'Honest businesspeople should be our heroes'

Sixty years after the nation's war of independence many people no longer see those who fire a gun or lead an ambush as heroes. In commemoration of Heroes Day on Nov. 10, The Jakarta Post asked two residents about the kind of people they deemed heroes in the modern world.

Ispandiyati, 33, is a legal officer at a foreign company in South Jakarta. She lives with her family in Pasar Rebo, East Jakarta:

I have never understood how the government comes to the conclusion that certain individuals are heroes. Sometimes it seems like they just pick them randomly. We have so many heroes now that we don't know who these people are. It is funny isn't it, if we don't know our own heroes?

For me, a hero is a person who has done something that benefits many people. The most ideal candidate for a national hero is an honest businessperson who had created jobs for thousands of people, and paid high taxes to the state.

With his or her creativity, they have helped not only their employees but also their employees' family members, while with their high tax contributions they have helped the government to build the country.

I know many people run businesses solely for profit but I think others deliberately start businesses to help people. These kind of businesspeople are the real heroes.

Sofyan, 29, is a marketing officer at a four-star hotel in West Jakarta. He lives with his wife and children in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta:

I think a loyal and honest civil servant is definitely a hero. With most civil servants involved in corruption, an honest official should be highly recognized. And declaring the good ones heroes is part of this recognition.

With low salaries and a lot of temptation, everyone knows how hard it would be to stay an honest official. But I believe we can still find such civil servants.

For instance, I have a neighbor who has worked for the government since I was in elementary school. He is still living in the same house and riding the same motorcycle to the office.

-- The Jakarta Post