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Sleeping forum participant outrages President
Desy Nurhayati , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Wed, 04/09/2008 11:20 AM | Headlines
The most valuable lesson learned by regional leaders at a five-week workshop at the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas) might not be on leadership at all, but how to withstand sleepiness.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was speaking before 86 participants of the forum consisting of mayors, regents and leaders of regional legislative councils on Tuesday when he spotted a participant falling asleep.
Yudhoyono paused his speech and told the attendants, while pointing to the participant: "Wake him up. Go outside if you want to sleep."
"How could a leader fall asleep while I am talking about how to develop our nation? You should be ashamed of the people who have elected you their leader," he said.
"Be serious with your responsibility. I'm ordering Lemhannas not to pass participants with bad attitudes even if they are highly intelligent."
In the forum, Yudhoyono also told participants to improve their managerial skills and make the most of resources owned by each region.
"I want all leaders, from the highest level to the lowest, to have good management skills and (work to) build their characters. We should not be pessimistic about the condition of our nation, which has been through a lot of crises for years."
The forum, which opened on March 4 and will conclude Wednesday, is titled "Regional Resilience in Supporting National Resilience and Development".
Lemhannas Governor Muladi said afterwards the President's rebuke would not cause the sleeping participant to fail the workshop.
"Being reprimanded by the President in public is already a social sanction against the person. But we see no reason for not passing him from this workshop," Muladi said, adding he would still find out who the reprimanded official was.
He said all participants had been cautioned earlier for not interrupting, talking, sleeping and sending text messages using their mobile phones during the President's speech.
"Maybe the person was tired after a five-week and all-day workshop with tight schedules. But I think the participants enjoyed the forum."
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The Reader (not verified) — Thu, 04/10/2008 - 7:37am
Bravo Pak Presiden!! If these so-called leaders are not even listening when the President is speaking, HOW CAN WE EXPECT THEM TO LISTEN TO US? Furthermore, shame on Mr. Muladi for offering an excuse of them being tired after attending the workshop. They are paid with OUR MONEY to work. And after all, it's only workshop (and did I read it right that it's a five-week workshop? isn't that another potential waste of taxpayer money??).
The Reader (not verified) — Thu, 04/10/2008 - 4:41am
Sleeping, smoking, talking on their cell phone while someone is giving a speech, picking their noses for all to see, yep, that's the typical Indonesian official down to a tee. Don't know why it's taken SBY so long to notice it!
The Reader (not verified) — Wed, 04/09/2008 - 10:28pm
This is not the first time the audience feels sleepy during the speech. There were several times in the palace. Sometimes the problem is the speech itself.
Fahri Nurahman (not verified) — Wed, 04/09/2008 - 9:08pm
this is a picture of our leaders, that thinking about peoples' welfare is not something important. They have forgotten their promises during their political campaign.
The Reader (not verified) — Wed, 04/09/2008 - 5:53pm
I think it is not seldom to hear Indonesian higher officials sleeping or sleepy during important meeting. However, this time they were too much, to be sleepy in front of the President. About quality of higher officials, attitude is actually supposed to be a part of intelligence, no intelligent higher official people want to look like stupids, to sleep in important meetings..right?? I don't know how they could become higher officials anyway!!
John Mulkey (not verified) — Wed, 04/09/2008 - 1:36pm
I read with great interest your front page story today entitled “Sleeping forum participant outrages President”. Good for you, Mr. President!
However, I feel the author of this story may have mistranslated the President’s statement. Desy Nurhayati wrote that the President said, “you should be ashamed of the people who have elected you their leader.” I am sure that was not what the President intended to say. The sleeper should not be ashamed of those who elected him/her, but the other way around. The people who elected this person should be ashamed of this person who has been elected to represent them.
John Mulkey
Salatiga