Issues: Letter: Can Indonesia change?

Mon, 11/30/2009 2:18 PM  |  Readers Forum

I first came to Indonesia some 30 plus years ago as a young man and lived here for several years. Although a foreigner, I have strong personal ties to Indonesia, and I believe because of this I have a right to comment on the state of affairs within this country. I returned to the UK and lived there for around 20 years, but about three years ago I returned to Indonesia. I had always planned to return. When I lived here all those years ago, the people were so kind, warm, and generous, and whilst I was away, I was always longing to return and experience again that feeling of belonging. Oh, how things change!

My exposure to Indonesia over the past three years is limited to mostly Bandung and Jakarta and my comments are based on these environments, plus what I have read and seen on TV. I have learned the hard way that one has to be a cynic to survive. I have been cheated, lied to, extorted and badly treated generally on so many occasions, and so regularly that it is now impossible to recall all of the experiences.

The current fiasco involving the Corruption Eradication Commissions (KPK), the National Police, the AGO and the many other players, goes way beyond cheating and lying, even beyond corruption. One gets a sense that there is a free-for-all frenzy, that there are no rules, there is no conscience, and no limits to what crime or sin can be committed to reach an end goal. (By Peter Ramsey, Jakarta)

Your comments:
Interesting letter; but it's all complaints and short on solutions.

How are the things and events occurring in Indonesia that Ramsey writes about, worse than the pork-barreling in the US Senate, the constant revising of laws to suit the sitting Prime Minister in Italy (and his commercial interests), the new dawn of Czarism in Russia (and their martial suppression of investigative journalism), or the fact that Aboriginals in Australia are widely recognized to be the most marginalized native people in the world?

I first came to Indonesia from the Netherlands 20 years ago, and can say that there are many things wrong here - but there are also many things right, and more importantly, many things getting progressively better.

Hans Lukiman
Jakarta

I think you do not get the picture. The real problem here in Indonesia is, can a good Muslim watch this 2012 movie or not? Do you not understand this? So stop talking about these minor problems like corruption and honesty.

Horst
Vienna

The answer is probably "no" if we talk about the whole part of Indonesia (in which "Java" and the Javanese feudal mentality are taken into account). Other parts of Indonesia have to be more independent in making decisions that directly benefit the locals.

Do you ever wonder why many Westerners often say that Indonesian people outside of places like Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Medan and Bali are so much nicer?

Because Indonesians who do not live in those dreadful places are still less contaminated by poison such as Javanese feudal mentality (which is very much influenced by Indian culture), religious extremism and capitalism. I doubt that I will see changes in places like Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya or Bali as long as I live.

The intelligent people in those places are significantly outnumbered by those who are less intelligent. These places are so corrupt that it mostly attracts those who are unscrupulous. Intelligent Indonesians can't stand living in places like Jakarta or Surabaya, thus they will not think twice to move out if they have a chance.

D Krist
Paris

A friend says that Indonesia is a democratic country these days and in that spirit allows (even encourages) everyone to indulge in the lucrative game unlike its neighbors where corruption and bribery are almost always confined to the elite, the rich and powerful. Unfortunately unbridled "freedom" would only throw the country into chaos as has happened in The Philippines and wider participation in corruption would sink Indonesia lower.

Sometimes I wonder if the thinkers, the legislators and the officials have completely lost their way in their daily preoccupation with retaining their power and influence over the state.

There is hypocrisy all round including in some of the comments I read. People decry corrupt and depraved officials only when they couldn't get what they want, even after employing the very methods they deride.

Majeed
Kuala Lumpur

Spot on Peter. Perhaps you should also shed some light to the change that you saw in UK when you came back after 30 years. I guess it will be quite similar to the one that you very so clearly depicted for the present Indonesia.

I agree with the comment above; it is a global issue. Perhaps we should look at ultra-capitalism and the decay of socialism as the catalyst of change we see today.

Hafiiz Zainal
Malaysia

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