Discipline and compromise

Discipline and compromise

From Merdeka

Apparently, the national discipline movement heralded on May
20, 1995 has fallen on deaf ears. Community life is as it was
before.

Discipline does not need propagating. This is especially true
if the target of the campaign is civil servants and Armed Forces
members. Both have been sworn in to carry out their duties,
though many of them do not do their jobs with discipline. Their
indiscipline tends to harm both the state and the people.

The indiscipline of the government apparatus is most
conspicuous on the road, in relation to traffic. In Semarang,
traffic violations by public vehicles are no different from
before May 20, 1995. These vehicles go past the offices of the
police and the highway authority every day. Along their route,
many police officers and highway patrolmen stand guard. With many
vehicles carrying too many passengers, it can be said that the
discipline movement has not changed driver behavior. Indiscipline
has become part of our culture.

Public vehicle operators are wont to carry extra passengers to
earn more money, both to meet their daily needs and to reach the
income target set by the company. It is shameful that officials
connive with traffic discipline violators at checkpoints along
their route.

The above is a truthful observation that the discipline
movement has not succeeded in changing the culture of compromise.
The above practices are carried out by policemen, who should
actually be the examples of discipline to the community.

METESE MULYONO

Semarang, Central Java