Honest information needed

Honest information needed

From Neraca

If we observe how circumstances have evolved lately, it seems
that Jakartans are inclined to mass panic when the root cause,
upon further observation, is uncertain information about the
present economic turmoil. Clearly, rumors can easily influence
the community.

Obviously, this condition must not be allowed to spread as
otherwise it will disrupt stability and, finally, national unity.

It is therefore the government's immediate job to disseminate
honest and transparent information in a language easily
understood by the community in general. Only in this way can the
government regain public confidence.

An effective flow of information between the government and
the community regarding the latest developments in the country
will prevent any third parties from fishing in murky waters.
Still, the most important thing is agreement between what a
government official says and reality. This alone can make the
government's explanation credible to the community.

One of the reasons why the community easily panics is that
what government officials say often runs counter to reality. A
government official, for example, says that the prices of nine
basic needs will not go up because the government has conducted
market operations. The fact is these prices have increased.
Things like this will give rise to social confusion, which in its
turn will lead to social panic.

A case in point is the panic buying in Jakarta on Jan. 8,
1997. In fact, while Jakartans were rushing to buy up daily
commodities at shops and supermarkets, the Jakarta station of the
national broadcasting service, RRI, reported that a number of
vessels carrying rice were ready to unload their cargoes at
Tanjung Priok harbor.

This panic buying is evident of the community's lack of trust
in government statements. They seem to trust rumors better than
official explanations.

A condition like this will have an adverse effect on the life
of the nation and the state. To avoid another burst of mass
panic, the government must continue with its market operations
and undertake these operations in earnest, not as a public
relations event only.

Real action, not merely verbal jargon, will be needed to
overcome various social crises.

It seems that we have a good supply of political jargon today,
but only a few exemplary acts, when in fact, the people need the
latter.

In connection with the present economic turmoil, chairman of
the Jakarta regional executive board of the Indonesian Democratic
Party (PDI), Lukman Mokoginta, in his written address has
instructed all ranks in the party to continue monitoring price
movements of the nine basic commodities. Should there be any
irregularity in this regard, this must be reported to the
relevant government agency. It is necessary to do this because
this problem directly affects the lives of common people.

WARMA SUWARMA

Deputy Secretary

DKI Jakarta Executive Board of PDI