To be honest, this is one article where the discussion spiralled weirdly. I read them, wanted to comment, but refrained. Most of the commenters, I think were essentially one person taking various nicknames from Marvel's X-men?
---
President Prabowo Looks Pretty Good To Voters Tired of Corrupt Political Elite
Yohanes Sulaiman &
Phillip Turnbull | February 28, 2012
 |
| 'Yudhoyono’s government seems to be running around from one
scandal to another.' |
On Saturday, the violence-wracked Mesuji district in Lampung again grabbed the
headlines as a riot took place, with hundreds of villagers burning down
buildings belonging to Barat Selatan Makmur Investindo, a Malaysian palm oil
company.
A day before, in Jakarta, disgraced tax official Dhana
Wiyatmika earned the dubious honor of being called the “new Gayus,” for
allegedly having more than Rp 100 billion rupiah ($11 million) squirreled away
in various bank accounts.
These disturbing developments form the
backdrop for continuing revelations about politicians under investigation for
fraud on a monumental scale and show that almost 14 years after the fall of
Suharto, not much has changed in Indonesian politics. It is in this light that
we should view the apparent rise of Prabowo Subianto on the political scene.
With the public asking serious questions about the country’s future, the
so-called reformist government remains in paralysis. The Economist wrote last
week that “barely half-way through his second term,” President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono “already looks like a lame duck.” More than 50 percent of his orders
go unheeded, the magazine said.
Then, in a press release that shocked
many, the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) announced that Prabowo, a former
general who has been accused of serious human rights abuses, came in a strong
second in a survey of the electability of potential presidential candidates. He
beat out the likes of former Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Golkar Party chairman
Aburizal Bakrie and Hatta Rajasa, the coordinating minister of the economy and
the National Mandate Party (PAN) head.
While Prabowo still finished
behind former President Megawati Sukarnoputri, the chairwoman of the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), many analysts believe that Megawati’s
support base has reached its limits, with few people impressed with her record
as president.
But Prabowo’s hasn’t.
Not surprisingly, a human
rights group immediately blasted the survey as flawed because it didn’t consider
the records of the potential candidates. Yet, the results might not be that far
off, and indicate that the Indonesian political mentality is still wedded to the
past. Politicians, rather than behaving as servants of the people doing their
best to provide solutions to the nation’s problems, behave like petty autocrats,
whose whims and demands need to be satisfied.
In Indonesia today, the
country has lots of small autocrats doing whatever they like with impunity.
Suharto back during his rule got away with his strong fist and strong economic
growth. Carrot and stick, many loved it. He provided order and prosperity, and a
certainty that “bapak” knew what was best for the country. Sure, there was a lot
of corruption and utter disregard for human rights, but many felt that was a
fair price for good economic policy.
The blame for the rising acceptance
of the new authoritarianism can be placed squarely on successive governments
that monumentally failed to grasp that politicians are public servants and
responsible to the people they govern.
As with any authoritarian ruler,
most Indonesian politicians appear fiercely resistant to being questioned,
having their performance examined, their results evaluated and their bank
accounts scrutinized. And as often as not, when they are asked to explain
themselves, they are suspected of lying. Two politicians were pointedly reminded
in court last week that they were under oath and required to tell the truth and
warned of the seriously consequences of perjury. A public campaign briefly urged
them likewise. Clearly there is a perception out there that some politicians are
ethically immature and devoid of integrity.
Politicians could avoid this
by being transparent, showing to the public that they have nothing to hide. And
yet, since the fall of Suharto, Indonesian politicians have been unable to
decide whether politics is an exercise in public and open governance or a matter
of private and hidden commercial business transactions.
‘The day-by-day
revelations of tainted government would indicate the dominant mentality veers
toward the latter view. Nothing is sacred. Even hajj funds entrusted by the
devout to the Ministry of Religious Affairs are suspected of being
misappropriated. With everything being swept under the rug, hidden from the
plain view, abuses and corruption grow unchecked.
We can all imagine
politicians sitting around in a coffee shop in the foyer of the House of
Representatives, plotting deals and corruption. Some politicians apparently
think the country is best governed when they behave as if there are no people in
the country — only themselves and the treasury.
There is a sense that
the ruling political elite does not have a clue how to govern, as Yudhoyono’s
government seems to be running from one scandal to another. Seeing little
leadership at top and being fed a daily diet of scandals, people feel our
politicians are taking their wages unfairly. They reap where they do not sow. As
a result, even though the economy is growing, disappointment in the government
keeps increasing.
Thus, in these times of crisis people look for
stability. That may well explain the increasing wave of nostalgia, as people
recall the “good” old days when life was so simple and at the same time
prosperous. Even if it wasn’t. This, in turn, leads to the rise of Prabowo.
Regardless of his human rights record, at least to some it seems that finally
here is someone with the guts and charisma to get things done.
The big
question is: if elected, what will he get done and how will he do it? In
reality, there are no indications that any of the current potential candidates
are capable of offering anything new.
What they all have in common is
the collective mind-set that says government is best done on the basis of a
network of relationships of elected and non-elected elites and their cronies.
Only this results in deals getting done, money being made and power being
consolidated and handed on in a dynastic fashion, with the public placated or
too intimidated to complain.
To be sure, this is a variation of
authoritarianism. They may have different names, but the tactics indicate that
Indonesia is politically dominated by a one-party system of government — because
all parties seem to be doing things the same way.
This is ultimately
unworkable. Until someone steps up and has the courage, wisdom and will to break
with the authoritarian past, Indonesia will continue to evolve as a booming
economy that does not provide economic and social benefits to the nation but
only to a few. It will be a limping democracy, hamstrung by material success
that is not accompanied by political reform.
That would leave the
country ripe for the continuous picking and plundering of the various mobs that
keep it in line, both within the House and on the streets.
----
Trueblue
12:42pm Feb 28,
2012
@Sulaiman/Turnbull
Gents you quote from The Economist that with respect to the President "More
than 50 per cent of his orders go unheeded". As The Economist is one of the
worlds most respected newspapers, one must accept that statement as fact. Would
it be too onerous to list the "major" orders that have been ignored as I find
this a disturbing statistic for a democratically elected President. I fully
understand that 1000 words may be a limitation, but if the list gets too long,
I'm sure you can work a deal with our friend WebEd! Of course if President SBY
has the problem of hitting the proverbial "brick wall" half the time trying to
get things done, the next next President will need the K.O. strength of Muhammad
Ali. And some Kung Fu!
Scorpio
7:28pm Feb 28,
2012
Sulaiman & Turnbull:
Well written! One can only fear that the future of Indonesia and its
non-elite looks very bleak indeed. I hope that articles such as this helps make
a REAL difference.
