Politicians' earnestness<\/p>\n
From Republika<\/p>\n
To Indonesians, who have just embarked on a reform drive, the
\nproblems they are now encountering are indeed tough and serious.
\nBesides, our people also have to confront major challenges. It is
\nimpossible for us, Indonesians, to solve these problems if our
\nelite -- or those considering themselves elite -- continue to
\ninvolve themselves in conflicts by prioritizing their own
\nsuperiority.<\/p>\n
Mutual blasphemy -- not infrequently lacking in proportion --
\nriots, natural disasters and people's angry outbursts as a result
\nof their impoverished lives are problems that need solving. To
\nborrow the metaphor once used by Ariel Heryanto, a political
\nanthropologist now living in Australia, Indonesia is a large
\nvessel which has sprung many leaks.<\/p>\n
To prevent this large vessel from sinking to rock bottom, I
\nfully agree that the Ciganjur Declaration should be followed up
\nby informal gatherings and dialogs involving community and
\nreligious figures and various other quarters and held in a spirit
\nof democracy, egalitarianism, honesty and transparency, with all
\nthe parties involved placing the interests of the state and the
\nnation above that of their own or their groups. These figures --
\ncivilian and military -- must seek a common platform. Differences
\nof opinion must be placed in the framework of democracy,
\nencompassing scientific, political, economic, social, cultural,
\nsecurity and defense affairs, and should not be allowed to
\ndeteriorate into schisms, a condition which may come about if the
\nparties involved do not see things clearly and persistently cling
\nto their egotism.<\/p>\n
After the stepping down of president Soeharto, Amien Rais and
\nreform-minded groups should not insist on drastic and
\nrevolutionary changes because Indonesians in general need to
\nadjust to the new atmosphere after being suppressed for 32 years
\nunder the yoke of the New Order regime. This does not mean that I
\nam in favor of the status quo. Even Prophet Muhammad -- directly
\nguided by God through Gabriel -- needed no less than 23 years to
\ntransform a society characterized by pagan ignorance into an
\nIslamic one.<\/p>\n
It is hoped that our elite, particularly the political elite,
\nwill be willing to sit together in all sincerity to discuss the
\nvarious problems faced by the nation in a spirit of togetherness.
\nThey should realize that everybody has their pluses and minuses.
\nMany excellent precedents were set by our predecessors in this
\nrespect, for example, the Youth Congress in 1928 with its Youth
\nPledge and the 1945 session of an agency assigned to prepare the
\nindependence of Indonesia, in which a decision was made to
\nestablish Pancasila, the five-point principle, the state
\nfoundation of the Republic of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Remember, it has been predicted that many things beyond man's
\nimagination will happen in 1999, also known as the Year of the
\nRabbit in the lunar calendar.<\/p>\n
AHSIN MUBARY<\/p>\n
Semarang<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/politicians-earnestness-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }