Cold hard cash: Volunteers count thousands of coins collected by the Coins for Prita movement at a food court in Kramat Pela, South Jakarta on Monday. The money will be donated to housewife Prita Mulyasari to help her pay a court fine of Rp 204 million (US$21,400) to Omni International Hospital in Tangerang. JP/J. Adiguna
Don’t give up our big dream
The year 2010 is approaching in a couple of days. For Indonesia; the year will carry many expectations from various elements in societies.
I am afraid that the year will continue with Indonesia political theater instead of aspiring to the nation’s hopes.
The economic, education and environment concerns will be glossed over and no advancement will occur.
In fact, millions of Indonesians are powerless to fight for their rights. However as this story continues, Indonesia has been asked to play a great role internationally.
The 2009 optimistic economic indicator and the country’s significant contribution to leverage the equality of rights between deve-loped and developing nations, will be claimed by the government as its success, eventhough it ignores the nation’s major issues.
Additionally, 2010 is predicted not to uncover issues from 2009, for example, the Bank Century’s scandal, which won’t find the facts. At law reform, the resistance to change from elites’ political will be strongly faced because they worry if their disgraces could be publicly disclosed.
Climate change although covered widely at 2009’s end, will probably be discussed for two to three years for Indonesia before the issue is discussed seriously by parliament, government, business communities and other parties.
By then, 2010 will be a year without implementing any real action plan. I wish my letter could be more optimistic. Yet in my heart, I believe this nation can achieve big things if we are dignified.
Noval
Melbourne, Australia
Lesson from Prita’s case
Nowadays, a great number of people deliberately choose to live in their own self-created steel cages, and call themselves happy. They refuse to acknowledge their own feelings, much less analyze them, because they are terribly afraid of appearing vulnerable and getting hurt.
For that reason, they will not be able to recognize or experience true love. This group of people will easily leave others in the lurch, and will desert these unfortunate former friends without the slightest feeling of regret, if they have ceased to be of use to them.
And, because this particular group of people chooses to remain in hiding, they are also unable to take responsibility for things that have happened in their lives. They readily blame others, and tell themselves that they are not guilty. But sooner or later, they themselves start to believe these lies, because their egos keep on telling them that they are not to blame, as they didn’t have any other choice. And herein lays their own destruction.
For an egoist is indeed blind to the power of love and healing, as well as the a renewed connection with the Creator can only come if this person is willing to bravely face his fears and smash apart his self-created armor.
Even though our country is facing a very challenging and difficult future, I still believe we can make it, though at no small cost.
Prita Mulyasari’s strong unshaken trust that the Creator would provide for her and present her with a favorable solution in the face of adversity, and the true miracle that unfolded for her afterward, is certainly a most powerful and wonderful example for us all. Especially for those cynics whose hearts have apparently been so hardened in their pursuit of wealth and power that they have failed to recognize God’s own message appearing there, for all the world to see.
Let us, humans all over the world, continue to lovingly help each other in the most selfless ways we are capable of! For that is obviously the way. God Himself has shown us.
Tami Koestomo
Bogor, West Java
We need education summit
Education in this country is such a mess. What shall we make out of a huge population of young people of working and productive age that is mostly untrained and uncompetitive?
It often worries me to imagine them growing up in a hostile global world without due preparation to compete with their peers in other parts of the world, still less to contribute something significant to improve the quality of life.
It is not enough that we recently held a national summit on our economic prospects; what is badly needed seems to be a national summit on education. This summit should include all people involved and interested in education, formal and informal, general education and vocational education; good philosophers of education are indispensable in this regard.
Should bureaucrats be included in this summit, it has to be based on the notion that education pertains to politics, yes, but politics in the right sense of the term, that is, a corporate and synergistic action to build a true nation of strong character.
The assigned task would be: what is education all about? How can education be the ultimate expression of the nation’s responsibility for its future, not just one sector of the state’s enterprise? It is true, the state is one of the most responsible actors in managing education, but education is about nation-building, not about the state.
The state should abandon its tendency to dominate and interfere in education; there must be enough room for academic freedom and the dynamics of civil society. Personally, I am not in favor of pinning down educational goals in religious terms; not that there is something wrong with religion, but in this highly diverse country we would better off focusing our efforts on factors that unite us as a nation.
Putranto
Yogyakarta
Although President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has established a large coalition in his Cabinet, he still faces great pressure, not from legislators, but from the public, particularly if their voices are not heard.
For the poverty eradication program, the government needs to facilitate people becoming economically independent.
For climate and the environment, the government should hold the balance between the exploitation of natural resources and the fate of future generations. The government should listen to the voice of the environmentalist groups and not just listen to the voice of corporate bidders.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) should be supported by all segments in society to significantly reduce corruption in this country.
The people’s movement to collect coins for Prita Mulyasari, who was required by a hospital to pay Rp 205 million in damages (US$21,600), shows the public’s anger against injustice.
Yogi Suwasono
Jakarta
I believe that the Indonesian economy will grow in 2010. The current political disputes can be solved. The main priority still to be addressed should be the war on corruption because the rate of corruption is not going down. Therefore, the death sentence for corruptors should be considered.
Capah
Jakarta
I think the economy will grow slower next year, or even decrease, while the political situation will remain unchanged, as the opposition parties will still try to weaken President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s government. But I believe that SBY, with help from the KPK, will show their seriousness in fighting corruption. SBY is still able to control the situation.
D.M. Munawar
Depok, West Java
A couple of days ago a consortium of Shell and Malaysia’s Petronas won the rights to develop the huge Majnoon oil field in Iraq against stiff competition from Total and CNPC. The service contract is for 20 years and they undertook to raise production to 1.8 million barrels per day from the present meager 46000 bpd.
Petronas was also awarded rights over a second field, the Hilfaya, together with Total and the Chinese CNPC.
The question arises if Pertamina, which is twice the size of Petronas, ever participated in the auction in Iraq. There is very little information on Pertamina’s oversea ventures, while Petronas is very active internationally, not only to expand its business but to secure energy supplies for Malaysia in the future.
What are the prospects for Pertamina in the coming year, as existing oil wells begin to run dry while domestic demand continues to climb.
Petronas was formed in the early ‘70s with not a little help and advice from Pertamina’s Ibnu Sutowo and Saudi Arabia’s oil minister Sheikh Yamani.
Abdil Majid Mohamed
Kuala Lumpur