Think it is time that the social classes so bizarrely taken advantage of rise
up and vote for someone who can change this country's catastrophic course and
thus not support its current deeply flawed and utterly undeserving
leaders.
Yohanes-Sulaiman
10:01pm Feb 28,
2012
@trueblue: Actually it was admitted by President SBY himself that less than
50% of his orders were obeyed. UKP4 (Presidential Working Unit on Supervision
and Control of the Development) noted that from his 77 directions and written
commands, less than 50% were obeyed, due to a variety of excuses etc. So what
are the orders? Sadly we can't find much information on that.
TheSplodge
11:13pm Feb 28,
2012
Wow! This should be good. There may well be a sealed warrant for his arrest
issued by the ICC for his alleged involvement in war crimes in East Timor and
orders he allegedly gave during the riots of 1998. This would mean that
Indonesia may have a president who is not able to leave the country. Still, that
should save some money.
enakajah
8:08am Feb 29,
2012
A rather hastily written piece gents, and well below you usual standard. I
was hoping for something slightly above and beyond the usual Soeharto era was
good and bad, the political elite are out of control and until we get a decent
politician we can vote for.....
You did however hit the nail on the head, but then walked away. "In Indonesia
today, the country has lots of small autocrats doing whatever they like with
impunity".
Indonesia has always had these. The Dutch used them to their advantage in the
most deplorable way. The Japanese enhanced them and since independence it has
become how the country is run. Just as it was when the Dutch took over. Feuding
and autocratic localized kingdoms run by governors and majors district heads and
village elders. As one poster continuously reminds us a feudal system.
There is a host of literature that outlines that this is the manner in which
Indonesia has governed itself from time immemorial.
Perhaps the most indicative book on this is the series of articles published
in Britain when the British arrived in Java and briefly took over. Incidentally
they were fighting the French not the Dutch. The French briefly held Indonesia
when Napoleon over ran Holland.
What the British found and detailed was an appalling system of divide and
rule. Systematic use of petty kingdoms at the kabupaten level being played off
one against the other but always encouraged to have their own kingdoms. This
cultural ruling class has never been changed. Now we are back to pre-VOC days
with the dynastic rulers back in play but trading one colonial type master for
another.
Until a truly democratic system of voter representation is developed where
parties do not dictate who runs where, and when a politician looses his seat he
is replaced not by the party but by a By-election by the people, we shall
continue to be ruled by the virtual kingdoms and dynasties that makes Indonesia
“Indonesia”.
This goes back more than a thousand years. The basic structure and cultural
format has not changed and in fact has been encouraged and refined to the state
of play we have today. To change this takes, as I mentioned before, generations.
It took post-Cromwell Britain hundreds of years. It took France more than 80
years for the revolution to take seat. The Chinese are still battling with it
more than a hundred years after the first uprisings in the early 1900. The
change has to come from within, it needs to be a complete overhaul of the system
and it will take many generations.
In the mean time, we have band aid solutions, incompetence and a variation of
the same old thing over and over to retain power with the elite and abuse of the
populace.
It would be nice to hear from Mr. Turnbull under his own name commenting on
articles he co-authors. A few of us may know his pseudonym but surely using his
own name here would be more credit worthy.
padt
9:06am Feb 29,
2012
enakajah - I dont use my own name when I comment here because I am too bloody
lazy to change it on my profile. The laziness is credit-unworthy - but not the
intention. I have no wish to be anonymous. My few friends are always wishing me
to sit down and shut up. I am a disappointment to them. As this article
obviously is to you.
As well, I usually don't comment because I have nothing much else to say.
Yes this article does sing the same note to a degree - but that's because the
news in Indonesia doesn't give one much more scope.
Your detailed background is of interest to be sure - but a history lesson is
not what the .000001% of the Indonesian public who read this stuff want to hear.
I thank you for your comments and concern which have greatly enhanced the
discussion for the few who read this stuff. Signed,
Phillip Antony Dominic Mary Martin de Porres Augustine Turnbull.
Nephew of Aunty Mavis.
JohanusBau
9:32am Feb 29,
2012
Just search the for the 'Inpres', 'Kepres' and 'Perpres' issued by SBY (on
his website), and then scour the RI ministry websites for reports on whether
they have carried out the work or not.They usually issue their own decrees
instructions mentioning that they are carrying out duties in accordance with
SBY's ones.
Hope you have your dictionaries ready.. Ha ha
JohanusBau
9:44am Feb 29,
2012
Most people I talk to already know the historical similarities with other
countries and Indonesia's own past but they just want to see the light at the
end of the tunnel. They are starting to convince themselves that things are now
worse under SBY than under Suharto. Change has to come from the top with a
leader enjoying majority control of the DPR. I don't see this happening for a
long time. A former govt minister claimed that Indonesian could only be saved by
another coup to 'turn the boat around'. However I asked him to name me a
potential skipper 'with a strong moral compass' who could take control of the
ship and steer it into the sunset. I am still waiting for that name. I would be
very surprised if Prabowo or the current crop of elites could do
that.
trueblue
9:56am Feb 29,
2012
padt
I sympathise with you. With a name like that, you school days would have been
the life of a traumatised bully, you poor darling boy. And dear old Aunty Mavis,
I shudder to to think of what she went through at your christening when the
priest announced your name! Good fellow, don't let this enak person spoil your
day, be proud of your name, and use whatever initials you feel comfortable with.
Is Aunty Mavis still with us? I hope for your sake the lovely old soul is still
able to sit you on her knee and cuddle you. God bless.
Yohanes-Sulaiman
10:43am Feb 29,
2012
@Enakajah: You raised many good points, though I think you are expecting too
much from this article. First, the main focus of this article is trying to
explain the reason why Prabowo's ascendancy on the polls, which should raised a
lot of eyebrows considering that in the previous two elections, he did not
perform that well. In the 2004 Election, he lost in Golkar's internal election,
handily beaten by Wiranto and in 2009, both him and Megawati only garnered 27%
of the votes and even after literally spending billion of rupiahs out of his own
pocket, he only received 4.46%. LSI even noted that in their 2009 survey that
Prabowo only received a measly 5.6%, compared to Megawati's 21.9%.
While we may sound repetitious here, I think we identified the core problem,
that people were fed up with the current elite and would risk the emergence of a
new authoritarianism as a "reset button." Thus, the very need to fix the
system.
I always like your posts (and your historical tidbits, since I do love history),
still, this article is not about historical discourse of what causing the
authoritarian mentality. I would write a book on that -- in fact so many people
are telling me to start writing, but I am too much of a lazy bastard to do that.
