Nepotism and transparency<\/p>\n
On the front page of the Dec. 31 edition of The Jakarta Post
\nMinister of Manpower Abdul Latief strongly denied allegations of
\nfinancial impropriety saying \"I'll be damned. I'm a tycoon...\"
\nThis declaration brings to mind a question: How do Indonesia's
\npublic servants become wealthy tycoons?<\/p>\n
Government salaries in Indonesia are notoriously low. How do
\npublic officials accumulate enough wealth to take expensive
\nvacation trips, send wives overseas to shop and children overseas
\nto study, indulge in expensive hobbies like racing automobiles,
\nand develop hotels and factories? How can officials afford these
\nluxuries on unadorned salaries? And how do the offspring of high
\ngovernment officials accumulate enough money to become tycoons
\nwhile still so young?<\/p>\n
A few days ago, Abdurrahman Wahid and Loekman Soetrisno
\ndecried the tendency of government officials to take an ostrich-
\nlike posture in relation to unpleasant facts such as an impending
\nfood shortage. Maybe there are other realities people do not want
\nto notice: the inexplicable accumulation of vast wealth by
\ngovernment officials and their sons and daughters.<\/p>\n
Sometimes young tycoons have unexceptional educations and few
\nobvious business talents or professional skills. What they often
\ndo have is a close, convenient connection to those with the power
\nto bestow contracts, permits and favors. Isn't there a question
\nlurking beneath these realities?<\/p>\n
Indonesia's financial recovery experts emphasize the need to
\nend nepotism. But names are never mentioned. Nepotism is written
\nabout as if it were a formless, nameless evil somewhere out there
\nin cyberspace. Nepotism is not, however, a faceless concept.
\nNepotism has a name: the names of persons favored because of a
\nfamily relationship. Whose names belong on Indonesia's nepotism
\nlist?<\/p>\n
In recent months, President Soeharto has found it necessary to
\nremind the public that he should not be made into a cult figure
\nand should not be placed above questioning. Nepotistic tendencies
\nmay have arisen against the wishes of the President and his
\nchildren, because of the willingness of lesser officials and
\nbusinesspeople to ingratiate themselves by granting special
\nfavors to the children from the time they were young.<\/p>\n
Now when a major new project is announced and one of the
\nPresident's children becomes a partner, no questions are asked
\nopenly, not even by the media. Unless the business arrangements
\nand sources of wealth of the President's children are disclosed,
\nthey may be wrongly suspected of nepotism.<\/p>\n
DONNA K. WOODWARD<\/p>\n
Medan, North Sumatra<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nepotism-and-transparency-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }