KKN still rampant and unabated

Congratulations upon your 19th birthday. For more than half those years I've been reading your excellent newspaper. You have educated us and encouraged tourism and pride in this beautiful country through your feature articles, and kept us informed about the big stories and what's happening in our world.

In every issue you have provided valuable information and advertising. You have been a chronicle that we can turn to in our files to provide the facts to form present opinions, or combat the "spin doctors" and pseudo-intellectuals. You have shown your torch of truth upon some of Indonesia's darkest and dirtiest corners of immorality and injustice. You have been the voice of the otherwise silent majority.

But the fact that corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN) continue to grow unabated, with no real remedy in sight, the unjust justice system continues to perform at its typical worst, (with a recent exception), and Indonesia's rapid moral decline, are all reasons why we need you so much.

We need you to continue to be fair in your reporting, wise in you analysis in showing us and the leaders of this great country what their way, sometimes, is not the best for the nation as a whole. Most of all we need you to have high standards, a depth of character, and commitment to what is right, which will help you to make the hard decisions and take unpopular stands for the causes of truth and morality.

Surely the majority of the good people of this land share your commitment. Please continue to be their voice to this country and the world, and let the facts inspire them to action. In a democracy, this moral majority must exert itself, otherwise the evil-willed minority will use government to promote their immoral desires.

Life is hard in Indonesia, and almost all the people's thought and energy goes to provide food and other essentials of life. However, if these good, hardworking Indonesians do not save even a little of their energy to combat immorality, their beloved country will grow worse and worse. It has been said, "All that is needed for evil to win is for good men to do nothing". Doesn't every citizen have the responsibility to make himself and his country better?

Continue to be one of this nation's strongest voices in its fight against corruption, and encourage its vast moral majority, from all the religions, to work and take action together that their dream of a true reformation might still come true.

DAN ADAMS

Cikarang Baru, West Java