Now is not the time for laissez faire

JAKARTA (JP): Nobody could accuse me of apple polishing when I said I loved Gus Dur's favorite expression, Gitu aja koq repot (Why worry?). Although it showed a laissez-faire attitude, this expression denoted confidence. By saying this, Gus Dur was sure that problems did not bother him, and that he could handle any disturbances. And I believed this kind of optimism was what the leader of this nation should possess in facing difficulties.

But now I am beginning to doubt what I used to believe. The President's attitude, dubbed by many as biarinisme (the "I don't give a damn" attitude) apparently has been adopted by his aides. A lot of problems remain unsolved, cases are gone into the mist, and the economic crisis is still lingering. Meanwhile, the President is hardly at his office, letting aides do what they please.

A while ago I angrily wrote in this column about government officials "empowering" themselves with a massive pay hikes (some have gotten about a 2000 percent increase). A lot of the nation's scholars and prominent leaders also expressed their concern and strongly suggested that the government review the decision. But nobody listened. They probably took it from the "boss" with a Gitu aja koq repot attitude.

And now, look at the result! Teachers, previously understanding and extraordinarily patient people, are now gathering in angry crowds, taking to the streets, staging demonstrations and protests in an unusually raging style.

And, who can blame them? For ages, they have been struggling to educate the children of this country with no complaints, no matter how low they were paid.

As a teacher (fortunately not in a government institution) I certainly know how teachers and lower level civil servants feel. It is so unfair.

Some of them earn as low as Rp 300,000 (about US$40) a month. Imagine how far that kind of money takes them. And to think that, with the new salary system, some officials take home no less than Rp 9,000,000 a month.

The unfairness occurs not only between the high-level officials and teachers, but also among the teachers of the same level. I once took my nephew to enroll in a favorite high school he had been on the waiting list for, and was referred to a teacher who was said to be able to help me.

Clad in an expensive outfit, the dandy teacher shoved a piece of paper in front of me. His genuine Rolex watch and his gold ring with a diamond flashed. "With so many candidates on the waiting list, I don't think I can help you," he said. "However, I have a fellow teacher whose son is registered here. For some kind of "cigarette money", he could give his son's seat to your nephew. I can arrange it with him and with the principal."

The "cigarette money" turned out to be Rp 10 million!

I did not have time to calculate how many packs of cigarettes you could buy with that kind of money. All I cared about was that my nephew could enroll in the famous government school which is said to yield successful students. It was some time later when I learned the truth: During every registration period, each teacher is given one seat which they can "sell" to a prospective student. That is the policy of the institution to help their teachers.

Besides that, the teachers get financial assistance from the parents of the students, who are generally well off; officially through the Parent Teacher Association; and unofficially, slid stealthily into their pockets in return for marking up students' test scores. And that's not all. They also manipulate books. For a certain commission from the publishers, they can create a policy obliging students to buy only certain books. Therefore, it is not surprising to see a teacher of this school drive a BMW.

Unfortunately, the above prosperity is enjoyed only by a few teachers of a small number of government schools in big cities. Most teachers are living in pathetic circumstances. My older brother, who was sent to a remote village in the heart of the Sumatran jungle 30 years ago, still has to work in a rubber plantation as a laborer after his duty hours in school to survive. Others have to drive ojek (motor cycle taxis) to make ends meet. And some teachers are caught up in debt. The stories about the suffering of teachers are endless.

The saddest concerns the children of teachers who have to quit school because their parents cannot afford to continue their studies. While their parents are busy educating other children, their children end up on the street selling newspapers or singing to collect small change.

Now, the government has presented a quick fix to the problem of striking teachers: their salaries will be raised by 300 percent.

But by the time I wrote this story, an outcry from other low- level civil servants was being heard. "What about us? How come we are not getting a raise? That's not fair. We are going to strike too. After all, we are civil servants like teachers. We deserve equal rights."

Quick fixes do not solve problems. The government should take the demands seriously. Those in Gus Dur's administration must thoroughly consider the matter before making a decision. And most importantly, the President should give a damn. He must ease his travel frenzy and sit in the office to do the job assigned by the people of this nation. Otherwise, this country will have a lot more serious problems, so serious that the President will be unable to utter his favorite expression.

-- Carl Chairul