Muchlis' resignation<\/p>\n
Whatever caused (West Sumatra Governor) Muchlis to resign, his
\nact will certainly add to President B.J. Habibie's unpopularity.
\nPublic opinion sees in Muchlis' decision an act of courage --
\nsomething that would have been impossible to imagine during the
\npast New Order era.<\/p>\n
During the New Order era, the government practically always
\nmanaged to defeat rebellious currents in the regions without loss
\nof face. In every case, history recorded absolute victory on the
\npart of the central government. The current reform movement,
\nhowever, has brought certain blessings. Among other things, our
\nlives have become more appealing and less established and
\nmonotonous. Before Muchlis' case, we witnessed how the people of
\nYogyakarta compelled Jakarta to recognize Sultan Hamengkubuwono X
\nas the region's governor.<\/p>\n
We respect Muchlis for having had the courage, as a government
\nofficial, to refuse to condone what he believed to be injustice
\nand to protect his personal honor at the same time. This case
\nshould also teach Habibie and his Cabinet that the situation in
\nthe country today has drastically changed from the past. The New
\nOrder habit of claiming a monopoly on the right to rule what is
\ntrue and right can no longer be used as a basis for policy-
\nmaking.<\/p>\n
-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/muchlis-resignation-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }