Habibie's appeal to fast gives little food for thought

JAKARTA (JP): The recent appeal made by President B.J. Habibie requesting Indonesians to fast for two days each week has apparently received a frosty reception from the city's officials and councilors.

"I have no special reason to do so," replied a private assistant to Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso.

The officer also said that his boss, Sutiyoso, sometimes fasted on Mondays and Thursdays.

"But not routinely. Maybe he fasts when he feels healthy enough to do so," he told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

One City Council member of staff said he had not responded positively to Habibie's appeal.

"I only fast during the Moslem fasting month of Ramadhan.

I don't think I need to tell you why I haven't been fasting. It's a personal thing," said the official, who strongly requested anonymity.

According to the head of the city's public relations office, Kamaludin S., the governor had not officially instructed his staff to begin fasting two days each week following Habibie's appeal.

"Many city officials, including myself, have been fasting two days a week for years. We do it strictly for religious reasons," he said.

Habibie publicly appealed for Indonesians to begin a ritual fast on every Monday and Thursday while delivering a speech to mark the Prophet Muhammad's birthday on July 5.

Habibie argued that a huge quantity of rice could be saved if the country's large Moslem population fasted on every Monday and Thursday. This, he said, would prevent the country from becoming overly dependent on imported rice.

Habibie is himself a Moslem and is widely known to fast twice a week.

Several other officers at the City Hall and City Council contacted yesterday said they appreciated Habibie's appeal, but were treating the issue as a personal matter.

Councilor Afif Hamka from the United Development Party (PPP) faction said that ritual fasting should be left as a religious activity and not put to economic use.

"I think it was a well-intentioned appeal, but fasting is an ibadah (giving worship to God) and has nothing to do with cutting back your consumption of rice, or any other food," he said.

"If it (the appeal) was really meant to encourage people to help others, then why doesn't the government appeal to those rich people who are still going to cafes during the monetary crisis to cut their leisure budgets and donate the money they save to the poor and the homeless who have to fast almost every day," Afif, a son of one of the country's most noted ulemas, Hamka, said. (cst)