Rudini welcomes national dialog plan
JAKARTA (JP): Former President Soeharto's close aide, Rudini, yesterday welcomed the proposal for a national dialog to discuss solutions for the ongoing monetary crisis, but reminded the nation that the President would not turn a blind eye on the matter.
Rudini, former Minister of Home Affairs, said must have anticipated the impact of the state currency rupiah depreciation.
"President Soeharto must have made all necessary preparations to anticipate even the worst situation," he told reporters at his office.
Speaking about the proposal for a national dialog, he said the idea of letting people share their opinions on state affairs and ideas in time of crisis was an urgent thing to do now.
"The national dialog should be held within a short period of time as we will have an important event, the general meeting of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) next March," he said.
He was responding to a proposal by secretary-general of the Association of the Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI) Adi Sasono that the government invite all elements in society, including influential public figures to altogether seek solutions for the economic crisis.
"It's not a proper time to stamp outspoken public figures as anti-government or extremists anymore," he said, "They have the rights to share their opinions and ideas, too."
Meanwhile, deputy House Speaker Syarwan Hamid did not explicitly support Adi Sasono's idea, but said the time has now come for the nation to leave all disputes behind and demand a dialog to look for solutions of the protracted monetary crisis.
"It's dangerous if a dialog is banned. Instead, the more we encourage dialogs with various people, the more we gather ideas," Syarwan said.
He suggested the government to listen to as many people as possible because it could not solve the country's problems alone.
"The truths are now scattered everywhere, thanks to the growing number of intellectuals. The government must talk to as many people as possible, particularly to discover the hidden truths," he said.
He said the dialog would also help the government know more about the public's expectations.
Rudini, now chairman of an informal military think tank, the Institute for Strategic Studies of Indonesia, said what the country now needed was concrete actions to settle the crisis.
"People are now concerned with the continuous price hike, especially when the post fasting month Idul Fitri celebration is approaching," he said, "They're less interested in politics now."
He suggested that government officials should give good examples of their attitude and be serious in eradicating pungli (illegal levies).
"Such good examples and serious eradication of illegal levies will at least reduce the people's heated tension due to the price hike of their basic needs," he said. (imn/amd)