Critics push govt to find balance in development

JAKARTA (JP): Government critics gathered yesterday to discuss how the nation fared in terms of economic development over the past 30 years, focusing on social and economic disparity.

Members of the Petisi 50 group, while commemorating its 16th anniversary, urged the New Order administration to temper the fervor with which it's been pursuing economic growth. They recommended that it should be balanced with social, cultural and political development.

"Without such a healthy balance, there will be a marked disparity, even though the economic statistics show progress," Gen. (ret) Abdul Haris Nasution said as quoted by Antara.

Nasution, Indonesia's most senior military figure, said that the overemphasis on economic development -- which he called "economic pragmatism" -- tends to eclipse other aspects of life.

"In this condition, people can't develop critical minds, something which, along with creativity, is crucial for a developing nation," he said.

Without healthy political developments, financial and infrastructure developments will hinder justice, creating an environment of collusion between power holders and business entrepreneurs, with an undue emphasis on materialism.

"The strong will become stronger while the weak become even weaker," he said.

In one of his most recently published books, Moral Development, Essence of National Development, Nasution compared Sukarno's Old Order administration with the New Order government led by President Soeharto.

"During the Old Order, our political system was formally based on Pancasila and the Constitution. Even now, it's formally the same. But in reality, there are deviations and shortcomings," he wrote last year.

"It's undeniable that our development ... has produced some real results, especially infrastructure development. But in reality, there is evidence of widespread moral decadence ... hypocrisy, corruption ... manipulation, lack of legal enforcement and justice ... The increasing gap between the rich and the poor," Nasution said in his book.

He reiterated his stance yesterday, saying that the New Order corrected the Old Order. It should now stand to be corrected, he said.

Other speakers at the discussion were Petisi 50's leader -- former Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin -- economists Sritua Arief and Sarbini Sumawinata.

Ali Sadikin pointed to the gaping disparity between social groups, a result of economic development. Quoting 1993 data from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, he said that there is a group of Indonesians -- representing only 1 percent of the total population of 190 million -- who have access to 80 percent of the national income.

At the other extreme are the 99 percent who have to share the remaining 20 percent of income, he said. (swe)