@JohanusBau: trust me, I tried, and contacting them, to no avail. Basically
they just tell us that more than 50% of orders unheeded, but when I asked them,
they said "those orders...."
trueblue
10:44am Feb 29,
2012
@JohanusBau
I' busy turning page by page The Macquarie Dictionary. I've got as far as
'depress', which means:
1. to lower in spirits
2. to lower in force, vigour etc.,
3. to lower in amount or value
4. to put into a lower position
Should I continue searching, or can I take a pick of one of these
options?
enakajah
12:02pm Feb 29,
2012
Padt, I of course knew you were responding under your pseudonym but thought
it might be rude to say so openly. It seemed a tad unbalanced with Yohannes
answering a number of comments and hearing nothing from Mr. Turnbull the
co-author. It sort of undermines the credit due for your effort. Not intended to
ruin his day TB quite the opposite. Credit where credit is due. But now it's out
there is no problem.
Disappointed, sorry but yes. The pair of you write very well and this one
seemed rushed. Mind you the topic does not last long so I can see your point.
Yohannes, it might have been better to emphasize those issues.
My point being as I have expressed ad nauseam it is going to take a lot
longer than people may like. Understanding the roots of the current system may
assist in finding the fellow that might just "turn the boat around".
I think we all knew what the core problem is Yohannes. What we need is a way
to change it. Understanding the past could help.
I whole heartedly agree with both of you. I also understood the
article clearly and its direction. However to me as I said you hit the nail on
the head with autonomous rulers and then walked away from it. This more than
anything else (to me) displays the elitist arrogance we all have had enough of.
Unless we understand the root of that elitist arrogance and how deeply ingrained
it is in Indonesia, how can we hope for change.
It is frightening that Probaowo most likely will do very well in the election
as might Tommy for goodness sake! This is just more of the same. The elite rule
and as Padt says the feudal system is still here. I think it will take more than
the Rights groups and LSI to change the attitude of a nation don't you? Hence my
reference to how difficult it was in the UK ( reference Padt's and Cromwell)
China and France.
Something very wicked is definitely on the way .... so what else is new?
JohanusBau
1:03pm Feb 29,
2012
Most people I talk to already know the historical similarities with other
countries and Indonesia's own past but they just want to see the light at the
end of the tunnel. They are starting to convince themselves that things are now
worse under SBY than under Suharto. Change has to come from the top with a
leader enjoying majority control of the DPR. I don't see this happening for a
long time. A former govt minister claimed that Indonesian could only be saved by
another coup to 'turn the boat around'. However I asked him to name me a
potential skipper 'with a strong moral compass' who could take control of the
ship and steer it into the sunset. I am still waiting for that name. I would be
very surprised if Prabowo or the current crop of elites could do
that.
dashSPH
3:05pm Feb 29,
2012
Even though your article is rather colored, I couldn't agree more with what
you have to say. It is about time for Indonesia to have a strongman at the helm.
Enough with this mediocrity.
The masses are ecstatic about Indonesia's 6.5% GDP growth rate last year. We
are apparently the fastest growing economy in South East Asia and strongest
emerging market in Asia, and we attained that title with a mediocre government
at the helm.
What I'm trying to argue here is that the potential for Indonesia's growth is
colossal. Especially when there are so many resources untapped in the
Archipelago. Take oil as a common example.
Until this day, most of the refined oil for consumption must be imported
because we cannot refine enough of our own crude, which is a large chunk of the
government budget especially when fuel is subsidized heavily. Oil refineries in
Indonesia is almost non-existent due to lack of funding and innovation.
padt
3:56pm Feb 29,
2012
The change that everyone wants and is looking for is a tough call. The change
that is required in Indonesia is a change in Indonesia's DNA - in its psyche -
in the way it thinks.
The psychology of corruption is so entrenched it wont be shifted for decades,
if at all.
While Indonesians treat every encounter primarily from a position of
win/loose (someone must come out of this encounter/situation/business
deal/political move/social call/visit to the bank or brothel) with having been
respected), corruption/bribery and demands for money they are not entitled to
will always come into play.
Basically all this corruption and stuff is a side product/result for a
deformed way of thinking about what it means to be a human being.
Sure - political reforms and judicial reforms and education and proper wages
and heavt prison sentences and rule of law will assist.
But utlimately nothing is going to change until Indonesians change the way
they think.
That's the revolution that's needed.
GreenLanternTrololols
4:32pm Feb 29,
2012
A well-written piece indeed and I do agree with both of you for the most
part. I completely agree with the fact that Indonesia needs a strong leader,
especially amidst all of these chaotic episodes. SBY had so far been eminently
mediocre. Yes, he may have reduced the number of corruption, but many would
still dub him as being pedestrian. He came off as soft and spineless as he
failed to exert his leadership skill where required, like during the Bapindo mud
catastrophe
Now the question is what are the criteria for a strong leader. A strong
leader could either help Indonesia come out victorious from all of these
calamities or it would deepen Indonesia’s lost in the battlefield against
corruption and disorder. Theoretically speaking, a strong leader would ensure
the first, but in practice, one could not know what would be the outcome. Yet,
one should keep in mind the need to take risk – smart risk, which has the
potential to work. Indonesian government needs a wake up call,
literally.
Rather than sleeping throughout their assemblies, Indonesian government
should have discussed more pressing issues to improve and drive Indonesia even
further in the global stage. Of course, such would only be achieved under the
supervision of a strong leader, who is not afraid to exert his/her force on
them, not just some cowardly and weak leader.
However, by now, Indonesians should realize that we are living in a
capitalist country and corruption is inevitable, especially amongst our
politicians. The idea of corruption had unfortunately been engraved on every
politician’s heart. Unless, we want to live in a communist nation (and the
answer had been pretty clear, judging from what happened during the Sukarno
era), then one should not expect social and economical benefits to be
distributed equally throughout the nation. The question now is, how are we able
to provide economic and social benefits to the whole nation under such
circumstances.
Also, what bothers me is how Indonesia is so preoccupied over the cultural or
social background of the leader, rather than ensuring that they were voting for
an effective and strong leader. Indonesia need to realize that we are living in
a ‘Pancasila’ nation where one’s background should not limit what one can or
cannot do in a country. A strong leader should be selected regardless of their
race, family background, religion and the list goes on. As long as they can
drive Indonesia towards success, why should there be any resentment with them
leading the country, we are after all living in a democratic country. I feel
that one should not let what the Dutch had planted in our mind years ago affect
the decisions that we make in this modern era.
padt
5:07pm Feb 29,
2012
GreenLanternTrololols - you ask what kind of leader Indonesia needs. Same as
any leader. One who leads.
