Yet another team to assist Habibie

New teams normally bring certain hopes. So it is with the newly formed National Reform Team toward a Civil Society (TNRM3). The public hopes it will be able to function effectively and not merely add to the profusion of teams already existing with lofty sounding names and tasks but which in reality achieve very little. We also hope the establishment of this new team will not entail the squandering of public money for purposes that are not clear, or worse, a sterilization of existing state institutions -- a bad habit which the former New Order regime was fond of practicing.

Such fears are not unfounded. To give a concrete example: Even as demands for reform in all fields are at their height, the current Development and Reform cabinet experienced a leakage of more than Rp. 1.5 trillion in state funds -- an irony which the government seems to regard as altogether commonplace.

To judge by the list team members, we have the impression that there is a dire shortage in this country of (capable) human resources. The same people can be seen sitting on different teams with different tasks. There is no sign whatsoever that the government has the courage to include the names of reformist leaders in the team's lineup.

We are afraid that this team will only add to the burdens which President Habibie has to bear. The more teams there are surrounding the President's seat, the more difficulty Habibie will have formulating his policies.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta