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