Nation has no leaders, only political elite says historian
Nation has no leaders, only political elite says historian
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesia is in dire need of true leaders who are willing to
fight for the good of the country and its people in ending the
ongoing multifaceted crisis, said a noted historian on Monday.
Historian at the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Anhar
Gonggong said that the country had only party leaders who lacked
statesmanship and dedication, in contrast to the nation's
founding fathers.
Anhar said that instead of finding a way to resolve the
country's problems, today's leaders tended to prioritize the
fulfillment of their own welfare by disregarding public interest.
"For most political leaders, what comes first in their minds
prior to assuming public office is easy access to the bulk of
state facilities," he said in a seminar to commemorate one of the
leaders of the 1948 Emergency Government of the Republic of
Indonesia (PDRI), Sutan Mohammad Rasjid, who was renowned for his
integrity.
Saying that a large number of political figures in the country
could easily be bribed, he continued, "I am disappointed by the
fact that many of our members of parliament receive money from
state-owned companies to support their causes."
Anhar believes current leaders lacked the will to sacrifice
themselves for the nation, a quality that was embodied by the
country's founding fathers.
"In the recent deliberation of political bills, members of the
House of Representatives strove only for their party's victory in
the coming elections in 2004," he told The Jakarta Post.
He remarked that current political leaders should learn more
from the country's founding fathers, such as Sutan Moh. Rasjid,
who were willing to die for the country.
Sutan Moh. Rasjid, then West Sumatra Military Governor under
PDRI, was like his mentor, Sjahrir, genuinely struggling for the
independence of Indonesia.
The biography of Sutan Moh. Rasjid tells of his adamant
refusal to be bribed during his term as Indonesian ambassador to
Italy.
"Happiness does not come from owning a big house, luxurious
cars and a high salary," Rasjid was quoted as saying in his
biography.
Earlier in the seminar, political analyst Salim Said said that
the cause of the absence of true leaders in the country was the
authoritarian rule of former president Soeharto.
"During Soeharto's leadership, there was no competition among
political parties, (so) how can we expect political leaders to
prevail if there is no competition to cultivate them as true
political leaders?" he said.