Corrupt police and immaturity

On the evening of June 11, my wife and I were returning from a well-known restaurant in Kota, North Jakarta, with my sister and her boyfriend, who were visiting from Hong Kong. As we approached the Glodok electronics stores, we noticed police officers were pulling every vehicle over and duly did so with the taxi we were in.

An officer approached my side of the car and asked me to alight. He said he wanted to see our passports. When I told him that we were not carrying ours as we had been out for the evening, he demanded to see my ID card. After presenting him with a photocopy of my KIMS, he ignored it and said he wanted the original, which I told him was at my office.

He wanted to know who all the passengers of the taxi were and where they were from. When I told him, and it was clear that he was not getting any passports, he told us to come to the police station.

When I said that we were going nowhere but home, he became frustrated. And even more so when I told him that I knew the reason for all this. I held my wallet in front of his face and told him that he was getting none of the money in it as I did not believe in corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN).

I then asked to see his police identification. He refused. I asked to see his KTP. He laughed and tickled my stomach, saying we could leave.

Refusing to do so, I again requested to see his ID. But he was not going to let his identity be known.

Later, on the way home, our taxi driver broke three red lights and drove up a one-way street the wrong way. Where were the police then?

There were many police officers there that night. The scene was near to the official residence of President Abdurrahman Wahid, who says he is trying to clear up corruptive practices in this country. So, why does he give himself a gargantuan salary increase and ignore state officials such as police officers, leaving them to practically beg on the streets.

All the government's talk about increasing tourist numbers here is beyond pointless. There were two tourists in our taxi that night and they were appalled by what was happening.

Incidents such as this are far from isolated and should be incredibly shameful for those in power. How can they call themselves good Muslims with what they are allowing to happen, and the practices they are involved in?

It is almost as though, with all recent examples of corruption in this country, those in control are like children who, handed the reins of an enterprise and not knowing what to do, just look after themselves and buy candies for their friends. It's well past time they grew up and realized that they are adults with responsibilities and that there are ways one simply does not behave.

The recent Bulogate scandal is a classic example of this. Press photographs showed smiling people handing back the cash they had illegally taken. No apologies, rather, "oops, I've been found out, better give it back and we can all sit around joking about it."

Pity the IMF, World Bank and other monetary officials who must be keeping headache pill makers in business with all the cash that goes astray when doled out here.

It's no wonder Indonesia is still gripped by crisis. And it's patently clear that things will never change until childish attitudes disappear. Otherwise, just forget about running a nation, and turn it into one giant kindergarten.

WILLIAM J.F.

Jakarta