Ministers see valuable lesson from Clinton's affair<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The sex scandal involving U.S. President Bill
\nClinton may have little impact on Indonesia, but several Cabinet
\nmembers nevertheless see it as a valuable lesson in leadership
\nand integrity.<\/p>\n
Five ministers, including State Minister of Women Affairs
\nTutty Alawiyah, initially blushed and looked aghast, but
\neventually burst into laughter when asked if they thought such a
\nscandal was possible in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
For the male ministers, the chief lesson to come out of the
\nClinton-Lewinsky affair was the importance of resisting
\ntemptation.<\/p>\n
\"All men must have experienced attempts at seduction,\"
\nCoordinating Minister for Development Supervision and State
\nAdministrative Reforms Hartarto told The Jakarta Post on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
When asked about the specific lessons to be learned from the
\nscandal, Hartarto simply laughed and retorted to the questioning
\njournalist: \"Are you a man or not?.\"<\/p>\n
Minister of Justice Muladi said that as a minister, he needed
\nto muster the strength to resist strong temptations, especially
\nregarding women.<\/p>\n
He said that as precaution, he has always tried to avoid
\nstaying in hotels whenever possible.<\/p>\n
\"This is very sensitive, but to be frank with you, the
\ntemptation is very strong. We simply must keep alert,\" Muladi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"It's human (to succumb to temptation), but it is very
\ndangerous,\" Muladi said.<\/p>\n
After replying, a suspicious looking Muladi asked why he had
\nbeen singled out for the question. \"By the way, why are you
\nasking me in particular?\" he whispered as Attorney General Andi
\nM. Ghalib cast him a sideways glance from the next seat.<\/p>\n
Serving government officials have little to worry about
\nbecause the Indonesian media rarely poke their noses into the
\nprivate lives of politicians.<\/p>\n
Despite this fact, the rumor mills are never short of gossip
\nabout prominent figures, as attendance at any official reception
\nwill reveal.<\/p>\n
The immunity from media investigation disappears once an
\nofficial leaves office, as the once-powerful minister\/secretary
\nof state Moerdiono recently found out to his cost.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, the gossip tabloid Cek & Ricek ran an
\ninterview with Machicha Mochtar, a dangdut singer who claims to
\nbe the legitimate second wife of the former minister.<\/p>\n
Machicha said she married Moerdiono on Feb. 5, 1996, and has
\nsince given him a son, now 31 months old, named Mohammad Iqbal
\nRamadhan.<\/p>\n
Moerdiono, who has not appeared in public since he was dropped
\nfrom the Cabinet in March, has not responded to her claims.<\/p>\n
Soeharto remained relatively free from such rumors during his
\ntime in office.<\/p>\n
The only occasion when aspersions were cast on his private
\nlife was in the 1970s, when rumors circulated that he had a
\nspecial relationship with movie star Rahayu Effendi.<\/p>\n
His wife, Tien Soeharto, who died in 1996, was known to be
\ntough and scorned anyone in the Cabinet who had extra-marital
\naffairs. She would insist that they be removed at the first
\nopportunity.<\/p>\n
She was also believed to have played a prominent role in
\npushing through the marriage law in the 1970s, which made it
\nnecessary for any government official or civil servant who wished
\nto take a second wife to obtain permission from his superiors.<\/p>\n
Islam allows a man to have up to four wives, provided he has
\nthe financial means and can prove he is capable of treating them
\nequally and fairly.<\/p>\n
Minister Tutty said the Clinton scandal had been blown out of
\nproportion. \"It is very embarrassing,\" she added.<\/p>\n
\"The lesson we can take is about honesty, and I think this
\napplies to both the U.S. and Indonesia,\" Minister of Information
\nLt. Gen. Muhamad Yunus said. He refused to say whether he had
\never faced similar temptations.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry
\nGinandjar Kartasasmita refused to comment on the scandal.<\/p>\n
\"Oh please, no, it's a matter of another country's president.
\nNo, I don't want to reply to that question.\"<\/p>\n
\"In this integrated world, I think the scandal will be an
\nimportant lesson for other people. It shows that a leader who
\nholds the people's mandate must be someone who is trustworthy,\"
\nMinister of Cooperatives Adi Sasono said. (prb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ministers-see-valuable-lesson-from-clintons-affair-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}