House Speaker speaks out against corruption

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives turns its focus on the problems of corruption, abuses of power and the rise of labor disputes.

When opening the current sitting season, House Speaker Wahono called on the bureaucracy to take prompt measures to resolve problems which he said "pose a threat to national stability."

Wahono said yesterday the Rp 1.3 trillion (US$620 million) fraud at Bank Pembangunan Indonesia (Bapindo) was probably only the tip of the iceberg, and that much of the nation's corruption saga had yet to be exposed.

The minister said that the Bapindo affair should serve as a warning to officials, demonstrating that they should never put their greedy self interests before their duty to the people when making decisions.

"It's a precious lesson for the decision makers who hold the reins of national development," he said.

In an unusually bold statement, the retired lieutenant general and former chairman of the ruling functional group Golkar criticized the courts and law enforcement agencies.

"We're concerned over the decaying reputation of law enforcement and the courts of law," he said.

He referred to the recent scandalous acquittal of several businessmen in Surabaya who faced charges of tax fraud.

The businessmen's acquittal of corruption charges triggered a national controversy after President Soeharto personally expressed his dismay. Several court officials are now under investigation after allegations that they accepted bribes from the defendants.

He said the declining credibility of the legal system was due to the fact that some of the law enforcement agencies have been plagued by scandals.

"Officials are more now inclined to misuse their authority to satisfy their personal interests... Consequently, the enforcement of the law is made difficult if not impossible," he said.

The House suggested that the bureaucracy move to restore the image of the law by improving the professionalism of law enforcement agencies and personnel.

It expressed regret over last month's violent labor protests in the North Sumatra capital of Medan, which developed into anti- violent Chinese rioting.

The incident, he said, has touched on sensitive issues like racial prejudice but also threatened economic growth and national stability.

One businessman was killed during the violent labor protests in Medan last month. There were also many factories vandalized and dozens of cars turned over.

Wahono said the rise of worker protests have been spurred by the lack of social justice, wages set below the legal minimum and the widening gap between the rich and the poor which has sparked "social jealousy."

Wahono stressed the need to have a national policy to improve labor conditions, such as higher wages and better social security.

He called on employers to abide by the minimum wage laws and treat their laborers with more dignity and respect.

He urged the All Indonesian Workers Union (SPSI), the only union the government recognizes, to be responsive to labor problems.

"SPSI should be able to prove its claim that it defends workers," he said. "Companies should form SPSI units to channel the workers' concerns." (pan)