Control businesses of senior officials' children: Lawyer

Control businesses of senior officials' children: Lawyer

JAKARTA (JP): The government must regulate the business
activities of children of senior officials, a noted corporate
lawyer said yesterday.

Todung Mulya Lubis, also known as a vocal human rights
campaigner, said a ruling was necessary to prevent collusion
between officials' children and the authorities which could
eventually affect the health of the nation's business climate.

Arguing that officials' children could easily win government
contracts on the basis of their parents' influence rather than
business professionalism, Mulya said that "a stricter government
policy on business tenders should be introduced so that all bids
can be carried out transparently."

Such a ruling would ensure that bidders competed fairly and
openly, he said, adding that it would enable companies to file
lawsuits if they thought that they had been treated unfairly.

Mulya said he did not see anything wrong with officials'
children going into business, as long as they did not abuse the
privileges of their fathers' positions.

The question of the business activities of the offspring of
senior government officials was raised by some members of the
House of Representatives in a hearing with Attorney General
Singgih early this week, during a discussion of the current
campaign against corruption and collusion.

Meanwhile, one of the children of President Soeharto who has
made a successful career in business said yesterday that he did
not see anything wrong with children of officials indulging in
business so long as their activities were not detrimental to the
interests of the people.

"I think it's pretty legitimate for the children of government
officials to run businesses as long they don't harm society and
the people," said Hutomo Mandala Putra, Soeharto's youngest son,
popularly known as Tommy, who controls the flourishing Humpuss
Group.

Tommy said the officials themselves should be allowed to go
into business as long as they were "committed" to their
responsibilities, Antara reported.

Children of officials were citizens of the country and
therefore had rights equal to those of others, he said. "Why
should they be barred from going into business?" he added.

Tommy made the remarks after attending the annual shareholders
meeting of the government-sponsored cooperative Inkud KUD.

On Wednesday, Siti Hardianti Rukmana, Soeharto's eldest
daughter, defended her business activities, saying that children
of officials had to make a living too.

"The children of officials are human. They have to do
something, they have to feed their family. Can the state
guarantee them a living if they don't work?" Hardianti, more
popularly known as Mbak Tutut (Sister Tutut), was quoted by the
Republika daily as saying.

She said that she stands corrected if someone thinks she has
committed an error. "If our activities are considered as
negative, please correct us. If they are positive, then give us
your support."

Mbak Tutut said she regretted hearing reports that some
children of officials have abused their positions as close
relatives of their fathers.

There could be one or two who did this, she added, but they
have given a bad name to all the other children of officials.

Minister of Defense and Security Gen. (ret.) Edi Sudradjat,
while also defending the right of the children of government
officials to run businesses, concurred with the view that they,
like everyone else, must comply with all the regulations.

"As adult citizens they have to live and work. But they have
to observe the proper procedures," Edi was quoted by Antara as
saying on Wednesday.

The retired general said that it was simply a matter of
discipline, of respecting the law and regulations.

State Minister of Administrative Reform T.B. Silalahi said
government regulation no. 6/1974 laid down limits on the
activities of civil servants and their families.

Under the regulation, the children of the civil servants are
considered dependent upon their fathers until they turn 21 years
of age, Silalahi said.

He added that the regulation banned the spouses of the civil
servants from going into business, but not their children.

The ban, he added, only applied to spouses of senior civil
servants of group IV/a and above or, in the case of the Armed
Forces, the spouses of high ranking officer. "They cannot trade
or own shares, directly or indirectly, in any company," he said.
(03/emb)