'Enhance religious faith and master technology'

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesians should strive to master science and technology and strengthen their faith, State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie said yesterday.

"It will be easier to improve the former than the latter. Developing imtak (religious feeling) will take ages to realize," he told 200 Indonesian graduates of French universities at the opening of a three-day seminar.

Indonesia's major challenge is to achieve the goals idealized by the 1945 Generation, those who fought for independence in the 1940s, he said.

Indonesia's development strategy has shifted its focus since then from natural resources to human resources, he said.

"Developing our skills in science and technology will enable us to maximize our usage of natural resources in ventures such as the Natuna project in Riau," he said.

The Natuna project is expected to produce 15 million tons of liquefied natural gas a year for a period of 30 years.

Habibie called for the nation to learn as much as it can from other nations.

"A nation that isolates its culture from that of other cultures denies the achievements of all humankind," he said.

"But we should refuse values that are incompatible with ours because foreign values may bring decadence to our culture," Habibie said.

He reminded those attending the seminar that the nation was still in need of contributions to help the 36 million Indonesians who still live in poverty.

The seminar, organized by the French alumni association and the French Embassy, was opened by Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto and attended by French Ambassador Thierry de Beauce and government officials.

About 5,000 Indonesians have studied in France since 1945, 2,700 with scholarships from the French government, said Nasir Tamara, organizing committee chairman. (26)