Advice for the President

Too much for ought is good for nought; in other words, everything in good measure. No doubt, this sort of reasoning was in the mind of the Langitan Forum ulemas when they called on President Abdurrahman Wahid over the weekend to be more careful and less hasty in making public statements.

"Abdurrahman must change his style and pattern of leadership. He is no longer the chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), but President of Indonesia," NU deputy chairman KH Sahal Mahfudz said after the forum's meeting in Tuban, East Java on Saturday.

Abdurrahman, also known as Gus Dur, was well-known for making unexpected and controversial statements long before anybody here or abroad ever thought of him becoming the president of this country.

During the height of what was known as the "ninja killings" of Muslim leaders in the Banyuwangi area in East Java about a couple of years ago, for example, he made headlines by naming the initials of a minister of then president Soeharto's Cabinet who he "knew" should be held responsible for the killings.

It can be imagined that the whole incident must have left a disagreeable aftertaste for the minister in question. Fortunately, the incident ended without any further consequences as the person implicated simply brushed off the whole affair. Abdurrahman, after all, was "only" the chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama.

To be fair, though, it must be said that not all of Abdurrahman's remarks were controversial or lacked restraint. Indeed, most comments and observations he made reflected his deep understanding and commitment to the best of mankind's universal values, including such fields as morality and religious and intellectual tolerance and democracy.

It was through his statements, comments and writings that Abdurrahman's qualities as possible presidential material first became apparent, even at a time when talking about a presidential succession was regarded as subversive. All this considered, Indonesians were willing to understand that, from time to time, a few less prudent remarks would come forth from a man the caliber of Abdurrahman.

Things, of course, have since considerably changed. As President of the country, it simply cannot be avoided that each and every public statement Abdurrahman makes is weighed and deliberated for its possible effects and implications.

A good example was his latest statement implicating three of his Cabinet ministers in suspected cases of corruption. Although no names (or initials) have been mentioned -- or perhaps because no such details have been given -- the country at present is abuzz with rumors and speculation as to who the President could be referring to and what further measures can be expected -- clearly a situation that does not help to bolster the integrity and efficacy of Abdurrahman's current National Unity Cabinet.

That no names have so far been officially mentioned no doubt signals the President's good intention to honor the principle of the presumption of innocence. Neither is there any doubt about the President's firm commitment to establishing good and clean governance in Indonesia, no matter what the obstacles may be.

Even so, it can be argued that it would have been even better not to have made such public statements at all, at least until sufficient proof was obtained to warrant an open investigation into the affair. As it is, the government owes it to the ministers involved and the public to come up with an explanation soon.

In the meantime, the President is well-advised to pay good heed to the counsel given him by the Langitan Forum ulemas. Statements such as those regarding pardoning Soeharto, agreeing to a referendum in Aceh and revising the pattern of revenue distribution between Jakarta and the provinces are much better discussed with the legislative bodies before they are disclosed to the public. The time the President had the prerogative to make major policy decisions has passed.