Nationalism faces different challenges<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Nationalism never changes in its shape but will
\nalways need a different spirit due to various challenges the
\nnation faces, a minister and a political scientist said
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
Minister of Transmigration Siswono Yudohusodo said nationalism
\nhas always remained the same.<\/p>\n
\"It (nationalism) always owes its origin to people's love of
\nthe nation and state through which people gain a will to boost
\nnational pride and dignity,\" he said after attending a seminar to
\nmark the second Technology Day held by the Institute of
\nIndonesian Engineers.<\/p>\n
Separately, a researcher from the National Institute of
\nScience, Indria Samego, shared Siswono's view, saying that, since
\nthe beginning, the nationalistic ideology has inferred devotion
\ntowards national interests instead of personal gains.<\/p>\n
The two made their comments under the backdrop of the
\ncontroversial sale of 50.1 percent of shares of noodle company PT
\nIndofood Sukses Makmur to QAF Ltd. of Singapore recently.<\/p>\n
PT Indofood is owned by Indonesian tycoon Sudono Salim. But
\nSudono, through three other companies he owns here, also holds a
\nmajority of stakes in QAF.<\/p>\n
Following the sale, there has been wide-scale debate if the
\nsale of Indofood's shares to Singapore represents a nationalistic
\nmove or not.<\/p>\n
Debates on nationalism keep rolling on despite explanations by
\nsome top government officials, including Minister\/State Secretary
\nMoerdiono who described Sudono's move as a new form of
\nnationalism.<\/p>\n
\"If Pak Moerdiono calls it a new form of Indonesian
\nnationalism, I'd rather call it the new spirit of Indonesian
\nnationalism,\" said Siswono, a former chairman of the influential
\nyouth association, Indonesian Nationalist Student Movement.<\/p>\n
According to Siswono, during the early days of independence in
\n1945, the spirit of nationalism was always evident in the way
\npeople greeted each other with the legendary salute of \"Merdeka
\natau Mati\" (Freedom or Death).<\/p>\n
\"Nowadays, the spirit should be implemented through a will to
\nfight for the improvement of people's welfare ... (and) it could
\nbe done by investing abroad,\" Siswono said.<\/p>\n
\"The manifestation of the new spirit can be seen if the
\nSingaporean company later imports large quantities of Indonesian
\nagricultural products,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Defensive<\/p>\n
Indria, however, said the debate over Sudono's move had pushed
\nthe government to take a defensive position.<\/p>\n
\"The concept of new nationalism is somewhat rhetorical, simply
\nbecause there has been no agreement about what it really means,\"
\nIndria remarked.<\/p>\n
He said nationalism should take the form of boosting economic
\nequity instead of a mere market orientation.<\/p>\n
\"From a business point of view, there's nothing wrong with
\ncapital expansion overseas.<\/p>\n
\"But for the sake of economic equity, it would otherwise be
\nbetter for large companies to cause a trickle down effect by
\nincreasing investment to the eastern part of the country,\" Indria
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He hailed government efforts to involve conglomerates in the
\npoverty alleviation program, but said that it should be based on
\na charity scheme rather than some sort of levy.<\/p>\n
Early this year President Soeharto issued a decree ordering
\nfirms and individuals with annual after-tax earnings of more than
\nRp 100 million (US$42,000) to contribute an extra 2 percent of
\ntheir incomes as a donation to the campaign against poverty.<\/p>\n
Indria said large companies should take over the government's
\nrole in various socioeconomic functions in exchange for benefits
\nthey enjoyed in the past.<\/p>\n
\"We need more rules to maintain the social commitment of the
\nbusiness community, including one that obliges private banks to
\nhelp poor people finance businesses,\" he said. (aan\/amd)<\/p>",
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