Hamzah blames the past for poverty

Hamzah blames the past for poverty

BOGOR, West Java: Vice President Hamzah Haz said the
government found it difficult to improve people's welfare due to
the poor development policies of the past.

"In the past, education, religion and national identity did
not serve as the pillars of development," Hamzah said at Bogor
palace on Tuesday.

He said it was a challenge to improve people's welfare and
knowledge due to the exorbitantly high school fees.

The vice president noted that in terms of education, Indonesia
ranked 112th in the world due to the increasing number of
children who could afford higher education.

He said Indonesians had almost lost their identity because of
the impact of globalization and the failure to practice religious
teachings.

"Pornography and drug abuse are out of control. What can we
expect from our younger generation?" Hamzah asked.

However, he said the door was still open to solve the national
problem. --Antara