On Jamsostek

On Jamsostek

The Jakarta Post's Dec. 5, 1997 edition ran with the headline:
Soeharto ordered bill funding, followed by: "Minister of Manpower
Abdul Latief said yesterday that it was President Soeharto who
ordered the use of state-owned social insurance company PT
Jamsostek's funds to finance the deliberation of the manpower
bill." Etcetera.

That day, other newspapers published a different story, which
read: Soeharto told Abdul Latief that from now on the President
would directly supervise the use of Jamsostek's funds.

The fatally malignant difference is so obvious, and as far as
I know since you have not come up with a
withdrawal/revision/correction of your version, I surmise that
you are sticking to your opinion. If you are right and telling
the truth, then I -- and many others -- are very dismayed at
knowing that was what really happened. The implications would be
so grave that I hope that you are wrong, that you have not
misinformed and misled us deliberately but inadvertently
unthinkable as that is, for the better of this country than if
you had been telling the truth.

R. SUNARYO

Jakarta

Note: We based the report on Abdul Latief's statement.

-- Editor