpur ke Palembang: Jangan Sampai Kita Cuma Jadi Terminal Transit Devisa!”

(Bilingual Article / Artikel Dua Bahasa: 🇮🇩 Indonesia – 🇬🇧 English Summary Below)

WARGA [orang] Sumsel ke luar negeri itu ibarat pergi ke dukun modern, buat berobat, belanja, dan… nyalon! Rebonding, sulam alis, facial kilat, sampai perawatan anti-aging diborong di Bukit Bintang. Tapi yang bikin heran, kenapa yang ke luar itu bukan anak muda yang mau sekolah, riset, atau magang, tapi emak-emak dengan agenda full spa dan belanja?.

Harusnya, kita dorong lebih banyak warga Sumsel untuk ke luar negeri bukan sekadar transfer saldo di mall Malaysia, tapi transfer ilmu! Sekolah, studi banding, pelatihan. Lalu balik ke Palembang bawa bekal inovasi, bukan cuma koper diskon dan hasil operasi hidung.

Bandara SMB II resmi disambangi pesawat internasional Kuala Lumpur–Palembang, naik Air Asia pula. Ibarat jodoh yang lama tak bertemu, akhirnya Malaysia dan Sumsel disatukan oleh langit dan pesawat nomor penerbangan AK-462.

Namun, mari kita renungkan sejenak, jangan sampai penerbangan Internasional ini cuma jadi “pintu keluar” bagi orang Sumsel berobat, belanja, dan nyalon ke luar negeri.

Masa kita bikin Bandara Internasional, namun devisanya nyasar ke tetangga sebelah?. Ibarat kita nanam cabai, yang makan sambalnya orang lain, padahal kita yang kepedasan. “Kalau tak bisa jadi tujuan, jangan cuma jadi perhentian”.

Penerbangan langsung Kuala Lumpur–Palembang ini seharusnya jadi alarm jam 5 pagi yang membangunkan Sumsel dari tidur ekonominya.

Bandara ini mesti hidup, bukan cuma lampu landasan yang nyala. Yuk, hidupkan juga hotel, UMKM, dan warung tepi jalan. Jangan sampai yang laris malah warung kopi di LCCT Malaysia!

Coba tengok Malaysia, Singapura, dan Thailand, wisata medis mereka bukan cuma rumah sakit, tapi juga industri. Orang datang bukan cuma buat berobat, tapi juga diajak belanja, makan, dan selfie sama suster.

Pepatah bilang, “Gajah mati meninggalkan gading, negara sehat meninggalkan devisa”.

Kenapa Sumsel gak kebut alias ngegas sekalian di wisata kesehatan?, Toh jalannya udah dibuka, RS Siti Fatimah udah katakanlah canggih, tinggal disolek dikit biar makin friendly buat pasien luar, pakai layanan berbahasa Inggris, standar pelayanan internasional, plus harga yang gak bikin jantung copot.

Kita juga punya sumber air panas alami, rempah melimpah, dan terapi tradisional yang bisa di-packaging jadi healing retreat ala Thailand. Wisata medis plus relaksasi?, boleh juga!, tinggal kita satukan langkah rumah sakit jalan, pariwisata gerak, kuliner ikut nyolek, dan tukang pijat refleksi pun senyum-senyum.

Gagasan Konkret Wisata Medis, bangun pusat layanan medis dengan serius kelas dunia, meski saat ini sudah  ada, tapi mayoritas yang berobat masih lokalan orang daerah,  Tawarkan paket “operasi plus wisata” misalnya, rawat jalan pagi, sore makan pempek di Benteng Kuto Besak.

Wisata Alam & Budaya, seperti  Sungai Musi bukan cuma buat nonton bidar setahun sekali, kembangkan river cruise ala Bangkok. Desa-desa seperti Lahat, Pagaralam, dan OKU bisa disulap jadi kampung wisata. Mau healing di kebun teh? Bisa!

Wisata Event & Olahraga, Jakabaring Sport City aktifkan lebih masif,  gelar Kejuaraan Maraton Internasional, Triathlon di danau Jakabaring, atau lomba perahu naga antar negara dan lainnya biar venue di Jakabaring gak tidur sepanjangan.

Belajar dari Banyuwangi yang dulunya sunyi, sekarang tiap minggu ada festival, Bali pun hidup karena agendanya padat. Nah, kita?, jangan sampai setelah rute dibuka, malah penumpangnya orang Palembang semua. Yang terbang ke sana buat operasi lutut, operasi dompet, sampai operasi plastik. Eh, balik ke Palembang cuma bawa kantong belanja dan ponakan baru.

Padahal ini kesempatan, jangan sampai Sumsel jadi “tempat transit” ekonomi, harusnya bisa jadi terminal devisa.”Kalau pemimpin hari ini jalan di trek pemimpin kemarin, bukan berarti tak punya arah, tapi tahu mana jalan yang tak bikin tergelincir”.

