This refers to “SBY says Indonesia needs more entrepreneurs,” (The Jakarta Post, Feb. 2).
What Indonesia needs, Mr. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is for you
to start doing your job and stand up against corruption as you promised
the people you would.
Right now the number-one industry and the one business where most
entrepreneurs head to make money is Indo-Corruption Incorporated. And
why? Because you and your corrupt, governing-elite friends have led them
by example in that direction.
Your people have shown just how easy it is to not do any work, to not
invest any money in the country, to not have any innovative ideas, to
just worm your way into a position where officials can lie and cheat and
steal.
Its fool-proof; even the law is sorted out so that those who are caught
get only the lightest sentences, serve their time in luxury
surroundings, get day-releases for social events and holidays, and are
released as soon as possible to get back on with stealing the people’s
money.
The governing elite have taught new generations of young people how to
have no morals, no social conscience — or any other kind of conscience
for that matter — and to be the worst kind of hypocrite. So to prattle
on about entrepreneurship is just a load of the usual hot air.
Lest we forget, corruption, being the number one industry in Indonesia,
is the one that actually robs the people of employment and prevents them
from making money.
It also makes opening businesses, being entrepreneurial, almost
impossible without joining the ranks of the corrupt and playing their
game. As for jobs, well, if, Mr. President, your officials were not
stealing the country’s wealth, it could be used to develop Indonesia’s
sagging infrastructure, thus creating millions of jobs and opportunities
for business, and paying people a salary that they could actually live
on.
Didi
Bandung
