Appreciate our own teachers

Appreciate our own teachers

From Media Indonesia

I would like to refer to a report in Suara Karya dated Aug. 23, 2001, titled The Bengkalis local administration pays teachers from Malaysia Rp 8 million per month/person which mentioned that Malaysian teachers work as tutors.

My question is: Don't we have teachers, lecturers or experts just as good as the teachers coming from Malaysia? It would be more beneficial if the Rp 8 million per month/teacher were paid to a teacher from the Riau province or from other provinces within Indonesia. This would make our own people more prosperous; thus our money is not wasted on foreigners.

Apart from causing embarrassment, the Bengkalis local administration appears to be throwing away funds from the APBD (local administration budget) and enriching foreigners, while not appreciating our own people or having respect for their skills.

The kind of mentality that worships everything foreign -- the New Order style -- should be eradicated. It is better to utilize our own people, including those already educated in the USA or Europe, than import from Malaysia or any other country.

ABDULLAH HAMID

Jakarta