Familiar stench of nepotism
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