Appeal to Silalahi

Appeal to Silalahi

I read with great interest an article in The Jakarta Post on
Feb. 2, 1995, page 2 entitled: Officials and their wealth kept in
check. Although I read it with great interest, doubts are
lingering in my mind whether this is 100 percent true. I never
have had any doubt about the political intention of my government
to keep everything in check. But surely the Minister will agree
that the implementation is still very poor.

People can see officials with three or four cars, having
several houses, organizing glittering wedding parties and showing
off wealth far above their official income.

Let us take as an example a president director of a state-
owned company, with a salary of Rp 6 million a month. His routine
expenses for the household and everything is, let's say, Rp 3
million. So every month he can save a clean three million rupiah,
or Rp 36 million a year. But what is the reality? After one year
in office they have cars, houses and a fat bank account. How is
that possible? And do not think that this is only known to a very
few. People know, but most of them are apathetic and mind their
own business, because they feel that there is not much they can
do.

What the Minister said in the beginning, that officials and
their wealth are kept in check, is only partially true. He should
have said that official's wealth can be kept in check, (according
to Presidential Decree No 52/1970, but I do not know for sure
whether this decree still exists).

Pak Silalahi can do a lot in creating a clean and efficient
bureaucracy. The integrity of an official must be considered as
an absolute condition to qualify for a job, because efficiency
alone cannot ensure that. Bribery, extortion and nepotism can get
a man a job. In most instances there is the official and
unofficial procedures-- Procedures going through the "back door"
or what we call also the under the table procedure.

There is a lot that we can do by just implementing the
existing regulations and not trying to create new ones, which
only create more confusion. We know that many regulations lack
perfection, but with a strong will we can do a lot.

The President said in a cabinet meeting on Jan. 30, 1970 that
objective factors encouraging corruption are, among others, Old
Order heritages such as (1) No discipline in the Government ranks
and too much interference from the Government in the economic
field, (2) A weak Government apparatus, (3) Weak law enforcement
agencies, and (4) Weak control.

It is a pity that Pak Silalahi did not elaborate on how or
what the Government is doing or going to do to check the illegal
growth of the wealth of the officials, and more important what
are the results of the Government's efforts in this particular
field. I feel that serious steps should be taken to prevent the
birth of social jealousy and other more serious social
disturbances. And above all I have the impression (hopefully I am
wrong) that at present many officials are caught by a dangerous
disease called "passion for luxurious living."

I pray that Pak Silalahi will have all the strength he needs
to start combating this evil. All eyes full of hope (not only
Himpunan Mahasiswa Islam's eyes) are watching you. Good luck!

SOEGIH ARTO

Jakarta