Development strategy must broaden its aims: Experts

JAKARTA (JP): Observers have welcomed the government's decision to focus on bringing an end to the economic crisis, but said that policies to improve the nation's mentality also needed to be included in its development strategies.

Moslem scholar Nurcholish Madjid, Minister of Manpower Fahmi Idris, political analyst Arbi Sanit and constitutional law professor Ismail Suny agreed on Saturday that economic development should be accompanied by reform of the nation's mentality and character.

"The nation is now in the process of learning to live with freedom after more than 30 years in political shackles," Nurcholish said in a seminar entitled How to Establish a New Indonesian Society organized by book publisher Mizan and American oil company ARCO.

Nurcholish, who is also rector of the private Paramadina Mulya University, said the nation only "regained" its independence in May when president Soeharto announced his resignation.

However, he warned the nation should remain vigilant while evaluating its newly-obtained freedom and avoid mismanaging its development program.

"We have had two great leaders, Sukarno and Soeharto, each of whom made a great contribution toward establishing the pride of this nation.

"And yet both failed to deliver prosperity and democracy through their development programs," he said.

He said founding president Sukarno successfully oversaw democratization and instilled political awareness in the people, but failed to provide the nation with prosperity.

Soeharto, he said, had helped to make Indonesia one of the new economic powers in Asia, but had forgotten about "civic morality".

Nurcholish cited how examples of the gap between economic development and mental character building could be found on the streets.

"Chaotic traffic is a reflection of our citizen's poor discipline," he said. "I have a friend, a very decent person, who gloats when he runs through red lights."

Fahmi also gave a similar example during his opening address: "I once reprimanded someone who pushed into a queue for tickets and he had the cheek to glare at me."

Arbi and Ismail agreed on the need to improve the mental characteristics of the nation in parallel with economic development.

"Mental character building must go hand in hand with economic development," Arbi said. "Otherwise, the nation's mentality and morality will remain weak." (imn)