Letter: ‘Unintentional’ misuse of state funds?

I may be forgiven for not believing what my eyes have seen. Did President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono really say that the poor grasp of government employees on how bureaucracy works by has resulted in the “unintentional” misuse of state funds?

Did he also state that: “There are many state officials, both at the central and regional levels, who still have no knowledge or understanding that some of their actions are actually wrong”?

These government employees and state officials are not in kindergarten. No wonder this country is in such a terrible mess. Yudhoyono’s statements may very well be interpreted as follows: An immense number of the government employees and state officials who are now in office have apparently never had a thorough education regarding morality and integrity.

Neither did they receive thorough tutoring about what “bureaucracy” actually means. It is also obvious that these government employees and state officials who proudly state that they embrace a religion act in blatant contradiction with the tenets of the religion they claim to believe in.

Yudhoyono’s truly amazing statement may also be construed as follows: Indonesian people, please forgive these corrupt government employees and state officials, for they know not what they do. One may be forgiven for thinking that he might actually be in league with these culprits — God forbid!

Indeed then, Yudhoyono is the most ineffective and dissolute president we have ever had, and this country is facing ruin because of him and his ilk.

Having read Adnan Buyung Nasution’s excellent book Advice for SBY, I heartily recommend it to everybody. We really need somebody like this courageous and very intelligent lawyer for president. He has character!

Tami Koestomo
Bogor, West Java