Think about it.
TheIncredibleHulk
5:16pm Feb 29,
2012
Good economic growth should not come at the price of corruption and human
rights disregard. It could be true that Prabowo would be able to strengthen
Indonesia's rapid economic growth, but at what cost? We do not know what his
style of leadership would be; would he bring back his former father-in-law's
regime? And if it is the case, would it be such a bad thing? Considering that
although there was corruption during Suharto's reign, there was also prosperity
and political stability.
Currently, Indonesia considers itself as a democratic country, however, what
is democracy on paper translates to anarchy where people take matters into their
own hands, disregarding the laws and get away with it, we have elite politics
who have no other interests except enriching themselves, we have illegal raids
executed by non-government organisations; such as FPI, we have a town mayor who
defies the supreme court order who ruled in favour of GKI Yasmin Bogor. The
crime rates are rising and the type of crimes grow more horrendous each day.
I think that Indonesian people are getting tired of empty promises and the
rhetorical statements of the current government and are searching for other
possible option. Although it is not an ideal solution, but if Prabowo can run
this country as tight as Suharto did, then perhaps corruption and human rights
issue is a relatively small price to pay for a country still searching for its
place and identity.
dashSPH
5:32pm Feb 29,
2012
GreenLanternTrolols - I don't understand why you say corruption is
inevitable. I guess you can argue it is part of human nature to commit such a
thing, but corruption is only present if the governing body has insufficient
power to relgulate it. Take this analogy for example. If a child is not allowed
to eat the cake on the dining table, then place it somewhere else unreachable
for them. Better yet, dont bake it at all. Don't create temptation.
Have you also thought of the fact why cabinet members
must be of a certain racial background? Well certainly because only an
Indonesian can Indoensia. It is an unspoken rule that will not change for
generations to come. In terms of religion, a party with a Christian basis exists
here in Indonesia. And surely they will not win or earn enough seats in the
cabinet as 99% of the population is Muslim.
kungfu-panda
6:46pm Feb 29,
2012
An exceptional piece indeed. I applaud to the fact that the writers bravely
& plainly stated the flaws of the Indonesia government. Surely, there are
too many scandals & empty promises that flood the government. But this
"disappointment in the government" should not be blamed solely on the president.
I disagree with @GreenLanternTrololols who said that SBY is "eminently
mediocre". The fact that the economy is booming and real development is obvious
in this country, I believe SBY deserves more credit & respect. The amount of
scandals & empty promises are ubiquitous to a country. The US is
experiencing a lot of scandals within their politics too. It is a natural part
of society & should not be counted as a flaw in a person's leadership
capacity. We're merely humans, thus SBY deserves more credit than we are giving
him. Criticizing is easy, & I doubt you can be a better president. Also,
"guts" and "charisma" doesn't guarantee a better nation either. I doubt Prabowo
could be any better.
ScottPilgrim
6:48pm Feb 29,
2012
dashSPH - I do think there are methods of minimizing corruption, but it is of
course rather difficult (if possible at all) to eliminate it completely. News of
corruption within the government no longer come as much of a surprise. This in
itself raises a question: what incentive do politicians have to avoid corruption
if they see their colleagues partaking in it so often? Also, as you said,
"corruption is only present if the governing body has insufficient power to
regulate it." What if the governing body is corrupt itself, as it is in the case
of Indonesia? It seems as though corruption has permeated through nearly every
level of government.
soysoy42
6:53pm Feb 29,
2012
It is really no surprise that the government in Indonesia has not developed
in integrity or progress over the decades. Soeharto’s regime, as mentioned in
the article, saw a period of impressive economic growth, at the expense of the
beginning of flourishing corruption within the bureaucracy. Corruption is a sick
thing and is a perpetuating issue that has never been addressed with an iron
fist. The income gap in Indonesia shows how corruption is one of the fundamental
reasons why the upper class continue to grow richer while the poor continue to
be neglected and worsened life conditions both socially and economically.
It is extremely infuriating when I see pictures on Facebook of sleeping
members in the House of Representatives. What is the use of a governing body who
do not show concern to the well being of their people?
Also, politicians have had quite the reputation for being “ethically immature
and devoid of integrity”, and the fact that they constantly get caught
committing fraud, one after the other prove how much these politicians
underestimate the importance of integrity in the government.
It is also drop dead obvious that the current government has failed to
address critical problems in Indonesia, proving how oblivious they are in
identifying the needs of the people.
However, on the other hand, is Indonesia really looking for another Soeharto
who will rule with an iron fist? Prabowo, after violating a series of human
rights should be reevaluated with a mind of clarity. We must not be myopic. The
problem with the government is the corruption that is going around unchecked.
Will a man with charisma and a record of cruelty be able to fix this problem, or
will he instead intensify corruption within the bureaucracy?
As much as we love to commemorate Soeharto for his amazing tribute to raising
the Indonesian economy in the past, there were plenty of reasons why we,
Indonesians, demanded Soeharto to step down. I believe we must stop looking back
and look forward, and address the real venom to our country: the ending of
corruption, and the search for a leader who will own the integrity to fight and
abolish corruption in its most extreme forms.
DrDez
6:57pm Feb 29,
2012
dash.. 83% are Muslim (and dropping) and only probably 10% aligned with
Islamic parties - but I understand your point
I do think that if a suitable candidate, who was strong and just came forward
he could gain the popular support. His / her issue would be that the elite would
soon destroy his/her attempts via smear, scare and even violent campaigns..
I really do not see RI moving forward politically in the next decade. That
could lead to further unrest which could lead to someone basically using his
position to declare a state of emergency and impose a military solution. Prabowo
could be that man. Bakrie probably does not have the military support to do so
The other candidates are just stalking horses right now
I suspect Bakrie will tie up with some military man as VP running mate to
counter Prabowo's position - in turn maybe Prabowo will enlist someone like
Hatta...
OptimusPrime
7:09pm Feb 29,
2012
Dash - First off, the analogy you presented where corruption is a "cake" that
can be taken away is faulty. Yes, the cake can be taken away from the "child"
but can't the one who takes the cake away eat it? I actually agree with the
sentiment put forth by Green Lantern that corruption is inevitable, especially
in a country like Indonesia. I believe that every country experiences
corruption. It's just a matter of how bad it is. As an Indonesian, I am not
proud of the corruption going on but I don't see this changing anytime soon.
Another point I would like to stress is what will Prabowo do if elected? This
piece seems to have no clue! As seen in the 5th to last paragraph, it says that,
"in reality, there are no indications that any of the current potential
candidates are capable of offering anything new." So my question is, where did
all this hype of Prabowo come from? The LSI who for all we know could be
corrupt? Get real.
