Corruption stems from Western economic values

Corruption stems from Western economic values

JAKARTA (JP): Western economic values, which stress the
maximizing of profit at all costs, are to blame for the rampant
corruption in Indonesia, noted economist Emil Salim said
yesterday.

Many economic players, including conglomerates, think nothing
of corruption and collusion with officials because they are
driven by Western values, he said.

"Corruption is (the) cost (of economic activities)...So, why
not?" said Emil, who is former minister of environment and a
professor of economics at the University of Indonesia.

Speaking at a national symposium on Islam's contribution to
public morality and spirituality, Emil spoke at length of the
difference between the values adhered to by economic actors and
those upheld by the Indonesian community in general.

"If economic actors who hold Western economic values are told
to play a role in the market of the Indonesian community, it is
understandable if adverse social impacts later emerge," he said.

Emil also spoke of the sense of "alienation" that big
businesses experience due to the difference in values. "They feel
that they behave properly and in accordance with those Western
values, but the Indonesian community thinks they have deviated
from social norms," he said.

This could explain why the community is not comfortable with
the conglomerates, he added.

"The logic could also be used to explain why, for many
economic actors, corruption and collusion with officials are the
norms in the pursuit of business goals..(and why) the community
is becoming concerned about it," he said.

The anomaly should be corrected, and society should develop an
alternative system of values. "This is where Islam can contribute
to the development of that value system," he said.

The two-day symposium is being held as part of the ongoing
second Istiqlal Festival of Islamic Arts and Culture. A series of
papers are being discussed in the symposium. Today, it will
feature Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad and Malaysian Deputy
Prime Minister Dato' Anwar Ibrahim as keynote speakers.

Emil said that the Western economic system rests on the
following values: an "anthropocentrist" view of life, which
stresses self-interest; an emphasis on the pursuit of "more" of
everything; and intolerance of anything which is "less" in
nature, manifesting itself in a drive to "maximize profit."

The system is based on competition and the desire for instant
gratification, he said, citing the emphasis on short-term
economic goals as evidence.

"The venue and mechanism which enables those principles to
grow is: market," he said. "It's in the market that demand and
supply meet and, if it's liberated, it functions very
efficiently."

The free market system, however, has many weaknesses,
including the fact that it provides goods and services without
moral considerations, he said. Thus, the market accommodates both
illegal drugs and medicines, and sexual relationships are bought
and sold like any other service, he said.

"The free market does not side with either the weak or the
strong...Those who come forward to make use of the free market
mechanism are generally the strong," he said. "Whatever impact is
felt by the weak, the system does not care."

He said the values of Islam are the exact opposite of the
values on which Western economics rest. The religion discourages
anthropocentrism and encourages a life principle which places God
in the center.

Islam discourages greed and teaches its believers not to
always seek for "more", he said. Instead, Moslems are taught to
strive for what is "adequate" and to balance the satisfaction of
material and spiritual needs.

"Seen from a macro-economic point of view, Islam doesn't
pursue the maximization of profit, but a balance of both
spiritual and material development," he said. "From the macro-
economic point of view, ...(Islam does not teach the pursuit of)
mere rapid economic growth, but will shape the Indonesian
community and people, who are spiritually and materially whole."

Other speakers at the symposium yesterday included social and
political observers Usman Pelly and Fachry Ali, who focused their
attention on the contribution of Islam to the development of the
work ethos of people in Sumatra. (swe)