The problem with single loyalty

The problem with single loyalty

A surprise was recently delivered by the Indonesian Institute
of Sciences (LIPI). During a presentation of research findings at
LIPI's Widya Graha building Wednesday, a basic and strategic
subject in our political life -- that of bureaucracy's
monoloyalitas (undivided loyalty) -- was again questioned.

The policy of monoloyalitas was introduced following the birth
of the present New Order government. Its purpose, in the
beginning, was to make sure bureaucracy could perform its duties
as public servants unhampered by political concerns. However, as
the study concludes, with the passage of time the monoloyalitas
concept, which was initially intended to mean undivided loyalty
towards the government and the state, was often reduced to one
which dictates undivided loyalty towards Golkar.

The question is, what problems, if any, arise from such a
policy? The study demonstrates that if the particular link
between bureaucracy and Golkar is allowed to continue, any
improvement in our public services -- which are generally
considered to be inadequate -- will be difficult to achieve.
Excesses in this policy could even lead to "rampant corruption,
manipulation and secular attitudes in our bureaucracy", according
to researcher Yanuarti. The impression is that all this is being
tolerated for the sake of the party which the bureaucracy
supports.

Therefore, in order to improve the quality of our public
services and to restore the function of our civil servants to
that of public servants, it is imperative the bureaucracy be
freed from any involvement in politics. This also means that
freedom must be given to our civil servants to become part of the
public at large -- common people with all the political rights
and obligations that are inherent in their status as citizens.
This means that they should be free to vote or even to become
members of the political party of their choice.

Irrespective of the impediments and limitations that it may
bring, stability must still be among our primary considerations
in the conduct of our social and political life. Still, the
eternal question remains, is it possible for social and political
maturity to come about on its own accord? Is it possible for it
to grow and bloom without going through an extended process of
trial and error?

Democracy requires a learning process that is continuous,
perhaps even never-ending. Some people believe that democracy
may, after all, be nothing more than a system whose superiority
lies only in the fact that it is capable of constant self-
improvement.

For these reasons it seems there is no other choice for us but
to start on this long journey and continue educating the people
so that they can more freely express their rights and obligations
as citizens.

-- Kompas, Jakarta