As a side note, what is a theology teacher doing writing this?
DrDez
7:25pm Feb 29,
2012
Kung Fu
I understand your point. But I think our growth is despite not because of
SBY. Indeed his weakness is leading to an awful lot of missed opportunities
where inwards investors are being very cautious but also Indonesians are
investing out of the country - just in case - spreading the risk etc
Another important issue is to understand the make up of that growth - once
you strip out the DFI and population growth percentiles then actually we are not
so great and growth is c 1.5 to 2%
However... I cannot see a viable alternative who could perform
better
ScottPilgrim
7:31pm Feb 29,
2012
This article was well-written and extremely thought-provoking in that it
raises numerous valid points for us to consider. One statement that stood out to
me in particular was, "Politicians, rather than behaving as servants of the
people doing their best to provide solutions to the nation’s problems, behave
like petty autocrats, whose whims and demands need to be satisfied." What
Indonesia truly needs is a leader who will put the country's needs ahead of his
or her own - in essence, a servant leader.
In several years the task of governing this country will fall to the up and
coming generation, who should be fostered from early on to understand that
change needs to occur. Though the current government has set a poor precedent, I
believe that the Indonesian youths have the potential to be major game-changers
- nationally and globally.
dashSPH
7:32pm Feb 29,
2012
ScottPilgrim - In terms of incentives, i ask you this question in return. Why
give yourself up to serving your country? Obviously because you wanna see your
country flourish. Nationalism is a big part of this.
And as for the governing body. It leads back to my initial statement. A
change from the top must occur. And i think Prabowo would make an exceptional
leader to make this change.
GreenLanternTrololols
7:45pm Feb 29,
2012
padt - I was to the characteristics that determine whether a person can
'lead' or not
dashsph – when I was mentioning about my concern about racial background, I
was referring to Indonesians who are born in Indonesia, but they were the
descendants of non-native Indonesians. Aren’t they Indonesian as well?
Furthermore, your response had proven my point. Why should the fact that
Indonesia is comprised of a majority of Muslims affect the outcome of who is
leading this country? Should that not be a determining factor of choosing
someone to lead?
Kungfu Panda – I am not referring to any scandals at all in my response. I
was referring to his ineffectiveness and failure to solve some of the most
pressing issues in Indonesia like what I perivously mentioned, the Bapindo mud
incident in East Java. Also your comment is rather insulting as you just
offended me on my capability in potentially becoming a leader or being a part of
any governing body. Also, criticizing is not always a bad thing, and only by
evaluating the current state of government do we have any hope of ensuring a
better future. If we don’t think deeply of such issues, it’s just going to
worsened. For example, people like artists or writers often look for
constructive criticism, not because they want to be belittled but so they can
become better. Also, you have to take note on the fact that I do commend SBY on
his anti-corruption movement, but the fact that he managed to ignore some things
has proved otherwise.
dashSPH
7:47pm Feb 29,
2012
Optimus Prime - pertaining to my cake analogy. The parent would obviously be
the man at the top, our president. And yes he has the power to enjoy the cake
for himself. Which is why a new and transparent leader must be elected to
prevent this from happening.
When will we see actual progress if all we can do to criticize. Time is of
the essence!
kungfu-panda
8:00pm Feb 29,
2012
Dr Dez
What kind of weakness are you referring to? A great deal of investors have
invested in Indonesia since he took power, and that is part of the reason the
economy have been improving a lot. Indonesia has also improved valuable ties
with foreign countries, including the US too! At least our economy is going
somewhere positive, despite the fact that it is only growing at a minuscule
scale.
To the authors: I think your statement on "politicians could avoid this by
being transparent" is extremely naive. Politicians are all about manipulation. A
great quote by Dean Koontz: "A politician's goal is always to manipulate public
debate. I think there are some politicians with higher goals. But all of them
get corrupted by power."
dashSPH
8:01pm Feb 29,
2012
Optimus Prime - pertaining to my cake analogy. The parent would obviously be
the man at the top, our president. And yes he has the power to enjoy the cake
for himself. Which is why a new and transparent leader must be elected to
prevent this from happening.
When will we see actual progress if all we can do to criticize. Time is of
the essence!
kungfu-panda
8:09pm Feb 29,
2012
GreenLanternTrololols - No intentions in insulting you. I just think you're
underestimating the complexity of solving national issues. What are the things
that SBY have ignored? So far I've seen great progress in Indonesia while he is
in power. Investors are flowing into the country, and we are rising up to the
standards of great cities in terms of technological development and the
potential in a stable economy. The mud incident in East Java was a natural
occurrence. Have you been there yourself? I have, and it is not as simple as you
think it is. What can you do with hot mud that naturally erupts onto the surface
at 100,000 cubic meters per day?!
And btw, its Lapindo not Bapindo...
ScottPilgrim
8:10pm Feb 29,
2012
Kungfu-Panda - "Criticizing is easy, & I doubt you can be a better
president." @GreenLanternTrololols might not be fit to run a country now, but
considering the depth of his criticisms (which in itself is not a bad thing,
since only by recognizing issues are we able to resolve them) it seems he very
much has the potential to in several years. If we had more people like
GreenLanternTrololols in government, who are critically thinking about how to
eliminate the country's problems, perhaps the Indonesian government would not be
the rampantly corrupt body it is now.
DrDez
8:39pm Feb 29,
2012
Kung Fu
If I have to point out the weaknesses of the man then you clearly are not
looking for them
soysoy42
8:58pm Feb 29,
2012
@dashSPH
A new and transparent leader, dash? This is Wolverine, btw. We all desire a
new and transparent leader, but face it. with great power comes great
responsibility, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is not possible for
one man to stop corruption that has perpetuated since you were born. It takes
the realization of the wholeness of the bureaucracy and for them to actually
begin to care about the needs of Indonesians everywhere. Let's be realistic.
Optimus Prime is a co-submitter of this comment.
@kungfupanda
It is sad to see how people have undermined the importance of integrity and
true progress in a government and instead glorify all the wealth and prosperity
corruption brings.
Is economic growth so important that it crushes the importance of individual
human rights and the stop of corruption?
