Habibie must act

Habibie must act

It is not enough for the minister of finance to oversee the Bank Bali case. President B.J. Habibie must act in person to order an investigation of the scandal because the case is in part a consequence of his giving too much power to the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA). This is a very powerful body, yet its officials have not been tested for their professionalism, integrity or vision.

Now the case has broken and it is not enough for the finance minister to order a probe into the scandal. The President must do so. For Habibie, this would also fulfill a moral obligation, because his name and those of some of his personal confidants are involved. Habibie could of course issue a denial, but that will not be enough until proof is produced that can clear his name.

Does Habibie have the courage to order a thorough examination of the case? For the sake of his own good name and for the credibility of his commitment to reform, he must muster the courage to quash the culture of corruption in our society. He must have the courage to bring the offenders to court, instead of protecting them as he gives the impression of having done in the cases of Soeharto, Andi M. Ghalib and a number of bankers and officials involved in BLBI certificates.

Unless he does all this, what argument could we bring up to support the contention that he is a reformist committed to establishing clean governance? This is a most basic question that only Habibie can answer.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta