Morality: A remedy for national afflictions

By Kasdin Sihotang

JAKARTA (JP): The mid-May riots and lootings were manifestations of a moral decadence in this country. People did not uphold ethical values like justice, responsibility and good conduct and respect toward the rights and lives of others.

The cultures of homo homini lupus and Machiavellianism are rife and have been put to work to further individuals' and groups' interests.

Moral collapse is the fruit of the New Order government's anomalous paradigm of democracy. Four deviations stand up.

First, centralization of power in a certain group. Incoming and outgoing cabinet members as well as key government officials and members of the House of Representatives have always been people who are close to Soeharto. Hence, the general election was basically a political farce.

Second, corruption, collusion and nepotism (locally known as KKN) were rife in the government. This was the result of power centralization. During the New Order regime the government never made serious efforts to tackle KKN, let alone eradicate it. Many of the half-hearted efforts were even circumvented. Vocal officials or House members were removed or recalled. One example was Sri Bintang Pamungkas.

Third, the extortion and repression of the people. Using excuses like "for the sake of national development" and "in the public interest" farmers' land was forcibly expropriated by the power holders to build golf courses.

For the sake of "national stability", workers and journalists who fought for justice and truth like Marsinah and Udin were murdered, critical young students activist like Pius Lustrilanang were abducted. Many government critics in Aceh, East Timor and Irian Jaya were tortured to death.

Fourth, excessive intervention in the world of education. Education, for the New Order powerholders, was a means to channel their political interests. Government intervention in this field was so deep that education became sterile.

This 30 years of repression is responsible for the creation of our mentality ill society. Among its symptoms are the alienation of the individual, the repression of criticism and control, the exploitation of people to further certain political interests and the demise of moral values.

In such a situation no one could serve as a model, especially for the younger generation. For scholar Franz Magnis-Suseno in his book Mencari Makna Kebangsaan (In Search for the Definition of Nationality), such a climate killed people's sense of belonging, robbed their confidence in the government and served as a root of the crisis for the nation.

To remedy this social illness, moral reform is required. This entails a change in the mentality and attitude of the people, both in the short and long term.

In the short term, four aspects need serious attention. First, a clean government. Those who are still involved in the KKN culture must be removed from the government. As long as they remain in the government, people's confidence will not return. The Habibie administration needs to seriously set up a clean government.

Second, the new government should thoroughly investigate corrupt officials, both present and former ones, including former president Soeharto. The investigation should be open to the public.

Third, a law to uphold morality must be enforced. The law must be applicable to anyone who is guilty especially those who have violated human rights through kidnapping and murder.

Fourth, good management of the current economic crisis, especially the supply of basic commodities to the people. The government must show that their policies clearly side with the interests of the common people, not the power holders.

The long-term action should include, firstly, steps to revive a free-market economy. There should be a guarantee of freedom for people to allocate their economic resources where they like. The economy should no longer concentrate on a small elite. The role of the government should be confined to the creation of a conducive climate for the functioning of a healthy market mechanism to preclude monopolistic and oligopolistic practices.

In support of this, the effective participation of the people, transparency and public accountability are the key words.

Second, the unequal distribution of the fruits of development should be ended. One of the reasons for the public dissatisfaction that led to riots was the uneven distribution of the fruits of development.

Economic yields are concentrated in Jakarta at the expense of the people in the provinces who are deprived of receiving a just share. Hence, the question of autonomy is urgent.

Third, reorientation of national education. The New Order took the side of the authorities not the students. This kind of orientation must be abandoned. There must be no more government intervention in education and it should only function as an advisor, a supervisor and a guarantor for children unable to attend school, not a determinator.

Educators must be in full charge of education. Decentralization of the education sector is a must.

Plato said man's development is linked to his ability to attain morality of the soul by totally changing his character, behavior, steps and deeds.

Hence, education will not only act as a vehicle to transfer knowledge but also to transfer values.

The writer is a lecturer in ethics and a staff member of the Center of Ethics Development at Atma Jaya Catholic University, Jakarta.