Indonesians immoral, irrational beings: Experts

Indonesians immoral, irrational beings: Experts

Benget Simbolon Tnb
The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The immoral and irrational behavior of its citizens has hindered
Indonesia's efforts to emerge from the economic crisis that has
plagued the country for eight years, experts say.

"Due to moral bankruptcy and a lack of rationality, most
Indonesians are easily agitated, prejudiced and very emotional,"
Sudjoko, a former professor of art and design at the Institute
Technology of Bandung (ITB), told a seminar.

The seminar -- What is the Most Pressing Problem in Indonesia:
Moral Bankruptcy or the Failure of Rationality? -- was organized
by Gramedia Group, the Darma Mahardika Institute and Medco Group
earlier this week.

The experts also discussed a book titled Within Reason:
Rationality and Human Behavior, written by Donald B. Calne of the
University of British Columbia and translated into Indonesian by
Parakitri T. Simbolon of the Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia.

Sudjoko said Indonesian officials' statements were often
heavily prejudiced and lacking in factual detail. "They are not
in the habit of supporting their statements with strong arguments
and facts as required by a democracy."

Bambang Kaswanti Purwo, a professor of language at the
University of Atma Jaya, highlighted a recent commotion between
the House of Representatives legislators and the Attorney
General's Office (AGO) after a lawmaker described the Attorney
General as "An Islamic preacher in a village of thieves".

"Hearing such a statement, the AGO officials should have
maintained their composure. They should have asked the lawmaker
first to explain what the allegory meant," Bambang told the
seminar, which was hosted by Jakob Oetama, the chairman of
Gramedia Group, and Jansen H. Sinamo, the Darma Mahardika
Institute chairman.

Panelists also criticized the emotional reactions of
government officials to media reports and the results of surveys,
despite the fact that some surveys followed scientific
procedures.

Sudjoko stressed that most Indonesians were xenephobic.

"Look at what happened when the tsunami hit Aceh. When foreign
aid workers went there to help the victims we didn't give them
any thanks. Some people were even prejudiced against the foreign
militaries, accusing them of spying. While other (non-Islamic)
charity groups were (criticized for being) involved in the
process of 'Christianization'. Why don't we think positively?,"
he said.

"Let America's crimes (elsewhere in the world) be seen in one
light and their help in Aceh in another. We shouldn't be
prejudiced."

Another panelist, Muslim scholar Ulil Abshar Abdalla,
criticized people who justified the use of violence in the name
of religion.

"Not all activities in the name of religion are good. Violence
and violent acts are against the credos of all religions," he
said. "We should not use religion to silence our rationality.
But many people here think that when we talk about religion,
rationality should take a back seat."

Hartojo Wignjowijoto, the founder and leader of the Institute
of National Capacity Studies (LSKN), said many Indonesian
intellectuals were immoral, venal and selfish.

"Many of our intellectuals have become political prostitutes
and they have helped make this country one of the most corrupt in
the world," he said.

All the panelists agreed that reforming law enforcers was one
measure to begin fighting corruption in the country and in the
long term the government had to work harder if it was to win the
battle.