Hats off to Rudy Ramli

The live report of the public hearing between Commission VIII of the House of People's Representatives and Mr. Rudy Ramli (former president director of Bank Bali) was really satisfying to watch. Rudy Ramli's confirmation that he had never drawn up (or had only been forced to sign) the statement read out by Secretary of State/Justice Minister Muladi and that the statement made by Mr. Kwik Kian Gie (the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) was true, has proved that:

1. The hesitation (or more exactly the fear) on Rudy Ramli's part to give a direct answer is unique of oppressed people (especially considering that he is an Indonesian citizen of Chinese origin);

2. There are many Indonesians of Chinese origin who are dedicated to the state, like Kwik Kian Gie, Marie Pangestu (the daughter of the late Pang Lay Kim), and so forth.

3. Some in the Golkar faction are still good, like Ichsanudin Norsy, Marzuki Darusman, Ekky Syachruddin and so forth, while it was the chairman presiding over this Commission VIII meeting, who is from the United Development Party (PPP) faction, that actually fell short of expectation.

4. Being a Muslim or not is no guarantee that one may be a good people's representative in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)/House of People's Representatives (DPR), or even a mandate- holder of the MPR/president of the Republic of Indonesia. Examples abound about Muslim state officials, making up 90 percent of the total number of state officials, who show disgusting attitudes in terms of corruption, collusion and nepotism, like Haji M. Soeharto, Haji Andi M. Ghalib, Haji Nurdin Halid and Haji Baramuli.

May Habibie's supporters, who always pressure their opponents by labeling them as "enemies of Muslims", find time to reflect upon this matter.

ASEP SAEPUDIN

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