Sense and sensitivity<\/p>\n
In facing the current monetary turmoil, the governments of
\nMalaysia and Thailand have cut the salaries of their senior
\nofficials as an austerity measure and expression of solidarity
\nwith those hardest hit by the economic chaos.<\/p>\n
Kuala Lumpur, which has not been affected by the crisis as
\nbadly as Thailand and Indonesia, was the first to take the
\nexemplary step by cutting 10 percent off the salaries of its
\nprime minister, his deputy, cabinet ministers and their deputies.
\nMembers of parliament salaries' were cut by 3 percent.<\/p>\n
It is not yet clear how much Malaysia expects to reduce
\nexpenditure through the austerity measure but Thailand, which has
\ncut the salaries of its cabinet and government coalition
\nlegislators by 20 percent, expects to save US$1.06 million
\nannually.<\/p>\n
The Thai government has also appealed to opposition
\nlegislators and all senators to follow suit in order to double
\nthe figure.<\/p>\n
Many Indonesians who have been suffering severely during the
\nlast few months have been wanting to hear a token of sensitivity
\nconcerning their hardship from the government. This expectation
\ndoes not necessarily mean however that the millions of
\nIndonesians who have lost their jobs since the beginning of the
\nfinancial crisis expect the social solidarity measures taken in
\nthese neighboring countries to be copied here.<\/p>\n
Indonesians have witnessed a public official offering a sense
\nof unity when the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives,
\nArmy Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, announced recently that he was
\nwilling to have his salary reduced by 20 percent. He said:
\n\"Government officials should set an example and make a sacrifice
\nto help the country resolve the crisis.\"<\/p>\n
But the government reacted differently. It said it would not
\ncut the salaries of its top officials, including ministers and
\nother senior civil servants, for such a purpose because their
\nsalaries were comparatively much lower than their counterparts in
\nneighboring countries.<\/p>\n
Many Indonesians were deeply disappointed by the government's
\nreaction because it indicated the authorities may not have fully
\nunderstood the untold suffering facing many people, most of whom
\nwere already experiencing difficulties in keeping their heads
\nabove water even when they still had a job.<\/p>\n
People here fully understand that the salaries of our civil
\nservants and ministers are much smaller than those in Malaysia
\nand Thailand. But the public deserves at least a small token of a
\nsense of solidarity from the authorities. The expectation is
\nrelevant to the often-touted virtue of social solidarity.<\/p>\n
However, this is a country of paradox, as is apparent every
\nday. Our officials' comparatively low salaries are not mirrored
\nby their lifestyles. Many of them do not feel awkward about
\nflaunting their affluence. They own elegant houses and expensive
\ncars, and are able to afford to send their children abroad to
\nstudy and their wives to shop in foreign cities.<\/p>\n
The government's refusal to take up the idea of austerity
\nmeasures shows an equal lack of sensitivity. In the eyes of the
\npublic, it is nothing but an absence of a sense of crisis.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sense-and-sensitivity-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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