You are not what you drive: Hidayat

You are not what you drive: Hidayat

Endy M. Bayuni, Jakarta

Some of our top elected officials have decided to spurn the
Volvo limousines and royal suites in five-star hotels to which
they are entitled.

Explaining the decision on Wednesday, Hidayat Nur Wahid, the
speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly, said it was only
appropriate that he and his deputies take the initiative in
leading modest lives given the economic state the country has
been in for the last seven years.

That such an initiative should come from Hidayat is not all
that surprising. His Islamist Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) was
one of only two parties that polled more votes in April's
legislative election than in the 1999 elections. It won 7.34
percent of the vote after campaigning on a strong anticorruption
platform. (Susilo's Democratic Party was the other one,
contesting the polls for the first time and winning 7.45 percent
of the vote.)

To Hidayat, and most of his supporters, being driven around in
a Volvo hardly befits the image of a person who is expected to
lead the fight against corruption. Publicly rejecting luxury
goods is therefore one way of leading the campaign by example.

We know that elected political offices historically have come
with material seductions. Some of these seductions, like the
limousines, are legitimate. Others -- and this is where the real
problem lies -- are not legitimate, like bribes and payoffs in
return for favors officials can grant through their privileged
positions.

It is an open secret that many elected or appointed
politicians treat their offices more as an opportunity to enrich
themselves, even after the state provides them with reasonable
salaries and other material privileges. It is common knowledge
that money and other luxury goods are exchanged for endorsing
legislation on behalf of interest groups.

It is in light of this poor reputation surrounding our elected
politicians that Hidayat launched the campaign to lead a modest
life, and for our politicians for once to show a greater sense of
crisis. Hidayat made it clear that he expected government
officials, including Cabinet ministers who traditionally are also
driven around in Volvos, to follow suit.

Hidayat's actions may be laudable, but there are still some
questions that he and his colleagues in the Assembly need to
answer to convince the public that their motives are noble.

The people have been deceived so many times before that they
reserve the right to be skeptical of any move that smacks of
populism. Unless Hidayat follows this up with other measures to
promote his campaign for a modest life, his announcement will be
seen as nothing more than another publicity gimmick.

In this material day and age, luxury really is relative. What
is seen as inappropriate by Hidayat may seem perfectly acceptable
to many others. Certainly, no one thought that Volvo limousines
were inappropriate for our elected representatives and Cabinet
ministers until Hidayat raised the issue on Wednesday.

A Volvo limousine costs between Rp 400 million and Rp 950
million, depending on the type. Would cars in the range of Rp 200
million to Rp 300 million be acceptable to Hidayat, or would they
still be considered luxury goods? If we go by the definition of
the tax office, then we really should be looking at cars priced
at less than Rp 100 million, because anything above that is
subject to luxury taxes. (But then so are computers, most
electronic goods and, apparently, some soft drinks. Should we
spurn those too?)

For most Indonesians, a car at any price is a luxury. Perhaps
Hidayat would care to take a motorcycle instead, or like most
people in Jakarta, take the bus to work? Now that would really be
in keeping with his effort to show a sense of crisis, especially
in the coming weeks when the new government enacts the inevitable
fuel price hike.

We may recall that Harun Rasyid, a member of the General
Elections Commission in 1999, returned his Toyota Kijang van and
started taking the bus to work.

We are not suggesting that Hidayat do anything so drastic.
Perhaps a more bottom of the range Volvo would still be deemed
appropriate for our elected politicians.

There is the necessity for Hidayat to move around the city,
and do so in comfort, especially given the stress of his job. Ask
anyone who owns a Volvo and they will tell you they bought it for
its comfort, reliability and other aspects that usually come with
the price tag.

Hidayat and his deputies will probably make their supporters
proud if they are chauffeur-driven in reasonably priced
limousines. Such amenities usually come with the job.

A suite in a hotel is also not all that extravagant given
Hidayat's position as speaker of the Assembly. He might want to
use the living room that normally comes with a suite to hold
meetings. If he feels offended by the presence of a sauna inside
the suite, perhaps the hotel could provide him with a suite that
is not fitted with one.

Indonesia clearly needs a campaign to lead more modest lives,
given that the country is still mired in a seemingly endless
economic crisis. With his position as Assembly speaker, Hidayat
can lend prestige to such a campaign by leading by example.

Ultimately, however, he will not be judged so much by what car
he drives (or is driven in), or the kind of hotel room he stays
in. The savings to the state are unlikely to be all that
significant in any case, even if other officials follow his
example.

The spirit of leading by example is important, but Hidayat
will be judged more by what he puts into his office. In the
campaign to live modestly, he will be judged by the seriousness
and consistency of his statements and actions.

The writer is Chief Editor of The Jakarta Post