Don't pretend you know everything: Soeharto<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto has called on military and
\ncivilian officials not to pretend that they know everything about
\ncurrent problems when they really do not.<\/p>\n
\"Don't act as if you know everything,\" the President told 90
\nofficers during their visit to his Tapos ranch, near Bogor, 60 km
\nsouth of here, on Sunday. The 90 officers are joining courses at
\nthe Armed Forces Staff and Command College.<\/p>\n
He urged the officials, who are in the dark about social,
\npolitical and economic problems, to ask experts about things they
\nare not yet familiar with.<\/p>\n
Soeharto then related his own learning experiences when he
\nassumed the presidency in the early 1970s.<\/p>\n
He said that back then his knowledge about many problems was
\nvery limited but he took the initiative to hold discussions with
\nexperts.<\/p>\n
\"I used to take note of the results of every discussion,\" he
\nsaid, reported Antara. Soeharto added that all officials in his
\nsituation should do the same if they want to serve the public in
\nthe best possible way.<\/p>\n
Answering a question by an officer, Soeharto also said that
\nmaking a decision was no easy job. \"Sometimes, the alternatives
\nwere very bad but we had to have the courage to decide.\"<\/p>\n
The officers, made up of colonels and lieutenant colonels from
\nall Armed Forces units, were advised by the President not to be
\nselective in tours of duty decided by the government.<\/p>\n
\"Learn from the wind, which is present every where,\" he said,
\nadding that an officer should not select favorable area of duty
\nonly but should be ready to be assigned anywhere because the
\npeople are every where.<\/p>\n
\"The higher your frequency of meeting the people is, the more
\nyou are informed about their aspirations,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Soeharto also advised the officers to be careful in reading
\ntheir subordinates' reports because sometimes they are not made
\non the basis of facts but \"just to please you, their boss\".<\/p>\n
Asked about the possible impact of trade liberalizations by
\nthe year 2010, the President said that when the time comes some
\npeople might be lured into preferring foreign products to local
\nones, because they are cheaper and better in quality.<\/p>\n
\"If this happens, our industries will be in trouble because
\ntheir products will not sell well,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to the President, the best way to prevent this
\ntendency is to, from now on, imbue Indonesian children with a
\nsense of pride in buying national products. (tis)<\/p>\n
Photo -- Page 2<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dont-pretend-you-know-everything-soeharto-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }