RI, country of hoodlums

RI, country of hoodlums

From Tempo

If thuggery is perceived as He who is strong and has money will be the ruler" (Tempo, March 17 and March 23 editions), it can be inferred that our beloved country is already in the hands of hoodlums. I do not agree with Tempo saying, "It is our homework to prevent this country from falling into the hands of hoodlums." On the contrary, our task is to free the government from their grip.

We do not have to be on the edge to see how Tomy Winata's men (some of whom live permanently within the world of thuggery) are behaving. The type of thuggery displayed by Tomy's men would not have surfaced if they had not been supported by those in power. Why don't we lodge a strong protest against people in the executive, legislature and judiciary? Does the case of Attorney General M.A. Rachman and a member of his staff, judge Kito Irkhami, not smack of thuggery?

It is not surprising that investors have not shown much interest in Indonesia. They can see and feel the action of hoodlums or officials every time they try to obtain business or operation permits, making them reluctant to do business here, or wishing to leave this country (like Sony). While neighboring countries like Vietnam and Thailand show a robust, upward trend in investment, Indonesia is experiencing a sharp downtrend. It is really saddening.

HADI SATYGRAHA

Jakarta