Ministers see valuable lesson from Clinton's affair

JAKARTA (JP): The sex scandal involving U.S. President Bill Clinton may have little impact on Indonesia, but several Cabinet members nevertheless see it as a valuable lesson in leadership and integrity.

Five ministers, including State Minister of Women Affairs Tutty Alawiyah, initially blushed and looked aghast, but eventually burst into laughter when asked if they thought such a scandal was possible in Indonesia.

For the male ministers, the chief lesson to come out of the Clinton-Lewinsky affair was the importance of resisting temptation.

"All men must have experienced attempts at seduction," Coordinating Minister for Development Supervision and State Administrative Reforms Hartarto told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

When asked about the specific lessons to be learned from the scandal, Hartarto simply laughed and retorted to the questioning journalist: "Are you a man or not?."

Minister of Justice Muladi said that as a minister, he needed to muster the strength to resist strong temptations, especially regarding women.

He said that as precaution, he has always tried to avoid staying in hotels whenever possible.

"This is very sensitive, but to be frank with you, the temptation is very strong. We simply must keep alert," Muladi said.

"It's human (to succumb to temptation), but it is very dangerous," Muladi said.

After replying, a suspicious looking Muladi asked why he had been singled out for the question. "By the way, why are you asking me in particular?" he whispered as Attorney General Andi M. Ghalib cast him a sideways glance from the next seat.

Serving government officials have little to worry about because the Indonesian media rarely poke their noses into the private lives of politicians.

Despite this fact, the rumor mills are never short of gossip about prominent figures, as attendance at any official reception will reveal.

The immunity from media investigation disappears once an official leaves office, as the once-powerful minister/secretary of state Moerdiono recently found out to his cost.

Earlier this month, the gossip tabloid Cek & Ricek ran an interview with Machicha Mochtar, a dangdut singer who claims to be the legitimate second wife of the former minister.

Machicha said she married Moerdiono on Feb. 5, 1996, and has since given him a son, now 31 months old, named Mohammad Iqbal Ramadhan.

Moerdiono, who has not appeared in public since he was dropped from the Cabinet in March, has not responded to her claims.

Soeharto remained relatively free from such rumors during his time in office.

The only occasion when aspersions were cast on his private life was in the 1970s, when rumors circulated that he had a special relationship with movie star Rahayu Effendi.

His wife, Tien Soeharto, who died in 1996, was known to be tough and scorned anyone in the Cabinet who had extra-marital affairs. She would insist that they be removed at the first opportunity.

She was also believed to have played a prominent role in pushing through the marriage law in the 1970s, which made it necessary for any government official or civil servant who wished to take a second wife to obtain permission from his superiors.

Islam allows a man to have up to four wives, provided he has the financial means and can prove he is capable of treating them equally and fairly.

Minister Tutty said the Clinton scandal had been blown out of proportion. "It is very embarrassing," she added.

"The lesson we can take is about honesty, and I think this applies to both the U.S. and Indonesia," Minister of Information Lt. Gen. Muhamad Yunus said. He refused to say whether he had ever faced similar temptations.

Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry Ginandjar Kartasasmita refused to comment on the scandal.

"Oh please, no, it's a matter of another country's president. No, I don't want to reply to that question."

"In this integrated world, I think the scandal will be an important lesson for other people. It shows that a leader who holds the people's mandate must be someone who is trustworthy," Minister of Cooperatives Adi Sasono said. (prb)