Why are we confused?

Many public figures have been complaining recently that Indonesians are becoming confused about government policies and actions. This is a strange thing to happen to a people known for their modesty, understanding and submissiveness. Our culture teaches us to be good citizens and to respect authority.

In a paternalistic society like ours, where good examples from above play a pivotal role in preserving balance and social peace, the leaders have a moral obligation to set good examples.

The fact that this obligation has been neglected for a long time now by those in the upper layers of Indonesian society has caused the people to become confused. It has also resulted in a loss of respect for those whom the people accept as their leaders.

There have been many occasions on which the authorities have tried to hide the facts because of a fear that, if the truth were known, the populace would react in a negative manner.

So the confusion has remained.

Whenever the public does gain an inkling of the truth and people start to protest about the situation, their voices are like cries in the desert.

The result might best be termed "structural confusion": confusion stemming from the nation's bureaucratic structure. Official obfuscation has also lead to diminished trust in the government.

One of our cabinet ministers said recently that many people have lost the capacity for healthy thinking. We believe such an accusation would better be leveled against those in the upper levels of society than against the common people.

The current campaign against what the authorities call "formless organizations" is confusing in itself, given that the expression is a contradiction in terms. In Indonesian as well as English, all organizations have form and anything that does not have form is not an organization.

The Merpati airlines controversy is the latest example of how inconsistencies on the part of the leaders can sow confusion among the people. The government's statement that the sacking of Merpati president Ridwan Fatarudin has nothing to do with the latter's refusal to lease planes from the state-owned airplane company is not easy to believe.

Confusion is now engulfing the whole of Indonesian society as every group confronts confounding situations in every field. While the people continue to dream of social solidarity and justice, the new rich are exhibiting a tendency to flaunt their wealth. Their wedding parties rival those of royalty in the West, according to one foreign diplomat.

Perhaps we are not yet ready to become a truly modern society.