Middle class will stay quiet until crisis
Middle class will stay quiet until crisis
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian middle class is an established,
albeit latent, political force that will remain dormant until
prompted by a national crisis, noted political thinker Jusuf
Wanandi said yesterday.
The middle class will not, of its own accord, assume the role
of catalyst for change until it is stimulated by a situation
which directly affects its social well-being, Jusuf told
reporters.
"When the country is in a crisis, the popular will (of the
middle class) will be transformed into a more specific ambition
and could probably assume a more forceful struggle than it
normally would during normal times," Jusuf said.
Right now, the middle class maintains a low-key presence
because its interests are well served by the prevailing political
and economic environments.
"There has to be a stimulus for them before they become a
moving force ... When there is a crisis they will then spearhead
social change," he said after a seminar at the Center for
Strategic and International Studies.
Jusuf rejected the recent comments of State Minister of
Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja that Indonesian development has
failed to produce a strong middle class.
The middle class is not merely defined by wealth, economic
status or the degree of social change within a society, Jusuf
said. In his definition, he includes bureaucrats of grade three
and upwards, military officers, professionals, and even some
university students.
Middle class people are basically "those who have their own
thinking about development, independent of the government's," he
said, adding that based on his definition, there are 15 million
people in Indonesia who can be considered middle class.
The reason for their subtle existence is because the country's
development has been quite beneficial to many segments of
society, with future prospects also looking bright.
He said it was normal under non-critical conditions for the
middle class to remain almost undetected. "The middle class
becomes more meaningful when something negative happens. Then
they are more noticeable."
Jusuf stressed that it was important for the state to maintain
the conducive social-economic environment which has thus far
spawned Indonesia's successful development. "We have to be
careful so that the fast pace of our development does not
dislocate some segments of society," he said.
He cautioned the government about the question of social
justice. "Do not let the issue of social justice, for instance,
become a critical matter. Certain corrections must be made which
can only be done by the government." (mds)