Becoming paranoid

Becoming paranoid

The Exxon-Mobil decision to halt operations in Arun, Aceh,
illustrates the dim prospect of this country's economic recovery
process. Since Exxon-Mobil decided to cease operations, the
supply to nearby factories such as PT ASEAN Aceh Fertilizer, PT
Pupuk Iskandar Muda (PT PIM fertilizer) and PT Kertas Kraft Aceh
(paper mill) has been disrupted. PT PIM has even been forced to
temporary stop production.

It is ironic that at a time when the country is in a condition
where the state budget is in danger of being jeopardized, there
are still people who believe that this development is politically
motivated.

We have become a sick nation. Suspicion runs high and is
making us paranoid. This leads us to fall into the trap of making
careless presumptions, which in turn makes it impossible for us
to solve the essence of our problems.

At the core of these problems is our inability to establish
security. For businesspeople, though, security -- especially in
production centers -- is a vital precondition for guaranteeing
the continuity of their operations. After all, what is the point
of doing business if one's life is put at stake?

-- Kompas, Jakarta