Soeharto's staff barely keeps up

Soeharto's staff barely keeps up

JAKARTA (JP): Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono revealed a
secret yesterday about the pressure of working in the office that
takes care of the day-to-day activities of President Soeharto:
The staff can barely keep up with the head of state.

"We all know that the President works very fast," Moerdiono
said at a ceremony to install two senior officials to his office.
"All letters submitted to him in the afternoon will be returned
to us the next day, with directives requiring follow up."

"Because the President works fast, we must work even faster.
That's why I write 'very urgent' on some memos. Sometimes, we are
too slow," he said.

Moerdiono installed Bambang Sutanto as assistant for general
affairs, replacing Ali Affandi, and Muhammad Maftuh Basyuni as
chief of the Presidential Household, replacing Brig. Gen.(ret.)
Sampurno. The ceremony was attended by secretariat staff.

Moerdiono said each day he receives a red folder from the
President containing documents that need tending to.

"When that folder arrives, I drop everything else," he said.

He demands that his staff match the pace set by the President,
recalling that some of his staff have taken days to return
information.

The head of state relies on timely information to make
decisions.

"Experience has shown that if we're late by an hour, then the
material we provide is sometimes of no relevance," the minister
said.

"If I state in my memo that it is a very urgent matter, that
is exactly what it means. There is no other interpretation."

Although the pressure is high, working at the State
Secretariat should be regarded as an honor, Moerdiono said.

He underlined three principles his staff must obey: "fast,
accurate and safe."

"It's pointless to be accurate but not fast. And it's
dangerous to be fast but not accurate," he said.

"You can be fast and accurate, but not safe, and documents
will be leaked. That would be a problem," he stated.

An investigation of Moerdiono's office began last month when
classified documents intended for President Soeharto found their
way to the media, leading to allegations of embezzlement in the
Ministry of Transportation. The allegations were later quashed,
but the investigation continues. (emb)