“I think life in heaven is very close to what I am having now,” a highly respected religious activist joked while enjoying his food and drinks in a La-z-Boy chair in the house of an old friend. Other guests were very willing to ensure a free flow of food to the man who belonged to a group of religious leaders who recently annoyed President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono after branding him and his government as liars.
Taking the role of one of the President’s confidantes, I gave him a lesson. “You preachers, also very often, have told us big lies. You never practiced what you urged people to follow on behalf of God.” If he is so reluctant to rise from his chair, how come he has no empathy for those who do anything possible to keep their own lucrative seats intact?
“Yes, perhaps you are right,” he responded softly, apparently because his stomach was too full.
Indonesians get very angry when they are described as liars or not religious enough, although many of us are professional liars (I belong to this category) in our daily life. Are you a liar too? Please, breathe deeply before giving your answer.
On this occasion, I would like to submit my very brilliant idea. I think God will completely agree with my glorious idea: The state should scrap the obsolete regulation that requires government officials to take an oath before enjoying their privileges as the servants of the public.
With a holy book on their head or hand, and holy men at their side, all state officials must swear, “... directly or indirectly, at any situation or pretext, will not give or promise to give anything to anyone… that I will not receive any kinds of gifts or presents… I will work honestly, orderly and energetically for the state interests.”
But the oath is just a formality for most of the oath takers. So let us just scrap the unnecessary ritual. We should not betray God in such a cheap way.
Anyway, why should we get mad when we are called liars? Religious figures also should be responsible for making government officials liars. With holy books in their hands, they accompany government officials when they take an oath before taking office. They swear they will not steal the people’s money and abuse their power at the cost of the citizens. Of course, the clergymen also receive some stipends, the amount of which depends on the level of the officials’ jobs.
The clerics, priests or monks who witness the swearing-in ceremonies on God’s behalf should monitor the officials to ensure they fulfill their oath. When government officials donate money for the construction of places of worship or religious programs, they must make sure the source of money is 100 percent halal.
Back to the preachers’ reprimand of the President for telling old and new lies to the people. The old lies include statistics on poverty, food security and energy, access to basic information, human rights protection, settlement of the Lapindo mudflow disaster and education budgets. New lies are related to religious freedom, government transparency, corruption eradication, handling of the judicial mafia case and protection of migrant workers.
The President was angry because he thought he had been completely honest in carrying out his duties. Yudhoyono was also very confident he never lied to the people on his promise to punish those responsible for the fatal poisoning of human rights activist Munir in 2004. Until now he still hasn’t had the bravery to bring to court the perpetrators, although the evidence is crystal clear. But it is not a lie; Yudhoyono just does not have enough courage. We should feel pity for him.
The preachers are totally wrong in their assessment. The President is innocent. The President has worked very hard to fight corruption. He never had any intention to lie to the nation when he insisted that corruption had been miraculously eradicated. His speeches are written by his aides and he completely trusts them, without reservations.
Why do people complain that the President has achieved little since his re-election in 2009? We should blame the corrupt people who do not fear the President. The preachers should tell the attorney general, the National Police chief and judges that they have the divine authority to send them to hell if they do not carry out the President’s anticorruption programs.
Let me remind you of the Presidential Oath: “I swear by God to fulfill these duties as President of the Republic of Indonesia to the best of my capabilities and in the fairest way possible, to uphold the Constitution by all means and to enforce all laws and regulations...” Did he break his promise to God?
