Sutiyoso's intransigence

Sutiyoso's intransigence

From Kompas

I was attracted to a report in Kompas on Oct. 6 concerning a statement by Jakarta's new governor Sutiyoso. He said that if there were people soliciting services or favors from government agencies and referring to the governor as a relative, such requests should be immediately rejected.

I reread the report to convince myself that it was not a fata morgana but a factual statement. It was a cool breeze amidst the heat of our forest fires.

Some time ago, Minister of Defense and Security Edi Sudradjat stated that the wives and children of armed forces members were to be prohibited from engaging in business. He also ordered that if there were such cases, they should be reported.

Without the help of professional detectives, people have since figured out that there have been violations against Sudradjat's announced policy. It would be useless to wait for official reports and sanctions regarding such infractions because who would dare to follow through with them?

Mr. Governor, we stand behind you. Be consistent and act according to the oath of your office.

SOEGIH ARTO

Jakarta