Ref: Mengherankan? http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/opinion/culture-of-ignorance-haunts-indonesias-political-scene/552683
Culture of Ignorance Haunts Indonesia’s Political Scene Pitan Daslani | October 28, 2012 Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam recently came under fire for working on a measure to prevent acts of corruption by lawmakers. (JG Photo/Afriadi Hikmal) A man is rushed to an intensive care unit after displaying symptoms of vital organ failure. Paramedics apply the normal procedures and put him under high priority surveillance. A team of doctors performs thorough examinations and decides that he must undergo several rounds of surgery. The internist says smoking has destroyed much of his lungs, so quitting the habit alone won’t be enough — major surgery is required to save him. The kidney specialist says over-indulgence in liquor has destroyed the patient’s kidneys, so stopping the consumption of alcohol alone won’t save him — surgery is needed. The liver specialist says he must remove the patient’s rotten liver to stop it from poisoning the blood. A transplant is the only solution. To their surprise, the patient suddenly opens his eyes and furiously shouts at them: “Who are you to pass such harsh judgements on me? Right or wrong this is my body. You have offended me by making such blatant remarks. You must apologize, because such criticisms are against my human rights.” This hopeless patient is the personification of Indonesia’s political society as groomed by its leaders. Here’s an ailing society that refuses to be healed. Some of the most respected political leaders are also the biggest troublemakers. In facing problems, their response is not to solve it but to attack it or take advantage of it. No matter how good your advice, they won’t listen. We are living in an age of ignorance, despite our claims of a high level of education and increasing international profile. Green with envy Ignorance is an attitude, not just low intellectual capacity. It is the attitude of not wanting to be told, let alone to be advised. Ignorance has eyes and mouth but no ears or heart. Ignorance is a common symptom of a “low-trust society,” one in which everyone suspects everyone else. Such is Indonesia’s current situation — where even though you have good intentions, you will be suspected as an evil-hearted person. Rector of Paramadina University Anies Baswedan defined this precisely when he said during a recent interview with the Jakarta Globe that “society has reached a stage where even though [you] come with good intentions, people will look at you with prejudice.” Why has this happened? Baswedan said that “it is because in society there is a tragic scarcity of good role models.” The state of mind of Indonesian society is formed by an accumulation of bad examples and precedents presented by the political elite. Corruption is but one aspect of our current state of societal degradation, and there is too much to cover on this topic. But that is not all that ruins society. Envy is also damaging. People who excel in any field immediately become everybody’s enemies. Most Indonesians can’t stand to see their fellow citizen succeed. Once you become successful in academia, business or any other venture, realize that your success becomes the envy of the people around you. Your success can be the reason for your fall. Many public figures have fallen from grace not because of their failures but because their success stories created enemies. This is why you need to be nice to people on your way up, because you may need them on your way down. I recall a simple remark told to me by the founder of Kompas daily. Jacob Oetama was relaxing in the VIP room at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on his way to Australia many years ago when I approached him seeking advice. Here’s what he said: “Ours is just an ordinary society, so be ordinary — not too extraordinary — and you’ll have many friends.” Unfair disadvantage Evil-heartedness is the result of a value system that advocates an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. There is no forgiveness, only vengeance. In Betawi there is an expression, “Ente jual, ane beli” (“You sell it, I buy it”). “If you pinch me, I will punch you. If you go up higher than me, I will pull you down.” In a society where forgiveness is not recognized, stigmatizing prevails. Though he has repented, a convict is forever labeled as a criminal by people who are just as sinful. And no matter how great your contribution, if you even stumble once, that is what counts. People are quick to remember mistakes and slow to recognize any positive thing you do. The impact on politics A lack of fairness and objectivity is normal because of the belief system that nobody should shine brighter than anyone else. In the process it corrupts our political culture to the point that politics is defined not as a means to better the lives of people, but as a series of transactions to satisfy selfish interests. Around these parameters gather the politicians, claiming to speak for the people but benefiting from the process. Bureaucrats and law enforcers alike are more eager to become famous than carry out their respective duties. Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam came under fire for revealing that Golkar had the largest number of corrupt executive regional leaders. The data was not wrong, his announcement was. Revealing the truth is not allowed in public, and yet we claim to be champions of transparency and democracy. Dipo again attracted public attention when he announced that State Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan asked him in a text message to draw up measures for severing lawmakers’ contact with the leadership of SOEs in order to prevent bribery. Dipo immediately issued a circular to that effect, touching off fury in the House of Representatives. House Speaker Marzuki Alie angrily responded to Dipo’s action by saying he was “greatly offended” by Dahlan’s move because it indirectly suggested that members of the House are bribe-seekers. Dahlan’s intention was not to offend the legislature but to help Marzuki clean it up. But because the text to Dipo was made public, it suddenly became a mistake, forcing Dipo to deny Dahlan’s actual purpose. Perhaps in Marzuki’s lexicon an “outsider” such as Dahlan should not tell the legislature what has gone wrong. Only Marzuki can do that — and he did. Last year Marzuki attacked his own institution during an appearance on Metro TV’s “Managing The Nation” talk show. He said “seventy percent of the legislators are the source of problems” rather than problem solvers, because “all they did was to look for a stage, comment on anything, and those who don’t have a stage would drop off and immediately disappear.” He was referring to the behavior of corrupt lawmakers. The House is one of the institutions that has the lowest level of trust from society. But mind you, it is wrong to say so openly. The patient does not wish to be healed, instead he wants to yell at the doctors. Likewise, Dipo should stop being a doctor. The patients look at him with suspicion. The trouble with this country is that nobody is worthy enough to give advice. But so long as ignorance prevails, even the best advisers will be rejected by a political society that hates hearing the correct answer. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
