Soeharto tells officials to set good examples
Soeharto tells officials to set good examples
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto told cabinet ministers and
senior government officials yesterday to discipline themselves
before disciplining other people.
"You should not only criticize other people but also
discipline yourselves," Soeharto said in a meeting at the Bina
Graha presidential office.
During the meeting, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Wiranto briefed
the President, Vice President Try Sutrisno, ministers, and the
chiefs of Navy, Air Force and National Police, on the progress of
the national discipline movement.
"You journalists must also enforce national discipline and do
not just criticize others," Soeharto told journalists who were
present at the meeting, and burst into laughter.
The President then wore the official deep orange waistcoat and
hat for the activists of the movement.
"I hope you will also wear this," he told the ministers. He
then gave journalists a military-like salute.
Soeharto launched the National Discipline Movement in 1995 to
encourage people to observe the basic elements of discipline
ranging from queuing, disposing of litter in the proper place, to
maintaining punctuality.
Soeharto appointed Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs
and Security Soesilo Soedarman to coordinate the movement. The
Army was assigned to lead daily activities of the program.
In the briefing, Wiranto revealed the steps that have been
taken and which will be taken to encourage people to be active in
the movement.
"The result is still not satisfying, despite the fact that we
have worked for two years, as we can see from the daily behavior
of people, from the elite to the ordinary people," Wiranto told
the press after the meeting.
Wiranto said the nation needs a safe and orderly atmosphere to
prevent unnecessary incidents.
"We need strong national discipline... and we also need to
launch... measures to make discipline a part of our daily life,"
Wiranto said.
Wiranto said the Army and government officials would be
deployed on the streets and in other public places to supervise
the campaign activists and educate people on how to behave
properly.
"They will wear uniforms and identity cards and the operations
will be led by district military commanders across the country,"
Wiranto noted.
Critics, however, said discipline does not only mean how to
queue and drive properly. They feared some campaign officials
would overact during their operations.
In Aceh last month, 12 people were rounded up and their heads
shaved by local activists of the National Discipline Movement.
The 12 were caught relaxing in a coffee shop during official
working hours.
"I hope the people of Aceh can become more disciplined that
way," chief of Banda Aceh Military District Lt. Col. Muhamad
Hadis had said.
After the briefing, ministers left the room wearing the orange
uniform.
"Although the color is the same, do not think that we are
firefighters," joked one official. (prb)