House Speaker speaks out against corruption

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)