The new Cabinet

The new Cabinet

From Koran Tempo

The Cabinet of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), as Indonesia's sixth president, is expected to learn from the experiences of previous Cabinets, both at home and abroad, so that ministers are judged only by their performance and achievements.

During the New Order era, Soeharto appointed ministers who would unquestioningly follow his instructions. In the governments of Habibie, Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Soekarnoputri, many Cabinet members failed to work in harmony with their presidents.

This was partly because the post-Soeharto heads of state lacked authority, the Cabinet ministers came from various political parties, they were less capable because they were non- professionals, they failed to grasp presidential missions and platforms, and they confused personal and public interests.

Meanwhile, corruption, collusion and nepotism were so deeply rooted in all levels of the bureaucracy that even the most idealistic ministers failed to achieve much under these stagnant administrations. A lot of SBY supporters, therefore, expect him to form a Cabinet capable of breaking the deadlock.

However, SBY will be facing big challenges from his political opponents as well as the ailing government bureaucracy. In order to enhance the nation's credibility, his Cabinet members should have the teeth to deal with these unfavorable conditions. In a forum in Melbourne five months ago, SBY quoted Winston Churchill as saying that an advanced and civilized nation is one that understands history.

Consequently, while learning from past experience, SBY should be able to straighten out Indonesia's history so that instead of being like a novel, it will be based on facts, including the Sept. 30 Communist movement, the incidents at Tanjung Priok, Semanggi, Timor Leste and many others. In this way, our nation will be more open, advanced and broad-minded.

BENJAMIN KNIGHT Melbourne, Australia