Nation urged to hold on to spirit of reform

JAKARTA (JP): Respected Moslem scholar Nurcholish Madjid urged the nation yesterday to hold on to its recently promulgated spirit for reform and strive for "a just, open, and democratic civil society".

In a statement read before about 150 participants at a discussion organized by the Paramadhina religious discussion group here, Nurcholish said it was only through such a society that social justice could be upheld.

"With conscience and justice we must build our social, political and economic systems so there will be no more discrepancies in the distribution of national wealth," Nurcholish said.

The scholar argued that only through a fair and equal system, free of prejudice, could such a balanced society be forged.

"An unjust and discriminative view toward one certain group must be discarded from our society and we must develop a view that promotes brotherhood among citizens.

"Openness is also a reform value that is very essential. It is only through the principle of openness can a transparent social political system be developed which allows people to have direct control over it."

To ensure such a system exists, Nurcholish said the freedom to assemble and to express one's opinion must exist.

"Effective public control will prevent practices which are against good morality and ethics... it is through effective public control that a good and clean governance can be established," he said.

"It is only through effective public control that civic morality could be brought about." (aan)