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