Professionals take a stand at the JSX

By Ati Nurbaiti

JAKARTA (JP): The crowd which arrived at the lobby of the Jakarta Stock Exchange last week did not look much different than the dealers inside in their blazers and ties. But they had clearly come with a different intention. They began to sing and gradually attracted more and more attention.

These people were from a variety of groups including the Indonesian Professional Society (MPI) and the Professionals' Solidarity for Reform group (SPUR). They were objecting to the Golkar Party's proposed B.J. Habibie-Gen. Wiranto duo for the new term.

Popular political commentator and talk show host Wimar Witoelar was there. Economist Faisal Basri of the National Mandate Party (PAN) showed up and so did Matori Abdul Djalil of the National Awakening Party (PKB). Matori is the new deputy speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly.

For some 30 minutes the bourse's transactions stopped because the crowd and spectators crowded the stairs.

"We are small in number but we have much influence," Faisal told the crowd. "Let's fill up Jl. Sudirman with our cars and honk three times to say 'No' to Habibie and Wiranto."

Matori said he supported suggestions for a strike, a statement which provoked outrage from legislators who said Matori, as the deputy speaker, was not acting in an ethical manner. But the next day the rally continued in larger numbers and former activist and economist Syahrir addressed the jubilant crowd.

It was not the first time a demonstration was staged at the Stock Exchange, a symbol of the country's professionals borne out of what was then a promising economy.

"It was largely unplanned," says Sita Supomo, one of MPI's founders.

"We had been talking about such a demonstration for some time and we had reflected, how come not enough professionals seemed to care?" she told The Jakarta Post recently. In spite of having conducted talks and a few rallies, Sita said it was "still not easy" to gather concerned professionals.

"I don't know why, maybe it's fear, maybe it's the feeling that their only contribution should be to keep the wheel of the economy turning."

The forum was established last year and has grown since then. "Our numbers? I don't know. We are an e-mail community and we're not an organization," said the former marketing executive with an international company.

E-mails on activities are sent across with the message "If you're concerned, come," Sita said.

Though small in number, Sita said more and more participants at their activities seemed to have been influenced by the "conducive" condition of continuing scandals, continued violence, and at the last gathering -- Habibie's accountability speech.

Group awareness was also built up in earlier months through the holding of discussions with political parties and hearings with legislators.

"The Bank Bali scandal was a real insult to professionals, regarding the intervention (by the political elite)," Sita said.

On the morning when Habibie announced that he "could not afford to accept the nomination" for a second term after his accountability speech was rejected, the protesters were happy and wished the new president well.

As his colleagues distributed roses, rally participant and part time investor Boris Sirait cautioned: "But we will continue to watch out whether reform is carried out."

The rallies by the professionals were small in number and there was no plan to go out onto the streets. The timing was limited to the lunch hour. Hence, there was no need for employees to gather up their courage and tell their bosses that they needed time out to protest. Nevertheless, all this was radical enough, and the building's management was reportedly upset and worried about the gathering.

Actions involving urbanites are taken for granted in countries such as the Philippines and Thailand. Here, the country's white collar workers only came out in droves when the crisis drove thousands of them out of work.

Asked whether such countries were an inspiration for the group, Boris said, "No, don't make such a comparison, we're nothing yet."

He argued that in comparison to Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand had relatively short terms of authoritarian governments.

For professionals such as Boris, who expressed feelings in rallies only shortly before Soeharto quit the presidency last year, the decision to organize and get involved in such actions was because "the risk to the individual had reduced".

Professionals had been fully aware that under the New Order, any sign of dissent, no matter how "fun-looking" it appeared, was ruthlessly crushed. "People could get abducted or something," he said.

Boris said a willingness to now become involved reflected the diminishing fears.

He added that while market indicators should serve as sufficient warning signs to the government, "the problem is they've been quite deaf".

The participants had distributed a press release which in part read: "We express congratulations and gratitude for the participation of professionals in actions of concern to convey rejection toward Habibie's accountability and his proposed (second) term. This reflects the concern of professionals toward the survival of the nation."

Amid ongoing political wrangling among the elite who seek the return of favors, professionals also stated: "We continue to remind representatives that the status quo forces involved in corruption, collusion and nepotism and rights abuses in the past, should not be given a chance to be part of the new government."