Familiar stench of nepotism

Very interestingly yet ridiculously, President B.J. Habibie presented Mahaputera Adipradana medals of merit to a number of government officials and community figures on Aug. 14, 1998. Their presentation is quite absurd in view of the great trouble the Indonesian state and people are now in. Are the recipients really meritorious to the Indonesian state and people? In my opinion, many of the government officials receiving the medals have not done any meritorious deeds for the nation.

What is unbelievable in the context, however, is the conferment of a medal of merit on Mrs. Ainun Habibie. What has she done for the people? We, the Indonesian people, are not aware of her worth to the people. She may have been meritorious only to her husband. I wonder what are the criteria for a person to deserve a medal of merit. Is the conferment of a medal of merit simply because it is the president's prerogative?

Amien Rais and Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) took the right stance when they decided not to attend the ceremony in which medals were also to be conferred on them. I hope that they both rejected, clearly and in writing, the conferment of the medals and have also returned the medals to the President. This will show the people's correction of President Habibie's decision. Amien Rais and Gus Dur really represent the feeling and the opinion of the majority of the people. What Habibie has done with the distribution of these medals of merits smacks heavily of nepotism.

President Habibie's distribution of medals is a great disappointment indeed to the Indonesian people because it clearly shows he refuses to understand the real aspirations of the people. In this context, a number of community leaders are correct when they say that Habibie is not suitable to assume the position of a really democratic president of the republic of Indonesia. He continues to adopt the arrogant attitude of his predecessor.

The best thing for him to do in the forthcoming extraordinary session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) will be to hand over his position to a presidium which will lead the Indonesian people into a real reform and democratization process. If Habibie continues to hold power, it is feared that an attempt will be made to maintain the existence of the New Order. It is just like buffoonery.

Is Fanny Habibie, the President's brother, also considered very meritorious just because he was once Indonesia's ambassador to Britain? If that is the case, everybody can be that meritorious. Now that the value of rupiah has slumped and the rate of inflation soared, medals of merit have likewise dropped in value. In Indonesia everything is declining, including respectability.

SUHARSONO HADIKUSUMO

Jakarta