On free exchange system

This letter is intended as a response to Mr. Rachmat Basoeki Soeropranoto's letter 'Abolish free exchange system' from Merdeka as published by The Jakarta Post on Sept. 14.

First of all, I would like to duly suggest that I, too, am not very excited about the idea of a free exchange system in conjunction with the anticipated APEC era. To my mind, in fact, many developing countries like Indonesia may not be the propitious benefactors of such an all-out business environment. We should compete whenever we feel sure that the base of our economies are well prepared for the situations that might arise, not to mention a healthy political system to further support the economy. The resulting torment of perverted political maneuvers may leave us in a terrible economic situation -- worse than we could possibly cope with.

However, after pondering the writer's statement that: "apatriotic business people -- most of them non-indigenous -- transferred more than US$100 billion in foreign exchange to Singapore," I began to question the ethical thinking behind the writer's statements. What does it have to do with one's personal origins or ethnicity when one speaks about certain business behavior? Was this letter written in the name of the so-called "Nationalist Spirit," if not "Socialist Spirit?" Does it mean that no sane businessmen in the future would be allowed to secure their business interests? What brilliant ideas does the writer suggest would enable these businessmen to maintain their businesses not to mention to support the lives of their everyday employees and families. How does the writer suppose that massive lay-offs might sound to the poorer people of the nation? Would they cheer upon hearing that they were losing their jobs in such an instance? The true spirit of democracy upholds the idea of safety and security for the people notwithstanding their racial/ethnic backgrounds; it should also provide the people with a healthy judicial system.

I begin to question further: How can this nation survive through even the smallest of hardships if we harbor such prejudice in our hearts? Should we suspect everyone including our business partners, employers and employees of deceit for being white/black or yellow? And how would this conception comfort anyone here? Is it for the white, yellow, black or non- indigenous? Or is it solely for the so-called indigenous people? I don't think the Free Exchange System was the writer's topic at all. Some people still morally prefer such no-holes-barred ways of thinking that manifested into World War II fascism; my point is that I think we are expecting too much here.

F. SUTANTO

Jakarta