New Order mentality still rife among elite politicians
New Order mentality still rife among elite politicians
BANDUNG (JP): Members of the Indonesian political elite are still finding it difficult to change their New Order mentalities into reform ones as most of them were born and raised under the regime, a psychologist said here on Saturday.
M. Enoch Markum of the University of Indonesia said that even politicians who were spurned by the New Order era could not rid themselves of practicing corruption, collusion and nepotism.
"According to a psychological perspective, politicians' attitudes are not stimulated by the environment. The politicians' personalities might be confused from the beginning," Enoch said during a seminar here on political attitudes and the life of the nation.
"The current political phenomenon can be understood. I refer to the Lasswell Study on political leaders, who often convert their own (personality) conflicts into politics," Enoch said.
"But, thorough studies are needed to prove if those members of our political elite who have unsolved intra-psychic conflicts in the past tend to have anomalous political attitudes."
Most members still cling to a cult of strength and violence in the fight for their own groups. "In this way they are becoming farther and more isolated from the people. They find it difficult to work for the national interest due to motivational gravity, known as sindrom kepiting (crab syndrome)."
"None one of the (large number of) crabs put in a basket can get out of it because each time a crab tries to climb up the side of the basket, another crab will pull it down," he said. "Politicians interfere with each other."
Another speaker, Hatta Albanik of Padjadjaran University, said that the attitude of many Indonesian politicians could be considered deviant.
"Most of them do things which could cause mental disorder to others and to themselves," Hatta said, describing corruption, collusion and nepotistic practices as anomalous deeds.
"During Indonesia's 55-year political history, the country's politicians have failed to demonstrate their intelligence," Hatta said. (25/sur)