Democracy and 'Javanization'
Most observers were caught by surprise upon learning that Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) was elected chairman of the Syuro (Legislative) Council of the National Awakening Party (PKB) and Matori Abdul Jalil was elected to the party's Tanfidzi (executive) board. They have also been prompted to ask whether there is any difference between this appointment and the appointment of Soeharto as chairman of the Board of Patrons of the Functional Group (Golkar) as well as the election of the chairman of its central executive board, with the election of Akbar Tandjung being an exception.
If one reads the article by Donna Woodward (The Jakarta Post, July 31, 2000, page 4), the answer to this question is in the negative. Woodward is right to say that the change of government has not changed the system. Only the personnel have changed. The reform drive that the student protesters have brought about is nothing more than an expression of hatred for Soeharto and is not a drive against the authoritarian, hegemonic and feudalistic political system that he developed. Abdurrahman, well known as a person who is very concerned about democracy, has also failed to be a real democrat for the party he founded.
The appointment of Matori Abdul Jalil could be taken as Abdurrahman's attempt to make the PKB an open party. Whatever the reason may be, however, the method and procedure for the election was not in line with the principles of democracy. Michael Vatikiotis (the Post, Aug. 2, 2000, p 4) is correct to say that Abdurrahman is "a political animal with keen instincts, which means we can't take his ideals for granted. Like his predecessor, Soeharto, he consults the spirits of ancient kings of Mataram and Majapahit, even the grave of the founding father Sukarno".
In Javanese culture, a leader is a deity incarnated. He is appointed by God. The Javanese truly believe that pulung, a flash of light which they believe gives one power, enables him to be legitimized as a ruler. On the night before the election of a village head, for example, the villagers will get together late at night to see the direction taken by a pulung when it falls. Abdurrahman's election as president has made the Javanese more convinced that he is a God-appointed wali (pious religious leader half way toward being a prophet). Logically, Megawati should have been elected president. The members of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) were simply a group of shadow puppets played by God.
Therefore, if democracy is to be developed in Indonesia, cultural de-javanization must be carried out. As a matter of fact, the pioneers of our independence were well aware of this. They opted for the Melayu language as the basis for the national language. The then Javanese political leaders did not propose that the Javanese language be adopted as the national language although over 70 percent of the Indonesian population spoke the language. They realized that the Javanese language was highly feudalistic and was not compatible with the principle of democracy, particularly the principle of equality or egalitarianism. However, the process of cultural javanization intensified as soon as Soeharto assumed power, particularly among the bureaucrats. That's why corruption, collusion and nepotism became rife in a very short time and has become too difficult to eradicate now. In Javanese terminology, a bureaucrat is a piayi (the king's younger brother) and as such must be respected and deserves a tribute of sorts without having to account for it.
So, corruption, collusion and nepotism can be eradicated only if the bureaucracy is culturally de-javanized. Unfortunately, Abdurrahman is now repeating Soeharto's style and method. As a result, it is becoming more difficult to establish a democratic political system and the eradication of corruption, collusion and nepotism is only lip service.
M. IKHSAN
Jakarta