Baseless criticism puzzles people, Soeharto says<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto said political development
\nhas nurtured Indonesians' political awareness and allowed them to
\nbecome more critical, but groundless criticisms only confuse the
\npeople.<\/p>\n
"In principle, a critical attitude is positive so long as it
\nis born out of a sense of responsibility toward the nation. But
\nthe fact is we often find baseless criticisms which confuse
\npeople," he said. "This will only hurt our development."<\/p>\n
The President made the statement during a ceremony at the
\nState Palace commemorating Indonesian Workers Day and the 24th
\nanniversary of the Federation of All-Indonesian Workers Union.<\/p>\n
Soeharto was accompanied by leaders of the workers union
\nyesterday, including Bomer Pasaribu.<\/p>\n
Soeharto did not elaborate on what he meant by "groundless
\ncriticism", but last week said some criticism was necessary for
\ndevelopment.<\/p>\n
During the launch of a book titled Lahirnya Satu Bangsa dan
\nNegara (The Birth of a Nation and State) he conceded that
\nalthough Indonesia's development is on track, correction is
\nneeded from time to time to make sure that it won't derail.<\/p>\n
"With all the worrying shortcomings and limitations, we are
\nheading in the right direction," he said.<\/p>\n
But he also warned that the correction should be done in a
\nmanner that would not threaten the nation's unity and channeled
\nthrough the right institutions.<\/p>\n
Soeharto warned that the tremendous progress Indonesia has
\npainstakingly made should not be put in danger. "We are
\ndetermined to maintain sustainability so that we can jerk up
\ngrowth and improve social justice. For that, we need constant
\ncorrections," he said.<\/p>\n
Soeharto also said that the increasing number of job seekers
\nand the limited number of job opportunities posed a formidable
\nchallenge for the country.<\/p>\n
The number of job seekers increased from 2.1 million in 1990
\nto 5.9 million in 1995, he said.<\/p>\n
"Unless we overcome the problem immediately, it will not only
\nimpede development but cause social unrest," he said.<\/p>\n
He called for the improvement of human resources in the face
\nof global free trade where only countries which produce quality
\ngoods and services will survive the competition.<\/p>\n
"A nation which cannot produce quality goods will be left
\nbehind. One thing that must be done is to restructure the labor
\nsector so we can face future challenges," the President said.<\/p>\n
He also reaffirmed the government's stance to abolish levies
\nirrelevant to the production process to increase efficiency and,
\neventually, to increase workers' salaries.<\/p>\n
"Increased salary could then improve the welfare of workers
\nand their families," he said.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto also presented awards to some government
\nofficials and businessmen for their contribution to the
\nprosperous workers family development movement. They include East
\nJava Governor Basofi Sudirman and Tangerang Regent Syaifullah
\nAbdul Rachman. (swe)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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