Throne for the people

Throne for the people

What are you after in life? A good reputation.

The late sultan Hamengkubuwono IX of Yogyakarta is worth
remembering. For him, his throne had to benefit his people.

The sultan gave up all his privileges and made himself part of
the Indonesian nation. His modesty and his refusal to be attached
to fame and fortune made him a suitable role model for us all.

Unfortunately, many of us are attached to mundane matters and
will try to obtain riches and reputation by hook or by crook.
This attitude can be found at all social levels.

In Tanggamus, Lampung, 210 village heads were disappointed
with their regional councillors for ignoring their aspirations.
The regent and the regional councillors were unperturbed. The
regent even said that the village heads could resign, as there
were many others to replace them.

Well, in Jakarta, a governor that his people openly dislike
has been reelected. Then a House Speaker already convicted of
corruption feels neither guilty nor is willing to give up his
position.

All this reflects the arrogance of our leaders. What will
become of this country in the absence of ethics and morality? Our
leaders prefer to enrich their own groups rather than bringing
prosperity to the people.

How can we get out of our crisis if our leaders are of this
quality? Just be patient until a real leader turns up.

-- Kompas, Jakarta