Steps to solve national problems
One night I could not sleep, although physically, I was dead tired from reading, or better said scrutinizing, five or six newspapers every day and listening attentively to all kinds of news broadcasts by state and private television stations. Not to mention listening to controversial gossip circulating without a clear source.
Despite an educational background and experience in a number of important posts, both military and civilian, I am confused about conflicting legal interpretations and news about people asking for more freedom of mind and actions, which actually is very logical after the ironhanded leadership of the second president.
Will more freedom at this time benefit the country or will it bring more confusion if we cannot restrict ourselves to the most necessary items, according to the time and situation? The students have made history by opening the door for reform, unfortunately not without sacrifices.
As a contribution, I would like to give some suggestions:
1. Actions should be directed to the heart of the people, who are now filled with fear, doubt and uncertainty of what is going to happen. If the people have peace and confidence in the government, then steps taken will be viewed not with suspicion but with a will to help realize all the government's plans.
2. Let the people have enough to eat and give them the capability to provide themselves with daily needs. A man with a full stomach is a contented man, and the stomach cannot wait. To this end, the government should make basic commodities easily available and at affordable prices.
3. Let the intellectuals, politicians and community leaders be endowed with a nationalist spirit. These educated and experienced people should work hard to lay a foundation for a better state, where everybody can have a peaceful and happy life based on a legal system which will give equal chance, opportunity and protection to all. The era of nepotism should be killed once and for all, which, I must confess, is easier said than done.
We must decide what should be done first for the benefit of the whole nation and what should be the agenda.
In my opinion, the reopening of the Marsinah, Udin and Tanjung Priok cases is important, and I fully agree to and support this effort. But the timing should be right, when the urgent and basic problems of food supply and elections of a president and vice president and other national problems are solved to the satisfaction of all. All these agendas are urgent and cannot be postponed because the life of the nation is at stake.
SOEGIH ARTO
Jakarta