New Order mentality still prevails

New Order mentality still prevails

Being a foreigner and looking at the situation in Indonesia
now, I wonder if saying something on the situation could be taken
as "meddling with the internal affairs of a sovereign nation".
After all, Ginandjar Kartasasmita, at the time, found it not
appropriate when other nations objected to the killings and
destruction in East Timor. This, even when the people got the
choice from the then president Habibie who knew only 20 percent
voted for the Functional Group (Golkar) and, in fact, he had no
right to give them this referendum. This, even when Western
countries are expected to pay the bill of restoring East Timor.

So what can I expect as an investor in this country who, as an
individual, put the majority of his savings in a project in
Indonesia? I did so last year because things looked good at that
time. However, a year later I can only conclude that the "New
Order" is firmly rooted in the minds of the haves and the "civil
servants".

This last category is still mainly serving itself and, except
that investment procedures are processed quicker, there is hardly
any real "reform". Who can blame my family in the Netherlands if
thy want me to withdraw from Indonesia? The House of
Representatives, still filled with a lot of New Order nominees,
acts like children on its first days without Soeharto, and is now
playing more "holy than the Pope". Why instead is capital
punishment not yet introduced for corruptors? May legislators
have "butter on their heads"? Why is the police still armed?. If
not, they would not dare to continue to extort money as the
people already have adopted their justice system, effectively
killing thieves on the spot.

Why are the police able to find practically every activist and
critic of the New Order and harass, even kill them and yet they
cannot find Tommy (Suharto)? Why has Golkar not returned its
wealth to the other parties? The actions of the people at present
have nothing to do with communism as Mr. Akbar Tandjung has
stated in The Jakarta Post of Feb. 9, 2001.

And now the presidency: how happy I was with the prevailing
spirit one year ago and many people with me. But now we see
precious time wasted on "hanky-panky" deals that are not clearly
explained and a rational and intelligent minister with integrity
sent away because of his "lack of personal support of the
president". His support of the presidency as an institution is
not appreciated. Does this not bring back Indonesia to the status
of "banana republic"?

If anyone who can teach me a lesson, please come forward
(words only please). My wish is to see a prosperous Indonesia
with happy people who can constantly improve their lives,
mentally as well as physically, and have self-respect. And that
the country is not used as a dump for waste by virtually
everybody.

Why cannot it be like Malaysia, which used to be backward
compared with Indonesia? It shows what a little less corruption
and a little bit better mentality by its officials can have on
the lives of many. Maybe local autonomy may create more
"Singapores" in the region?

BOUDEWIJN BRANDS

Amsterdam