Super reformist minister

Super reformist minister

It strikes like lightning on a bright cloudless day so boldly
it is revolutionary, is the suggestion. Under the former
repressive regime such a proposal might only be uttered by a
drunk, or worse, insane person.

I mean, of course, the idea that this nation gets rid of the
information ministry to overcome excessive but erratic hurdles
and minimize state spending. I am inclined to call the minister
of information who suggested the idea in a House debate the other
day not just a "progressive" but also a "super reformist"
minister.

Indeed, in the past the ministry served more as a propaganda
tool to comfort the rulers and to mislead the public, on issues
such as the always low monthly inflation rate, until the truth
was bared during the reform era. Do not forget that only in
totalitarian states are such special ministries maintained.

In term of cost savings, the minister deserves a warm
handshake for his "super dream" which most of the honorable
people's representatives have failed to comprehend, perhaps out
of fear of losing their jobs.

Personally, I hope that he has not yet discarded another
"better" dream of his -- to rid the ministry of all regulations
which still stand in the way of a genuine free press -- that he
himself pledged to a group of promising young journalists,
according to my dear friend, the director of Dr. Sutomo Press
Institute, Atmakusumah (The Jakarta Post, June 24).

I'd like to assure the people's representatives who fear for a
free press not to underestimate the intelligence of the public
and their yearning for greater democratic rights, even though
they are ashamed to call themselves "intellectuals" belonging to
the "upper" class.

My own super dream is that our leaders in charge of security
keep their public statements relating to nondefense matters to a
minimum in order to avoid confusion and avoid the impression of
another military state. After all, the reformists are not against
Soeharto as an individual but against his authoritarian,
undemocratic and often dictatorial inclinations and his
oppressive methods.

Another dream I used to have was that political parties make
known their programs through issuing a political manifesto. I'd
only like to stress that at present the government of this
potentially rich country has to borrow money in order to feed its
people.

How long will people have to wait until they all have enough
to eat, enough to earn, to have shelters of their own, to enjoy
electric light and are exempt from paying radio, television and
bicycle taxes?

GANDHI SUKARDI

Jakarta