Politicians' earnestness
Politicians' earnestness
From Republika
To Indonesians, who have just embarked on a reform drive, the problems they are now encountering are indeed tough and serious. Besides, our people also have to confront major challenges. It is impossible for us, Indonesians, to solve these problems if our elite -- or those considering themselves elite -- continue to involve themselves in conflicts by prioritizing their own superiority.
Mutual blasphemy -- not infrequently lacking in proportion -- riots, natural disasters and people's angry outbursts as a result of their impoverished lives are problems that need solving. To borrow the metaphor once used by Ariel Heryanto, a political anthropologist now living in Australia, Indonesia is a large vessel which has sprung many leaks.
To prevent this large vessel from sinking to rock bottom, I fully agree that the Ciganjur Declaration should be followed up by informal gatherings and dialogs involving community and religious figures and various other quarters and held in a spirit of democracy, egalitarianism, honesty and transparency, with all the parties involved placing the interests of the state and the nation above that of their own or their groups. These figures -- civilian and military -- must seek a common platform. Differences of opinion must be placed in the framework of democracy, encompassing scientific, political, economic, social, cultural, security and defense affairs, and should not be allowed to deteriorate into schisms, a condition which may come about if the parties involved do not see things clearly and persistently cling to their egotism.
After the stepping down of president Soeharto, Amien Rais and reform-minded groups should not insist on drastic and revolutionary changes because Indonesians in general need to adjust to the new atmosphere after being suppressed for 32 years under the yoke of the New Order regime. This does not mean that I am in favor of the status quo. Even Prophet Muhammad -- directly guided by God through Gabriel -- needed no less than 23 years to transform a society characterized by pagan ignorance into an Islamic one.
It is hoped that our elite, particularly the political elite, will be willing to sit together in all sincerity to discuss the various problems faced by the nation in a spirit of togetherness. They should realize that everybody has their pluses and minuses. Many excellent precedents were set by our predecessors in this respect, for example, the Youth Congress in 1928 with its Youth Pledge and the 1945 session of an agency assigned to prepare the independence of Indonesia, in which a decision was made to establish Pancasila, the five-point principle, the state foundation of the Republic of Indonesia.
Remember, it has been predicted that many things beyond man's imagination will happen in 1999, also known as the Year of the Rabbit in the lunar calendar.
AHSIN MUBARY
Semarang