Time to praise God
Time to praise God
From Neraca
We were bewildered when the exchange rate of the rupiah
teetered above 10,000 to the U.S. dollar. Practically everybody
-- from businesspeople to government officials -- tried to find a
way to pay their debts. Imported raw materials became so costly
that the business of manufacturing in the real sector was stuck.
Bank interest rates soared and loans for working capital -- let
alone investments -- dried up. Observers voiced alarm, which was
then linked to the domestic political situation. The country was
in a state of confusion.
Now this terrible ordeal has passed, we should thank God for
preventing us from becoming involved in a civil war. The
political situation is fairly calm again although it remains
tense concerning the General Elections Commission (KPU). The
value of the rupiah has strengthened; it is now below 7,000 to
the dollar and is predicted to reach 5,000.
Seeing how things have developed, it is only proper for us to
express our gratitude to God. Yet, what has happened? We have
begun to quarrel among ourselves. Newspapers report on the
bickering. One person regrets the strengthening of the rupiah,
saying that it will be unfavorable to our non-oil and non-gas
exports. Another says that if the exchange rate of the rupiah
reaches a certain level to the dollar, it will negatively affect
plantation enterprises.
I had hoped that my people would know how to express gratitude
to God for all he has bestowed upon us. I have found, however,
that my people are what I always expected them to be. I am left
wondering: is it the people who are greedy or the leaders?
Everything the ruling elite does is in the interest of its own.
We are rich in natural resources, but we are poor because we
cannot be grateful to God for what we can have and enjoy. We even
cannot look after our own possessions, which are what God left us
to take care of.
We are poor because we exploit everything, use it all up,
without thinking of the future. The economic crisis has left us
materially impoverished. Enough is enough. I only hope that we
still have our conscience; otherwise, we are nothing but animals.
ABDILLAH KAMIL
Jakarta