Where is SPSI?

Where is SPSI?

From Pelita

It seems that several times we have heard the demand that an
official should resign because he is considered to have offended
or even trifled with the sense of justice of the community.

Certainly still fresh in our memory is the hullabaloo for
officials to give up their positions and be held ethically and
morally accountable for the case of mega corruption and collusion
at Bapindo, which involved a number of high-ranking state
officials. Even "the Law" could not touch them.

We must also still remember a case at the Ministry of
Transportation which involved a presidential aide, who was later
only required to reflect on his behavior. Only introspection was
required and again "the Law" could not touch him.

Then there was the case of the bank account of the Ministry of
Mines and Energy. Strangely enough, a ministry account suddenly
found its way to a personal account. Again here the law could do
nothing. We are admirable indeed. Don't we have a motto reading:
Ever onward, never retreat?

It is not necessary for our officials to feel embarrassed as
we have a terrific motto.

So now what's the use of making an issue over the funds of the
workers' social security company (Jamsostek) which the manpower
minister has allegedly used to smoothen the discussion on the
controversial manpower bill? This will only be a waste of time
and energy as the case will end up just like any other similar
cases previously. History teaches us a lesson and of course this
is something that we cannot afford to forget. The Jamsostek case
involves respectable members of the House of People's
Representatives, who were elected through an incident-fraught
general election. Things in this respect will get more
complicated as bringing these House members to court will only be
possible with the president's permission.

However, as I am a worker who pays a monthly Jamsostek premium
and as I am also a member of the All-Indonesia Workers' Union
(SPSI), which claims that "scores of millions" of its members
join Jamsostek, it is my hope that when problems like the present
Jamsostek case arise, SPSI should say something and not just stay
quiet.

As a member of SPSI, it is only natural, therefore, that I ask
the SPSI leadership to defend the interests of SPSI members when
these interests are harmed by other parties. Otherwise, the
impression is that the union is always at the losing end. Or
perhaps silence is the right attitude? Isn't silence golden? If
so, I do not know which is right.

BUDHI SANTOSA

Bogor, West Java