LETTER UNTUK HARI SENIN, 29 JULI
LETTER UNTUK HARI SENIN, 29 JULI
ANZ drops ball
Regarding the bank's arbitrary attitude concerning their
'official policy' of refusing any foreign bills of less than
"Crisp Uncirculated" (CU) conditions, ANZ bank was chosen as the
test subject in the necessary eradication of this discriminatory
practice.
After having contacted ANZ Australia on June 20 for a
clarification, they replied that they would have an answer by
July 5. On July 4 their response was to say they required more
time than originally anticipated for the completion of their
investigation and would issue a response on July 19.
Off I went to try again. Same money, same story. Unlike last
time when every manager was conveniently unavailable, I met with
the Branch Manager. Mr Nukka Simbolon stated that he was familiar
with my letters to The Jakarta Post and to the home offices and
they had been in contact with him. He categorically stated that
the bills were unacceptable for exchange for Australian dollars
for transfer to Australia, as the bank has no facility to
exchange the money in the Indonesian system. So, they pass the
problem on to us the customers. He did offer to accept the U.S.
dollar bills if I exchanged them for rupiah first.
He was duly informed that he was not in position any longer to
make this call. Mr Scott Armstrong, the President Director, was
summoned, but had not yet been included in the loop and cordially
repeated the standard rhetoric.
He made it abundantly clear that the problem would remain at
the consumer level; instead of petitioning the host country's
Central Bank (BI) to make/change policy or accommodation.
BRIEN DOYLE
Jakarta
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Our professional
doctors?
Recommended by a friend of my son, I went to an
otorminolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat - THT - specialist)
at a THT clinic run by a private foundation on Jl. Ciranjang,
Kebayoran Baru, on Wednesday, July 24, 2002, in the evening.
When I confirmed on Wednesday morning -- by phone -- I was
told by the receptionist that the specialist would be available
at 7 p.m.
I arrived at the clinic at about 7 p.m. in the hopes that I
could get early treatment. There were several patients sitting in
the waiting room when I arrived.
After waiting for one hour, I got no guarantee if the would be
available, and no one at the clinic could explain why the doctor
had not yet appeared.
A nurse then told me that the doctor had finished surgery at 4
p.m. (on Wednesday), and that "he could be sleeping, now, so none
of us (employees) would dare call him."
More surprisingly, she told me that the doctor's residence was
just behind the clinic!
I decided to leave the clinic soon to get another specialist
after I had waited for one hour without any explanation.
It made me start to wonder about the professionalism of such
people. Isn't surgery a normal part of his professional
responsibility, and aren't the patients at the clinic also his
professional responsibility?
Why didn't the doctor at least try to let the waiting patients
know why he failed to appear just to show his attention and
responsibility to his patients? He could have simply asked
somebody to let the clinic know why he was late.
While obviously ignoring the patients' time wasted waiting for
him for at least one hour (without any explanation), the doctor
has demonstrated his arrogance and negligence.
I would like to ask all doctors, especially those who consider
themselves professionally established and well-off, to have more
empathy for their patients.
Don't forget that your patients play significant roles in the
life, or death, of your career.
SOERYO WINOTO
Tangerang, Banten
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More attention needed
to agrarian sector
From Republika
In the 1970s and 1980s Indonesia was known as a successful
agrarian country with Karawang regency and some other places in
Central and East Java being the country's largest rice-producing
areas. In these two decades Indonesia was self-sufficient in
rice.
It is strange, however, that today many rice fields in
Karawang, Tangerang and Cianjur, for example, have been
converted into shopping centers, office buildings and housing
complexes. As a result, the country's rice production has gone
down so considerably that many farmers have to eke out a meager
existence.
Megawati Soekarnoputri and her Cabinet must pay serious
attention to this matter because agriculture is a way of life for
the small people, in general. Unless this problem is properly
addressed, Megawati cannot hope to win in the upcoming 2004
general election.
VALERY SETIAWAN
Bengkulu
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How dare he agree
with a foreigner!
From Rakyat Merdeka
Making a criticism is everyone's right. As a sovereign nation,
we reserve the right to maintain the dignity and integrity of our
country.
However, I cannot agree with the highly critical Teten
Masduki, chairman of the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW),
especially when he criticized Minister of Justice and Human
Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra's response to the harsh comments
voiced by the United Nations rapporteur Datok Param Chumaraswamy
about Indonesia's judicial system. What Chumaraswamy has done
(suggested that Indonesia should try to eradicate corruption in
the legal system) encroaches upon the internal affairs of our
country and wounds the dignity of our nation.
Not all the opinions and wishes of foreigners, including the
United Nations, must be heeded. I support Minister Yusril in this
respect. What he has done shows that there is still a dignified
official who defends the dignity of his nation. Ours is a great
and sovereign nation with our own rules of the game. Teten must
be able to distinguish between the state's interests and personal
dislikes.
I have always considered Teten my comrade-in-arms although we
have never met.
H. GUMAY
Jakarta
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Corruption in Ministry
of Religious Affairs
From Suara Karya
When speaking on a private TV station on July 23, 2002, Minister
of State Minister of Administrative Reforms Feisal Tamin touched
upon alleged corruption, collusion and nepotism within the
Ministry of Religious Affairs. This allegation is public
knowledge because such practices have been rampant in this
ministry ever since the New Order era (since 1965).
As Mr Tamin said, the Finance and Development Audit Agency
(BPKP) has, since 2001, reported to his ministry 434 cases of
irregularities in the religious affairs ministry, inflicting
losses of Rp 75 billion to the state.
In the religious affairs ministry, financial irregularities
have been identified in the directorate general for Islamic mass
guidance and haj affairs and the directorate general of Islamic
institutions, which deals with supplies of books and goods.
It is an open secret that officials of the religious affairs
ministry in the central government and in the regions usually ask
those wishing to make the haj pilgrimage for some money.
It is a sad irony that some officials in the religious affairs
ministry have tarnished the noble purpose of the haj pilgrimage
by collecting unauthorized fees. There is also no transparency
about the perpetual funds collected from haj pilgrimage costs.
We hope the Attorney General's Office will quickly respond to
the findings by the BPKP about alleged corruption of Rp 75
billion at the religious affairs ministry.
BUDI SANTOSO
Depok, West Java