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)