The Indonesian dilemma revisited Dennis G Kloeth  ;  An Indonesia-born journalist; A writer of articles on Indonesian art and culture

JAKARTA POST, 06 Februari 2015

                                                                                                                                     

                                                

On April 16, 1977 at Taman Ismail Marzuki Art Center, Mochtar Lubis — one of Indonesia’s most respected and best-known journalists and authors — marked himself “persona non grata” with the ruling elite, especially with the Javanese in government who interpreted his words as a racial slur against them. After he presented a three-hour lecture entitled “Indonesians of today: A moral and cultural evaluation” many independent intellectuals truly understood where Lubis was coming from. “In spite of the rather harsh judgments, comments and remarks about his fellow Indonesians, Mochtar Lubis, above all, is known for his unconditional and heartfelt desire to see Indonesia as a strong and well-respected nation,” Soenjono Darjowidjojo, a professor at the University of Hawaii, said in 1983. Lubis said: “Our history is that of an oppressed people. The ancient Indonesian kings were despots, convinced that they ruled by divine right. They held the people’s lives in their hands”. “A prominent Indonesian characteristic is hypocrisy. The man who pretends one thing to a person’s face and who says another behind his back, has been around for a long time, ever since Indonesians were forced to conceal their true feelings for fear of reprisal. Our feudal system was so oppressive that it stifled all initiative among the people and promoted this terrible hypocrisy,” he also said. Anno 2015, not much has changed, and Lubis may well be credited for his foresight and stunning views and revelations that date back nearly four decades. In a way, Indonesians are still an oppressed people, this time at the hands of their own leaders and political elite, who openly commit daylight robbery and get away with murder, as in the case with Munir S.Thalib, Indonesia’s best-known human rights advocate who was poisoned aboard a Garuda Indonesia flight to Amsterdam in September 2004. An alleged mastermind behind this “execution” — and who could easily bring light to the Munir case — is a man close to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. In 2015, hypocrisy is still an integral part of the tactics used by law enforcers, who claim that the arrest of Bambang Widjojanto, deputy of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), has nothing to do with the KPK’s naming of National Police chief candidate Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan a suspect in a bribery case a few days prior to Bambang’s capture. It’s utterly sad to see that Indonesia’s young democracy is being ruthlessly hijacked and threatened by a group of (mostly) uniformed leaders supposedly in charge of protecting Indonesia Inc. from outside powers that could threaten the very fabric of society. Nearly 70 years after the last colonial power was ousted — and in spite of ending an authoritarian regime that for the better part of three decades deprived Indonesians of acquiring better lives for themselves and their offspring — Indonesia’s most popular (and populist) President still falls short of carrying out the people’s mandate by which he was chosen less than four months ago. Contrary to election promises, President Jokowi still allows most Indonesians to be “colonized” by elected representatives and political leaders, of which the majority squanders the public trust. In spite of the country’s rich natural and human resources — and nearly seven decades after founding father Sukarno brought “merdeka” (independence) to this nation of resilient people — most still struggle to survive on a daily basis. One does not have to be Einstein to understand that the KPK finds it staunchest and most fanatic opponent in the top brass of law enforcement and the political elite. It actually says more about Indonesia’s poor-quality leadership than about the controversial manner in which the uniformed and political elite chooses to present itself in the global arena of democratic societies. The ongoing saga of the Gecko vs. the Crocodile — that culminated in the arrest of KPK commissioner Bambang — shows the childishness and trivial tit-for-tat mentality of law enforcers and political leaders. That the ongoing controversy is fueled by the party led by the daughter of Indonesia’s founding father is all the more sad and unfortunate. It truly exhibits the more than poor leadership qualifications of the very leaders of this amazing nation. Indonesia is home to a breed of highly qualified and capable people operating in private enterprise. Those people make Indonesia tick! It is no wonder that they all seem to try and stay away as far as possible from politics and law enforcers. One stands to wonder, when will these highly qualified, capable people be allowed to step in and take over from the very people that put their personal interest over and above that of their country and people. For expressing the statement: “A prominent Indonesian characteristic is hypocrisy”, one of Indonesia’s most prominent sons was ostracized, cursed and jailed nearly 50 years ago. Sadly, Lubis’ statement still stands true today. ●