Most Indonesian politicians loath to read

Most Indonesian politicians loath to read

Solita Sarwono, Psychologist, Wasenaar, The Netherlands

One of the most significant changes brought by the "reform"
period is the increase of freedom of speech. The government has
become the prime target of various kinds of criticism coming from
experts, students, women's groups and many others.

Daily newspapers and weekly magazines frequently publish
critical analyses on the country's situation. Yet the government
or the authorities hardly even respond to these critics. It feels
like talking to a wall or screaming in an open field. Nobody
hears you. Frustrating.

Don't these top officials and politicians read the papers?
Most likely no. Although many of the elite officials are very
well educated, and many speak English, very few read the papers
thoroughly. They may get 3-4 different newspapers each day and a
number of weekly magazines at home and at the office, but they
only read the headlines, skipping the articles or editorials
containing good analysis and reviews of the current situation.

They are more inclined to react when interviewed on
television. TV talk shows seem to be more effective in getting
the message through to the decision makers and politicians as
compared to comments and criticism in the printed media.

How can we explain this phenomenon? One possible explanation
is the poor reading habits among Indonesians in general. Not many
Indonesians enjoy reading. Students' bags are stuffed with
reading materials, yet most of the books are dry and boring and
the children feel that reading is compulsory, not for fun. This
system continues to the university level for most.

Students are assigned to read a stack of textbooks, many of
them in English, to be tested for exams. However, since very view
lecturers ask questions or analyze what is written in the
textbooks, the students tend to ignore the reading assignment and
prefer to read the summary of the books made by fellow students
and photocopied for everyone interested. Only a handful of
students visit the library regularly. Reading, as a hobby, has
become less and less popular among Indonesians.

One could argue that many youngsters often go to big
bookstores and spend one hour or longer, reading the materials on
the racks. That is a valid observation. But let us take a look at
the materials picked up by these school children and students.
Comic strips! Or magazines with lots of pictures! In other words
they are attracted by the pictures, not the words. This lack of
interest or "laziness" for reading has worsened with the
introduction of television and computer technology. Young and old
spend hours each day watching TV or playing computer games.

It is fun to watch colorful advertisements, films, soap
operas, games and even talk shows. However, as everything on the
screen is presented in the form of photos, animation or live
shows, very little is left to the imagination. Reading, however,
stimulates imagination and analytical capacity as the words only
provide abstract concepts. Each reader must create a picture or
an understanding based on what is written. Reading is indeed a
mental exercise.

One can assume that politicians or decision makers in
Indonesia did not grow up in an environment which encouraged
reading habits and therefore have little interest in reading and
analyzing comments and criticism in the printed media. Talking is
much easier than reading or writing. That is why television talk
shows, especially the interactive programs, are very popular. But
TV programs are time-bound. It is aired at a certain time and
when you do not watch it at that exact time, you miss it, unless
it is repeated (like the commercials) or recorded. For this
matter, printed media is far more advantageous. You can read at
your convenience and at your own pace. Some read faster than
others. Some take a half an hour, others may be an hour or more
to get through the papers and magazines. But that is the best
part. One is able to do it in their own time. The problem is,
many politicians do not bother to take the time (or claim they do
not have the time) to read the newspapers thoroughly. So anyone
wanting to continue using printed media as the channel to voice
one's opinion and criticism toward politicians, please make it
short and concise and if possible put some pictures in to catch
the reader's attention.