Have we become so consumed with material wealth that we forget the true
characteristics a government should uphold?
kungfu-panda
9:10pm Feb 29,
2012
Dr. Dez
Surely everyone has weaknesses. The point I'm trying to make is we should
hold him accountable for his strengths too; he's not getting enough appreciation
for what he's done. And besides, by saying what you said doesn't mean you're
aware of his weaknesses yourself.
kungfu-panda
9:21pm Feb 29,
2012
@soysoy42/wolverine
Your comments contradict itself in that you made it clear, corruption has
perpetuated since we were born. It is an inevitable factor in life, so is in our
current government, which is why some level of respect must be given to our
leader because corruption is not solely in his control. I don't wish to
undermine the importance of integrity in nation's development. But people almost
never mention the strengths of a government. The fact that economy has grown is
a measure of true development done under SBY's regime. Don't take this the wrong
way, I highly encourage criticism so that we may continue to improve the nation
by finding its faults. But let us not disregard the positives too; we must
continue to strengthen that as well.
TheFrozone
9:24pm Feb 29,
2012
@dashSPH
Taking away the cake that is the temptation for the representatives of our
country. Who would you propose be this "transparent leader" that you speak of? A
representative of the nation? Someone we might call the president maybe? Or
someone who supersedes the authority of the president himself? And say if this
transparent person was to one day put himself before the rest of the nation. Who
then will take the cake away from our supreme ruler? When will this cycle end?
Will it ever end? I agree with Optimus Prime and Wolverine
DrDez
9:31pm Feb 29,
2012
Kung Fu
We should - but he should also be accountable for his failures dont you
think?
Boarding on 10 mins - so I may not reply
rambo
9:36pm Feb 29,
2012
Indonesian corruption will NOT and NEVER stop unless a strong government is
going to be built. SBY's government is too weak to handle such problems,
therefore punishing corruptors lightly and in most cases are not bold enough to
make a sacrifice both from the government and the citizens. Prabowo as the son
in law of the late- Soeharto should carry on Soeharto's strong governmenship
(despite of the corruption happened during his reign) brought REAL changes and
REAL improvements, unlike SBY's "REAL" promises. Although his intentions are
good, and he's a good man SBY has the least of capability to bring REAL changes
to Indonesia's politics, corruption in specific.
I also applaud to the writers of this article for pointing out the fact that
no matter who leads indonesia, including Prabowo or Megawati or Aburizal or even
SBY himself will not succeed unless they have the "courage to break the
authoritarian past"
GreenLanternTrololols
9:46pm Feb 29,
2012
Kungfu Panda – Mind you, I was born in East Java and I just went there (the
mudflow site) last month. Here’s the thing, although it is a natural occurrence,
the government is help responsible to ensure that the people affected are being
looked after. Instead, the SBY administration has failed in solving the case.
Many victims, up until now have not get compensation money yet, even though
their land had been swamped by the mudflow for many years, which indicated how
the SBY had failed to function fully. Up until now, only a ‘temporary’ dam was
built around the 'nature recreation' site. Furthermore, judging by its poor
structure and the materials it is made out of, there's a high likelihood that it
would break, increasing the magnitude of destruction in that area.
Mystique
9:46pm Feb 29,
2012
Well written article, which I completely agree with.
The corruption needs to stop. I appreciate the effort in trying to stop this,
but honestly, I feel like our generation won't see the end of corruption in
Indonesia.
In terms of Prabowo as a presidential candidate, this is what Indonesia
needs. Indonesia boomed economically under Suharto, despite his abuse of human
rights. Sometimes that's what a nation needs to succeed.
mswonderwoman
9:47pm Feb 29,
2012
@kungfupanda "The fact that the economy is booming and real development is
obvious in this country" to mr. kungfupanda, the fact that the economy is
booming doesn't mean that everyone's lives is improving along with the economy.
As we can all see from various cases in the past few weeks and even from the 2nd
paragraph of this article that under SBY, only some lives are prosperous. Only
the government officials who have been corrupting our money right under our
president's nose are happy right now. I don't think the rest of us are very
pleased that our hard earned money is being used to pay for a minister's new
bentley. And the fact that SBY has let this go on for so long makes a lot of us
pretty unhappy with him too.and when you said that SBY deserves our respect. I
don't think even his ministers respect him. If they did, his orders would have
never gone unheeded. SBY might have been good president during his first term
with Jusuf Kalla, but now he needs to learn to 'man up'.
and on an interesting side note. I think that the Dayak people have more gut and
power than our beloved president. They seem to manage to send away the FPI in
less than a day, something that SBY and our government seems to have trouble
with, even though they've been dealing with this issue for years. Just another
reason why Indonesia clearly needs a strong, decisive leader.
Deadpool
9:52pm Feb 29,
2012
Even after the fall of Suharto, Indonesia indeed still experience a problem
regarding corrupt politician. The case regarding the politician that watched
explicit videos during a meeting that was supposedly aimed at removing such as
explicit material, is a testament to this. With all that Prabowo has been
accused for, there is evidence to suggest that he indeed rigged the votes in his
favor in some way, explaining why he has such a fine position in the elections.
That aside, regarding SBY right now, @kungfu-panda is right in that blaming
everything entirely on him is not right and every individual should question
whether they could do a better job in his position
ScottPilgrim
10:00pm Feb 29,
2012
GreenLanternTrololols - Totally agree. Every leader has his or her own
strengths and weaknesses, but it's how those strengths and weaknesses are
applied that counts. Of course SBY does not have control over natural disasters,
but of all the people in Indonesia, he is the one who has the authority and
resources to handle them if and when they occur. In this case, I believe there
were better measures he could have taken to ensure the well-being of those
affected.
soysoy42
10:01pm Feb 29,
2012
@kungfupanda
Main Submitter: Wolverine
Co-Submitter: Green Lantern, Scott Pilgrim
Co-Sponsor: Wonder Woman, Optimus Prime
It is extremely difficult to commend a government that is led by SBY for many
reasons. The first being the way he addressed the Nassarudin case. Anyone who
followed that news story would agree that SBY made an extremely weak public
speech. He basically pleads Nassarudin to come home and share the truth so that
justice can be procured. It was as if Nassarudin was the prodigal son! Next, so
many corruption cases have been exposed revolving around cabinet members of SBY,
showing that he cannot control his bureaucracy. SBY clearly does not recognize
the magnitude of corruption and how it destroys Indonesia as a
country.
mswonderwoman
10:06pm Feb 29,
2012
isn't it interesting to know that the Democratic Party, SBY's party is the
one involved in the highly publicized and controversial Wisma Atlet corruption
case? and isn't it interesting to find out that most of the people who were
charged with the Wisma Atlet corruption case (Nazaruddin, Angelina Sondakh and
Mindo Rosalina Manulang) are all from SBY's democratic party. it's not hard to
see why our country is as corrupt as it is today.
mystique - so you would rather live in fear for your life every single day for
the next 4 years just to see Indonesia's economy booming? just a reminder,
Prabowo was the mastermind of the 1998 riot. If he becomes President, what are
the chances that there will be a second, or even worse riot in the future? We're
trying fix our mistakes, not repeat history.
rambo
10:12pm Feb 29,
2012
@mystique: I do not agree with you along with saying that "sometimes that's
what a country needs to succeed". A nation needs to sacrifice its selfishness,
not that "abuse of human rights" are neccesary in getting rid of corruption and
(or) improving condition of a country by bringing new resolutes to the country.
