Wahono scolds officials

JAKARTA (JP): Speaker of the House of Representatives Wahono expressed concern yesterday over what he sees as inconsistencies between what some government officials say and do.

He warned that the national discipline drive will never be a success as long as officials fail to set good examples in the paternalistic Indonesian society.

"Many government officials are yet to put what they say into practice," said the former lieutenant general who once lead the ruling Golkar party.

"What this country's leaders should give to the public in the first place is good examples. That's my simple tip," he told journalists.

Consistency, he said, is a major challenge facing mushrooming mass organizations, which generally promise anything from democratization to aid for the oppressed.

Wahono made the remarks as he gave his views on the recent establishment of mass organizations, such as the Indonesian National Unity, the National Brotherhood Foundation, and Intellectuals for Pancasila Development.

Most controversial are religious-based groups, such as the Associations of Moslem Intellectuals and Association of Christian Intelligentsia.

Pessimists see the trend as the re-emergence of sectarian politics which can threaten the people's unity.

Criticism of inconsistencies between what officials say and do also came, surprisingly, from State Minister for Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja on Saturday.

When addressing a meeting of Kosgoro, an organization affiliated to Golkar, Sarwono said that some government officials had not only confused but had also irritated the public with their flimsy statements.

He argued that the emergence of new organizations and the officials' repeated warnings on the danger of anti-government "formless" organizations are evidence that the Indonesian public is "losing its common sense".

Wahono said yesterday he believes the mushrooming mass organizations pose no threat to national unity or to the establishment.

He pointed out that the organizations were set up with one thing in common, namely to develop the nation without undermining the state ideology Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution.

Separately, deputy House speaker from the United Development Party Ismail Hasan Metareum predicted that more mass organizations would come into being.

He rejected the theory that the establishment of such organizations shows that existing political organizations have failed to accommodate people's interests.

"Those people (who found the organizations) like showing off their activities," he said, pointing out that most of the founding figures are also members of other institutions. (pan)

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