Reform starts with yourself

I read with great interest Pak Habibie's rhetorical question "What's wrong with the nation?" on the front page of the Jan. 2 edition of The Jakarta Post along with several recent letters to the editor regarding poor customer service.

Having lived and worked throughout Indonesia for six years, I often ask myself the same question. After thinking about the root causes, I can only surmise that the problem lies not just in the leadership (or lack of it) but in the willingness of each individual to accept some little responsibility for improving not just their own lives, but the lives of the people around them. In short, it comes down to a certain selfishness and unwillingness to shoulder some of the blame for their own situation.

I see this in the little things -- people who uncaringly smoke in areas where no-smoking signs are clearly posted, people who throw litter out of their car windows, people who cut queues, indifferent or uncaring customer service, dishonest taxi drivers, and people who support the corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN) system by providing payoffs to the officials. So while blaming the "leadership" they fail to recognize that their individual daily behavior suggests complicity and implicit support of a system they supposedly despise.

All these "little" acts speak of a nation that lacks not only self respect, but respect for the rights and health of each other. And without self respect, respect for the rights of others, respect for the environment you live in and, most importantly, a respect for people to hold differing opinions, a fair and just democracy will never work. Yet it is these "small things" that are well within the control of each single individual to do or not do -- provided they have the will to make the necessary changes.

So I say to Pak Habibie, what is wrong with this nation is an unwillingness for the individual to accept responsibility, however small, that the current situation exists because collectively each individual let it. It is apparent that, given enough pressure, even the most autocratic leaders step aside when the will of the people is known. Since that momentous occurrence, the message seems to be lost that each individual can and must work to make a difference. It cannot be left only to the students, nor can it be the sole responsibility of the "leaders".

Everyone must be willing to contribute something to realize the potential that this great country has to offer. So stop blaming the top, and start to lay the blame where it really belongs -- on the face that looks back at you in the mirror in the morning while you are shaving or putting on your makeup. That is the individual who can and must take responsibility to create true "reform".

How? By becoming a "leader of one" each and every day to "reform" the way you conduct yourself. Stop smoking in the malls and airports where no-smoking signs are posted; stop throwing your litter around and trashing your beautiful countryside; stop offering bribes to minor officials to "expedite the process"; start to give and expect world-class customer service. Take those little steps to show your neighbors, your customers, your friends and strangers on the street that you are committed to reform and are willing to accept the responsibility that goes along with freedom by changing yourself first, and not thinking some magical solution is going to occur simply by changing leadership.

Good luck to you and your country in 1999. It is a beautiful place to live and work, with so much promise and potential. Make it happen! Reform starts with yourself.

PAUL D. GIAMMALVO

Jakarta