Professionally clean

Professionally clean

From Merdeka

The demand for a clean and professional government will always be prominent during times of economic crisis. In the early days of the New Order, there was a pressing need to rectify a messy economic situation and a government capable of undertaking this task was chosen.

A series of five-year development plans were implemented, resulting eventually in an annual economic growth rate of eight percent. Why then has the effect of an increasingly integrated global economy placed this country under so great a strain?

The situation can be assessed using criteria for good governance. In the early days of the New Order, owing to the plight of the Indonesian people, implementing development initiatives was of the greatest urgency and could not be delayed for any reasons. Since those early days, however, material development has outstripped the pace of mental capacity development. The latter was assigned a lower priority than economic development in an era characterized by hyper-inflation. These two forms of development should have proceeded simultaneously.

Development is the flow of funds from the state to the community through development projects. These projects and the flow of funds are vulnerable corrupt and collusive use, if placed in the wrong hands.

Formerly parents, kings and rulers were viewed as role models. Their impressive knowledge and powerful position made them exemplary people, whose advice was worth respecting and whose instructions were worth carrying out. Despite their authority, these people still lead a life similar to those whom they ruled over. Pak Selo Sumarjan once said that these people were not expected to lead a poor and miserable life, but one that was in accordance with the norms of the community. They should be able to share in the joys and sorrows of people around them.

Efforts must be made to ensure that the demand for clean and professional governance is met. Only then will the people be sure that all members of the present leadership are doing their jobs seriously and diligently.

To err is human. The longer one lives, the more mistakes will be made. If a leader has been successful for several periods, he will need to be replaced to ensure that his mission can be carried through and unsolved problems settled.

M. SUHARTO

Jakarta