National leader candidate

National leader candidate

From Merdeka

Newspaper reports over the past month have speculated on the identity of the next vice president. Some of the opinions expressed by various leading figures regarding one of the candidates, Pak Habibie, have angered me.

One article cast doubt on Habibie's leadership qualities. Leading a nation is not, they said, the same as taking control of machinery. Many other unfavorable opinions have been expressed about Habibie, with the sole intention of foiling any attempt to nominate him as vice president for the next term.

However, one must not forget his many achievements. Pak Habibie has held the position of minister for several terms of office, the only leading political figure to have done so. He also heads the Agency for Technological Assessment and Application (BPPT) and a number of strategic industries under the umbrella of the Strategic Industries Management Agency (BPIS).

Habibie has willingly shouldered this responsibility, without engaging in any collusion. All these establishments have made a significant contribution to promoting the reputation of our nation.

When employees at the Nusantara Aircraft Manufacturing Industry (IPTN) went on strike, Habibie asked a member of the security unit to prepare meals and blankets for the strikers, who had taken control of the main IPTN office. If anybody should then doubt his leadership, well, this is really too much.

ROMLI OEMAR

Cilegon, West Java