Sumsel sudah punya jejak, tinggal dilanjutkan dengan semangat baru, jangan malu belajar dari yang dulu-dulu, kalau perlu, modifikasi seperti mie instan ditambah topping kekinian.

Boleh aja contek Banyuwangi, Solo, bahkan Labuan Bajo, yang penting satu, kita jangan cuma bangga punya bandara internasional, tapi kosong tanpa wisatawan.

‘Wisatawan bukan datang karena dipanggil, tapi karena diberi alasan untuk datang dan diberi cerita”

Kalau Sumsel ingin maju, maka bandara bukan akhir, itu baru gerbang, membangun Sumsel yang bukan cuma dilewati, tapi dituju, bukan cuma untuk take off, tapi juga landing para investor, turis, dan devisa.[***]

🇬🇧 ENGLISH VERSION

“Palembang Takes Off—But Will the Money Ever Land?”

PEOPLE from South Sumatra going abroad these days? It’s like visiting a modern-day shaman: not for spiritual cleansing, but for shopping, skincare, surgery, and—yes—salon therapy! Rebonding, eyebrow embroidery, express facials, anti-aging treatments—everything gets checked off at Bukit Bintang. The funny thing is, it’s rarely the youth heading out to study or intern—it’s the aunties, armed with spa vouchers and shopping lists.

What we need is to encourage more Sumsel citizens to go abroad not just for mall-hopping and transferring money out, but for learning, training, and bringing back innovation! Go out for school, benchmarking, or professional development—not just to return with a discounted suitcase and a new nose.

Now, with AirAsia’s AK-462 officially connecting Kuala Lumpur and Palembang, SMB II Airport is no longer a sleepy regional hub. It’s like two long-lost lovers reunited by the clouds and jet engines.

But let’s not be lulled by the jet noise. If this international route only becomes a “one-way ticket” for South Sumatrans to seek treatment, shopping, and salon appointments abroad, then we’ve got a problem. Are we really building an international airport just to help our neighbors rake in our money? It’s like planting chili, only to let someone else enjoy the sambal—while we’re the ones sweating from the spice.

This Kuala Lumpur–Palembang route should be like a 5 a.m. alarm clock: waking Sumsel up from its economic slumber. An airport shouldn’t just be a place with flashy lights on the runway. Let’s also light up the hotels, revive the street stalls, and fuel the local economy. We don’t want the only business booming to be Malaysian coffee shops near LCCT!

Look at Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand—their medical tourism isn’t just hospitals. It’s a whole industry. People come for treatment and leave with shopping bags, culinary memories, and selfies with cute nurses. As the old saying goes, “An elephant may leave its tusks, but a healthy nation leaves its foreign exchange behind.”

So why don’t we floor the gas pedal on medical tourism? The road is already open. RS Siti Fatimah is up and running. It just needs some polishing to become more tourist-friendly: English-speaking staff, international service standards, and prices that don’t cause heart attacks.

We’ve got natural hot springs, healing herbs, and traditional therapies. Package that into a proper “healing retreat” like Thailand’s? Why not! Hospitals move, tourism grooves, food joins the parade, and even reflexology therapists get their smiles back.

• Medical Tourism:
  Build world-class health facilities—not just for locals, but for regional visitors. Offer packages like “Surgery + Pempek Tour.” Morning check-up, afternoon sunset by the Musi River with a plate of pempek.

• Eco & Cultural Tourism:
  Don’t let the Musi River be a once-a-year event during Bidar race. Let’s develop daily river cruises, like in Bangkok. Villages like Lahat, Pagaralam, and OKU can become cultural destinations. Tea garden healing trip? Absolutely!

• Event & Sports Tourism:
  Jakabaring Sport City shouldn’t sleep through the year. Host international marathons, triathlons on the lake, dragon boat races across nations! Turn those quiet venues into crowd magnets.

We should learn from Banyuwangi—a town that used to be quiet, but now throws festivals almost every weekend. Bali thrives not because of its name, but because of its packed agenda. And us?

Let’s not turn this new flight route into a one-way trip for South Sumatrans only. People fly out for knee surgery, wallet surgery, even cosmetic surgery. They return with shopping bags—and sometimes, a surprise niece or nephew.

This is a golden opportunity. South Sumatra shouldn’t just be a transit point in the economy—we must become a terminal for foreign exchange.

“If today’s leaders walk the path of yesterday’s leaders, it doesn’t mean they lack direction—it means they know which road won’t slip them into failure.”

We already have a trail. Now, we just need to continue it with fresh energy. Don’t be shy to learn from the past—just spice it up like adding toppings to instant noodles. Copy Banyuwangi? Solo? Labuan Bajo? No shame. What matters is: Don’t brag about an international airport if there are no international visitors inside.

“Tourists don’t come because we call them. They come because we give them a reason—and a story worth telling.”

If South Sumatra wants to rise, an airport isn’t the finish line—it’s just the gate. Let’s build a region that’s not just passed by, but sought after. Not just for taking off, but for landing—investors, travelers, and that lovely sound of inflowing foreign exchange.[***]