Siswono encourages creativity among bureaucrats

Siswono encourages creativity among bureaucrats

JAKARTA (JP): It was an unusual party. Instead of the expected
festivity, the evening was filled with speeches, poems and songs
about democracy, conscience, grassroots sympathy, and
condemnation of the mushrooming avarice, greed and injustice
found in Indonesia today.

Had the party taken place at Taman Ismail Marzuki Arts Center,
where government critics usually protest socio-political ills, it
wouldn't have been news.

Surprisingly the gathering, called Dialog Seni: Indonesia
Rumah Kita (Art Dialog: Indonesia Our Home) was held at the
Ministry of Transmigration and Settlement of Forest Dwellers on
Jl. Kalibata in South Jakarta and was organized by the ministry's
officials.

It is rare for government officials to brood over the fate of
the millions of poor in Indonesia. They don't seem to care about
the government's failure to help the poor or bemoan that
Indonesia has lost its conscience amidst the greed and avarice.

But it happened.

The man behind the gathering, Minister Siswono Yudohusodo,
made the headlines several weeks ago by stating that "Nowadays,
honesty is identical with stupidity, and dishonesty with
cleverness." His words were regarded as a perfect description of
Indonesian society.

Accompanied by Romance d'amour on a piano, the minister, clad
in a white shirt and black trousers, read his speech like a poet
recites poetry. The speech included a poem entitled Balada Si
Jelata (The Ballad of the Poor) by Siswono. According to Siswono,
"is was colored by Sitor Situmorang" who was thrown in jail for
being involved in the abortive 1965 communist coup.

Siswono said two young ministry staff members wrote him for
permission to stage an arts program to celebrate Indonesia's 50th
anniversary. They wanted ministry employees and related agencies
to attend.

"I agreed and supported the spontaneous intention. The
government needs art for their sensitivity and to beautify their
creations and upgrade their works. Sensitivity is needed so that
they take more care about what they may and may not do, about
right and wrong, and about the people who need their service and
so that their behavior is not sarcastic," Siswono explained.

The exclusive party soon ballooned into an excellent arts
fiesta involving several important figures in the Indonesian arts
world. Famous folk singer Leo Kristi, country singer Franky
Sahilatua, dancer and choreographer Bagong Kussudiardjo, folk
singer-environmentalist Ully Sigar Rusady, poet Darmanto Jatman,
poet-philosopher Toety Herati Noerhadi and poet Pertiwi Hasan,
wife of timber tycoon Bob Hasan all attended. Director General of
Culture of the Ministry of Education and Culture Edy Sediawati,
also an archeologist, read a poem by Rendra. Former minister of
education and culture Fuad Hassan had his poem read by a young
girl.

The ministry's employees presented a play and sang.

Franky said he might have rejected the offer to appear if it
were not for Siswono.

"I happened to find his touching words in the papers several
weeks ago. I then thought of him as a nationalist leader. I love
him. I really hope there is someone like him amidst the current
sectarian streams," Franky told The Jakarta Post.

Franky and friends then heartily sang a song which borrowed
Siswono's much-quoted, Kejujuran jadi kebodohan/ kelicikan jadi
kepintaran (Nowadays, honesty is identical with stupidity, and
dishonesty with cleverness). Franky claimed that he and a friend
composed the song the morning of the dialogue.

Siswono had more revelations for his adoring crowd. He asked
the audience to reflect on the meaning of the 50th anniversary,
"at the time when people cannot any longer differentiate right
from wrong because they cannot understand their own conscience.
When the thoughts, words and acts of many people go it alone in
opposing directions. When cuteness, mischief and evil elegantly
work hand in hand to provide people with staples. When the
conscience of many people can no longer reign in on the behavior
of the owners. When human stomach, which is actually small, four
times the span of the fingers, but because their hearts, minds
and the existing system cannot take control over it, wants to
swallow the world with all its content. When thugs, who have
earned the reputation as the unbeatable, are honored, feared,
respected and asked for protection, and then slaughtered after a
police officer fell victim to them, while in fact people had been
long terrorized and extorted by them."

Siswono continued his lament, including the gap between the
rich and the poor, the murder of Marsinah, the exploitation of
natural resources for the sake of fast development growth.

Was he speaking from his heart? Was it just a bureaucratic
step to greater popularity? Is he now feeling estranged in his
bureaucratic seat? Has he discovered the long forgotten meaning
of civil servant?

Whatever his motif, Siswono wasn't alone in his gloom. His
staff clearly shared his soul-searching. They made it clear in a
short play staged in the middle of the evening.

The play, set around the red-and-white flag, strung together
surprisingly biting dialog. Even more surprising because it was
uttered by government employees.

"If we commit a mistake, we should have the courage to admit
it according to Indonesian conscience. And currently, only our
conscience can differentiate one thing from another," announced
one actor.

"We have to open the democratic doors in our hearts," preached
another.

Siswono had never seen, let alone censored the play.

"I always encourage my staff to be democratic and not to be
yes men. They should be critical and constructive," Siswono told
the press after the party.

Admitting that there are bureaucrats who don't pay attention
to public wants, Siswono said a more a democratic atmosphere will
reign in the future and people will be more daring.

"Ten years ago, we would not be able to imagine that Tempo,
for example, would win its case against the minister of
information. But this is a process which should be anticipated by
everyone, including bureaucrats," he said.

Siswono's unprecedented evening of arts has illustrated that
the public's yearning for change has reached the authorities.
(jsk/als)