In that term, i disagree with you
BionicWoman
11:28pm Feb 29,
2012
What a well written article indeed. It saddens me when i read that
politicians do not view their job as a duty to serve the people but rather as an
opportunity to 'behave like petty autocrats, whose whims and demands need to be
satisfied'. I am equally disappointed in the fact that Prabowo (who was 'accused
of serious human rights abuses') cam in strong second as a potential
presidential candidate.I am surprised at how the Indonesian government would
willingly allow such a candidate with such records to even run for president.
How can the people expect to trust a leader that could abuse human rights (and
probably go to an extent where summary execution might happen?)when there is
already many suffering and chaos due to human rights abuses? A country would
only develop further and abandon corruption etc. when the people was able to
trust their leader to serve and govern the country properly and unselfishly; and
from there, obeying the govt. to participate in developing the country.
ElektraNatchios
11:28pm Feb 29,
2012
@mystique is it really what Indonesia needs? To go back to something similar
to the Suharto regime with very little freedom? If Prabowo's going towards that
direction, there's a guarantee that I will not cast my vote on him. Although I
do not agree with you on Prabowo, I agree with the fact that we won't see the
end to corruption as it is inevitable. Face it, corruption is now evenly
distributed from the small people to those in power.
F-l-a-s-h
11:49pm Feb 29,
2012
Moreover, what is the government actually doing with 'economic growth'? There
are still more than 30 million people under the poverty - that's 30 million
people making 233 thousand rupiah per month. If Indonesia is currently suffering
with 30 million people only making around 20 dollars per month, and corruption
behind the scenes, would you say the 'economic growth' that Indonesia has any
use? I mean is good to say there is growth, but what good does it do when that
growth is not implemented with the good of the society? After all, that is the
government's job isn't it? The establishment and maintenance of law to ensure
fair dealing between individuals, families and organization; enabling them to
develop and fulfill various appointed tasks - such as gathering of food,
maintenance of shelter, commerce, etc. Is the government doing any good with the
"economic growth" to fulfill its role as government?
MALEWHITEBULE
11:58pm Feb 29,
2012
your allllll wrong.... we need to bring back the Communist part! Indonesia
obviously cant pull its self together, what with all the corruption. So forget
democracy! i believe Indonesia should follow the late Stalinist Russia's model.
Its main focus should be on the building up of Indonesia as a whole and
forgetting about the individual. For too long Suharto's shadow has loomed over
Indonesian politics for too long the word Communist has only been spoken in a
hushed voice. Its time for the PKI too be reestablished, and for common pay and
opportunity too be given too all! just look at Russia did it not work for them?
they were once a backward corrupt country that couldn't make up its mind on
leaders (tsar's, too democracy, too Bolshevism, and finally a good
totalitarianism communist government). in conclusion this election does not need
too take place. lets just all agree on one person too have total authority over
us.
BRING BACK PKI.... ITS the only wayyy. Indonesians cant seem too get it
together... so why dont they all give all the power to an authoritarian
government. Like the one under Stalin back in the good old days. I mean just
look at Russia now! its a major political power house and it was alllll because
of Stalin.. good old Stalin. So lets stop talking about this presidential race
because it shoudnt happen in the first place.
megamindSPH
12:15am Mar 1,
2012
I can see that everyone here seem to think that all the presidential
candidates should man up. I get it, I really do because it is frustrating to see
that the head of our country seem to not have the backbone to stand up and make
crucial changes. However, let’s not forget that we do not really know what is
happening behind the scene and how in reality SBY might be doing so much more
than we give him credit for.
Anyhow, we can see that there is progress. Even though it is moving at an
excruciatingly slow pace, we can see that change is happening all around us. I
suppose, as of right now, the best we can do is support SBY – after all his term
as the president of Indonesia is not over yet. It is kind of depressing to know
that even The Economist says that “50% of SBY’s orders go unheeded”. How can you
expect the man to change Indonesia when his own government does not give the
effort to listen to his orders?
littlemisscaptainunderpants
12:52am Mar 1,
2012
Indonesia’s conditions are currently looking very inauspicious, with the
havoc that the people are wreaking everywhere as well as the corruption that is
so prevalent within the government itself. To exacerbate the inauspiciousness,
Megawati is leading in numbers of voters. From past Indonesian history, we do
know that Megawati did very little good to the development of Indonesia, and
this would automatically bring a bleak prospect to Indonesia’s future should she
continuously be topping the charts. Even so, with Prabowo, we still do not know
if he will be of any difference to Megawati. Will he bring Indonesia’s economy
to its heights? Or will he make any difference at all? Indonesia’s government
ideally should be cured of its impediment, that is, corruption, especially,
since the elections are drawing near, within the elections. The fate of
Indonesia lies in its future election, and ultimately in fate’s hands
itself.
F-l-a-s-h
1:18am Mar 1,
2012
Moreover, what is the government actually doing with 'economic growth'? There
are still more than 30 million people under the poverty - that's 30 million
people making 233 thousand rupiah per month. If Indonesia is currently suffering
with 30 million people only making around 20 dollars per month, and corruption
behind the scenes, would you say the 'economic growth' that Indonesia has any
use? I mean is good to say there is growth, but what good does it do when that
growth is not implemented with the good of the society? After all, that is the
government's job isn't it? The establishment and maintenance of law to ensure
fair dealing between individuals, families and organization; enabling them to
develop and fulfill various appointed tasks - such as gathering of food,
maintenance of shelter, commerce, etc. Is the government doing any good with the
"economic growth" to fulfill its role as government?
hlest
1:26am Mar 1,
2012
I agree with the idea that what Indonesia needs is a strong leader with the
ability to keep his government and his people under control. The injustice in
this country is rampant, and the chaos caused by various groups in the country
are nothing new to Indonesia. It’s not surprising at all that people are looking
for something who they can trust to take charge. However, I do realize that the
implications of another “iron-fisted” leader are far from encouraging. People
tend to remember things better than they really were, and Indonesians are no
exception. That said, I don’t get the hubbub over Prabowo, really. People really
need to start thinking of what they’re getting into in voting for someone who’s
never really proven himself accordingly in the political real.. --> one with
a record of human rights abuses.
