No more privileges for youth leaders

No more privileges for youth leaders

JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports
Hayono Isman said today's youth leaders should not expect the
business privileges and protection which some of their
predecessors enjoyed from the government.

Those days are over, Hayono told a leadership meeting of the
1966 Front for Indonesian Youths and Students Movement (KAPPI
1966) on Saturday.

Youth leaders, he said, should strive to become independent.

"Today's young people cannot expect similar privileges and
protection given to Aburizal Bakrie and Fahmi Idris in their
businesses," he said, referring to two of Indonesia's most
successful indigenous entrepreneurs.

He said the young people have to be independent and work hard
to secure their future. He did not explain why today's youth
leaders cannot have similar privileges, but his statement
provoked warm applause from the participants.

Abdullah Puteh, the chairman of KAPPI' 66, supported the
minister's statement, saying that young people have to prepare
themselves to face the competitive globalization age where
privileges "won't be of much help".

"In the free trade era, which will start at the beginning of
the next century, only the best products and services will win in
open competition," he said.

KAPPI was established in 1965, at a time of great political
upheaval, shortly after the abortive coup attempt by the
Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) on Sept. 30.

At almost the same time, a number of other student movements
sprung as a response to the condition. They included the
University Students Movement (KAMI), the Indonesian Teachers
Movement (KAGI), the Indonesian Workers Movement (KABI), the
Indonesian Graduate Students Movement (KASI) and the Indonesian
Women Movement (KAWI).

Jointly as KAPPI, later to be referred to also as the 1966
Generation, the movements mobilized massive street protests in
1966 against the president at the time, Sukarno. They demanded
that he outlaw the PKI, purge his cabinet of communist elements,
and reduce the prices of basic commodities.

Hayono on Saturday used the occasion to jump on the bandwagon
of government officials and community figures who have openly
called for the re-nomination of President Soeharto in 1998.

"I think President Soeharto is the only person suitable for
the post," Hayono told the reporters.

The minister acknowledged the country has other potential
candidates, such as Vice President Try Sutrisno, State Minister
for Research and Technology B.J. Habibie, and former environment
minister Emil Salim. However, "they cannot be compared with
President Soeharto," Hayono said.

Hayono also said that the time will come when President
Soeharto decides to transfer the post to a suitable successor.

More and more support, either direct or implicit, is being
voiced to support President Soeharto's reelection in the 1998
presidential election. Among those early supporters were leaders
of the Golkar's youth wing Gakari, chairman of the Supreme
Advisory Council Sudomo, and Minister of Transmigration Siswono
Yudohusodo.

The KAPPI '66 earlier last week openly expressed its support
for Soeharto's reelection.

The KAPPI claims to have members in 26 provinces, yet no exact
numbers are available. Around 150 leaders of its central and
branch offices take part in the three-day leadership meeting,
which will end today.(imn)