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Text your say: Blaming Boediono and Sri Mulyani

Bankers’ views: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (center) examines documents handed over by chairman of the National Banking Association, Sigit Pramono at the Merdeka Palace on Feb

The Jakarta Post
Wed, March 3, 2010

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Text your say: Blaming Boediono and Sri Mulyani

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span class="inline inline-left">Bankers’ views: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (center) examines documents handed over by chairman of the National Banking Association, Sigit Pramono at the Merdeka Palace on Feb. 2, while Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati looks on. The President met bankers the day before the House’s plenary session to hear the report of the Bank Century bailout inquiry committee. Courtesy of the presidential office/Abror Rizki


People in the House of Representatives have gone so far as to say Sri Mulyani and Boediono committed a crime in the Century bailout. What exactly was this “crime”? OK, there seems to have been a long string of crimes committed relating to Bank Century starting long before Boediono was even in charge of Bank Indonesia.
But what did Sri Mulyani or Boediono do that was illegal? A crime and a less-than-best-from-a-hindsight-perspective decision are two different things. The latter should not be punished.
Besides, wasn’t their alleged motive for allegedly forcing through the unwise bailout said to be to help certain funds go to financing the President’s campaign?
Yet all admit that this motive has not been proved. So what on earth was their motive? Once again more importantly, what on earth was their crime?
Olivia
Indonesia

Those politicians are trying to unseat Boediono and Sri Mulyani from their positions. But it will never happen. People are used to their tricks and bored by them.
Rahayu Marlina
Jakarta

Are the party representatives making a sensation?
Sutaya
Jakarta

Sri Mulyani and Boediono are a two shining beacons of reform in Indonesia. Their decision to save Bank Century was done purely on professional considerations of potential systemic risk and was based on the limited information available to them at that point of time. 
As indications, both Sri Mulyani and Boediono did not benefit personally from the bailout and it was primarily on account of their sound and timely decision, that the Indonesian economy was able to withstand the challenge of the global slowdown so well that it’s currently rated amongst the best three performing economies in the world alongside India and China on GDP growth. 
For political parties and vested interests to now blame them for acting quickly and decisively in a situation which was unprecedented in world history since the depression of 1930s is really deplorable.
Parties like Golkar and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) at that time wholeheartedly approved of the bailout decision, but are now planning to crucify high-integrity individuals like Sri Mulyani and Boediono purely out of narrow self-serving interests.
Amazingly, even before the parliamentary committee had started deliberations, the agenda and outcome of the committee was already being finalized by the Golkar and PKS bigwigs, which clearly shows the inquiry was a sham and the whole exercise was done in order to wring political concessions from SBY’s administration.
It is really imperative for SBY to stand up for his trusted reform icons and convey in unambiguous terms to his coalition partners that their nefarious designs of removing these stalwarts from his administration will be defeated.
If SBY fails to be decisive now in protecting his colleagues, Indonesia’s economic progress will definitely be arrested, corruption will continue to thrive and Indonesia will never be able to occupy its rightful place in the international community of nations.
Sumit Puri
Jakarta

I don’t know much of Boediono but Sri Mulyani. I used to salute her when she gave her views on economic issues on TV.  
I thought she was the only eligible figure to become the finance minister. But I was wrong. She may be good at speaking but she is not good at realizing her ideas. It seems that talking is much easier than doing.
Mathilda Silalahi
Bekasi, West Java

As a staunch supporter of SBY who voted twice for him to become President of the Republic of Indonesia, I am now extremely disappointed with his hands-off attitude in state matters, such as in the Bank Century bailout decision.  
Image building in the international community is of course important, but such an image will disappear if it is not backed by a solid national credibility. It is my wish that our President should not become a NATO (no action/authority, talk only) president, but a president who is in command.  
Soebagjo Soetadji
Jakarta
 
This is a sad moment in Indonesian history. Foreigners see many Indonesians practicing a “crabs-in-a-bucket” culture.
You cannot accept somebody bigger and better, so in order that you can feel big, the other person must be made smaller. You don’t have to tie up crabs in a bucket to see that automatically any crab climbing out of the bucket will be pulled back. Boediono and Sri Mulyani have achieved so much for the country. But what do they get?
Mela
Jakarta

My fellow countrymen, let’s not punish Boediono and Sri Mulyani Indrawati for sacrificing themselves for our sake. Their caliber and dedication are admirable.
Moeljono Adikoesoemo
Jakarta

We should thank to Boediono and Sri Mulyani for their decision to save our economy.
Ibnu
Semarang

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