#1 iron
hlest
1:30am Mar 1,
2012
I agree that corruption isn’t something so easily removed from a society to
which it has so strongly adhered itself to over the past few dacades. However,
its very possible to have a leader with enough control to enforce the proper
sanctions upon caught corruptors. Needless to say, in that instance, Indonesia’s
got a long way to go. We can’t abolish corruption, but perhaps we would be able
to find someone with enough integrity to do the right thing.
on a lighter note, the views of the government presented in this article made
me chuckle, but for all the wrong reasons. It’s kind of sad that we actually
agree to some of these incredibly unflattering images of the government. Change
is truly what we need, not only in the government of the country, but in the way
the people think as well.
Valkyrie
5:27am Mar 1,
2012
mswonderwoman...
I believe you forgot to mention the main alleged 'culprit' in the Wisma Atlet
debacle...A.U. Was this done on purpose?
How many of the Dems participated in the alleged money politics involving the
support for AU?
I watched the news, and I assume you too. Several have admitted that they
received monies amounting to almost 100 Million Rupiahs for supporting AU. The
ongoing court case will, I hope produce valid evidence that AU's finances
originate from ill gotten gains.
The Dems are demonic with wanton desires for wealth and power. Their
arrogance is well known and I hope their day of reckoning will come soon. Top
down.
padt
6:57am Mar 1,
2012
OptimusPrime - you ask "...what is a theology teacher doing writing this
(article)" Co-writer, as it is.
I am not sure why you ask this question.
Does it imply that a person trained in theology wouldn't have any
understanding of politics or social sciences?
Does it imply - to me - the very false assumption that theology (religion) is
a private affair and has no place in public life or the public square? (I am
totally opposed to theocratic states and 'State Religions' but I believe
religious people have a right to make their voice heard to politicians, like any
citizen can - without the country becoming a place that lives under religious
laws. Hence I believe in the 'separation of church and State' - but I do not
believe religion should be told to 'shut up'.)I AM NOT suggesting you have
implied this.
Why do I write these aricles with Yohanes Suliaman? He comes from an academic
political background and I come from an academic religious background - both are
concerned with human beings.
OptimusPrime
10:28am Mar 1,
2012
First of all, I would like to make it clear that I asked a question. Like any
other question, I simply wanted an answer. I apologize if it seemed that my
question had negative underlying implications. I just thought that it was
interesting to point out. I did not intend to offend.
With that being said, I am actually a Christian who share your belief. I
don't believe that religion of any kind should hinder someone from speaking
their voice. Opinions matter and I, agreeing with you, don't believe that
religion should be told to "shut up."
I commend you for writing this article and I hope that I didn't offend. I
simply wanted the opinions of others on this matter because I do care about the
future of my country.
padt
11:17am Mar 1,
2012
OptimusPrime - you didn't offend by asking the question nor did I take
offence. I replied as I was curious to know why you would ask such a question in
the first place. I did not imply criticism of you for asking a legitimate
question.
By the way - apart from curiosity - why did you ask the question?
And if I may make an aside - sometimes friends say to me, "You are not
Indonesian. You should not comment on Indonesian affairs."
I always reply - "Yes - you have a point. And many would agree. It's up to
the Indonesians to fix their own problems. Besides, I would not presume to even
think that I can assist in fixing Indonesia's problems. But - also - given what
is simply so unacceptable in Indonesia - in terms of the way some people behave
and treat others - I also believe that when I look out the window - or across
the street or into the face of anyone here - I don't simply see an Indonesian -
I see a fellow human being. And that gives me the reason, duty and the right to
comment."
tempodulu
11:33am Mar 1,
2012
you can huff and puff all you like, but removing the corruption from
Indonesian politics would be like removing the sweetness from sugar. It ain't
gonna happen!
OptimusPrime
11:48am Mar 1,
2012
padt - I'm glad to hear that. Now, to answer your question. I asked that
question because I was curious to see how others in this discussion would reply.
It was actually a knee-jerk reaction than anything else because when I was done
reading this article, it took me by surprise that there were contributions from
an expert in theology. Truth be told, I could only make very few links from the
content of this article to the occupation of the co-author. I have made it a
habit of mine to question the source and credibility of any article I come
across and therefore, I just simply had to ask.
padt
12:30pm Mar 1,
2012
tempodulu - you may well be right. However, while you and I cannot change
Indonesian politics and the dna of Indonesian corruption which is part of the
body politic - we can change oursleves. And that revolution is the hardest to
achieve.
Nothing will change in Indonesia until people change the way they
think.
rambo
8:09pm Mar 1,
2012
@padt - I would have to disagree with you by saying that "nothing will change
in Indonesia until people change the way they think". I'm not saying that the
statement is wrong, but without any strong interference of someone of strong
power will not be able to change indonesian politic. SBY would make a fine
example to this, since he had a good intention and had make some approaches to
extinguish corruption, but like people say "wild grass grows fast unless you
whip out its roots" SBY's actions could not reach many of the corruptors. It
did, for example the Anas and Permai group case that is still ongoing right now
but for the most part, i dont think so. He was not alone, he had tons of people
supporting him but he did not have the courage to put something real to the
table..
If only he punished the offenders by for example death penalty like China
did, other people would have been scared and probably leave corruption for
good.
rambo
4:27am Mar 2,
2012
@padt - I would have to disagree with you by saying that "nothing will change
in Indonesia until people change the way they think". I'm not saying that the
statement is wrong, but without any strong interference of someone of strong
power will not be able to change indonesian politic. SBY would make a fine
example to this, since he had a good intention and had make some approaches to
extinguish corruption, but like people say "wild grass grows fast unless you
whip out its roots" SBY's actions could not reach many of the corruptors. It
did, for example the Anas and Permai group case that is still ongoing right now
but for the most part, i dont think so. He was not alone, he had tons of people
supporting him but he did not have the courage to put something real to the
table..
If only he punished the offenders by for example death penalty like China
did, other people would have been scared and probably leave corruption for
good.
padt
9:38am Mar 2,
2012
rambo - two things about your interesting comment:
Every change in society begins with an idea. Not a deed. And the idea - the
mentality must take root in the Indonesian psyche first before the deeds can be
done.
Secondly you seem to say that SBY has not achieved as much in terms of
eradicating corruption because he does not have the courage to do so even though
he has the support.
I invite you to reflect why that may be so.
We get lots and lots of statements today - but they all fall short of the
word "...because...."
Perhaps the 'because' word is not used much in Indonesia because it is
considered impolite to talk about 'negative' things.
SBY's administration will make an interesting study in the next decade -
because it will reveal just how Indonesians deal with history - and the facts.
