No more privileges for youth leaders<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports
\nHayono Isman said today's youth leaders should not expect the
\nbusiness privileges and protection which some of their
\npredecessors enjoyed from the government.<\/p>\n
Those days are over, Hayono told a leadership meeting of the
\n1966 Front for Indonesian Youths and Students Movement (KAPPI
\n1966) on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Youth leaders, he said, should strive to become independent.<\/p>\n
\"Today's young people cannot expect similar privileges and
\nprotection given to Aburizal Bakrie and Fahmi Idris in their
\nbusinesses,\" he said, referring to two of Indonesia's most
\nsuccessful indigenous entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n
He said the young people have to be independent and work hard
\nto secure their future. He did not explain why today's youth
\nleaders cannot have similar privileges, but his statement
\nprovoked warm applause from the participants.<\/p>\n
Abdullah Puteh, the chairman of KAPPI' 66, supported the
\nminister's statement, saying that young people have to prepare
\nthemselves to face the competitive globalization age where
\nprivileges \"won't be of much help\".<\/p>\n
\"In the free trade era, which will start at the beginning of
\nthe next century, only the best products and services will win in
\nopen competition,\" he said.<\/p>\n
KAPPI was established in 1965, at a time of great political
\nupheaval, shortly after the abortive coup attempt by the
\nIndonesian Communist Party (PKI) on Sept. 30.<\/p>\n
At almost the same time, a number of other student movements
\nsprung as a response to the condition. They included the
\nUniversity Students Movement (KAMI), the Indonesian Teachers
\nMovement (KAGI), the Indonesian Workers Movement (KABI), the
\nIndonesian Graduate Students Movement (KASI) and the Indonesian
\nWomen Movement (KAWI).<\/p>\n
Jointly as KAPPI, later to be referred to also as the 1966
\nGeneration, the movements mobilized massive street protests in
\n1966 against the president at the time, Sukarno. They demanded
\nthat he outlaw the PKI, purge his cabinet of communist elements,
\nand reduce the prices of basic commodities.<\/p>\n
Hayono on Saturday used the occasion to jump on the bandwagon
\nof government officials and community figures who have openly
\ncalled for the re-nomination of President Soeharto in 1998.<\/p>\n
\"I think President Soeharto is the only person suitable for
\nthe post,\" Hayono told the reporters.<\/p>\n
The minister acknowledged the country has other potential
\ncandidates, such as Vice President Try Sutrisno, State Minister
\nfor Research and Technology B.J. Habibie, and former environment
\nminister Emil Salim. However, \"they cannot be compared with
\nPresident Soeharto,\" Hayono said.<\/p>\n
Hayono also said that the time will come when President
\nSoeharto decides to transfer the post to a suitable successor.<\/p>\n
More and more support, either direct or implicit, is being
\nvoiced to support President Soeharto's reelection in the 1998
\npresidential election. Among those early supporters were leaders
\nof the Golkar's youth wing Gakari, chairman of the Supreme
\nAdvisory Council Sudomo, and Minister of Transmigration Siswono
\nYudohusodo.<\/p>\n
The KAPPI '66 earlier last week openly expressed its support
\nfor Soeharto's reelection.<\/p>\n
The KAPPI claims to have members in 26 provinces, yet no exact
\nnumbers are available. Around 150 leaders of its central and
\nbranch offices take part in the three-day leadership meeting,
\nwhich will end today.(imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/no-more-privileges-for-youth-leaders-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}