Recent polling by Indo Barometer suggests people still regard Pak Harto as the best leader Indonesia ever had. The survey implies most people, myself included, that Pak Harto outperforms Habibie, Gus Dur, Megawati and SBY. New Orders led by Pak Harto did deliver undeniable results.
In the wake of Pak Harto’s fall, people thought democracy is panacea, but after 13 years, some begin to cast doubt that it doesn’t work here, at least not as expected. It turns out to be reform era wastes time and goes by frenetically without certain destination and significant achievements.
What’s saddening is that the best of Pak Harto’s legacy – stability, religious tolerance, striving industries, clear national destination, high economic growth – disappears, while the worst – corruption, collusion – remains.
I do agree with the survey result. Pak Harto deserves better acknowledgement. He had done a lot for this country.
In 1965, had Indonesia’s Communist Party grasped the power successfully, Indonesia would have been disgusting North Korea-like country which always led by mad man. Thanks to Pak Harto who led Indonesia took a different path and saved us from the communist calamity.
Some milestones should be noted too. In the late 1960s, Pak Harto backed by Berkeley-trained economists could control hyper-inflation, a legacy of Bung Karno’s administration. In 1980s, Indonesia transformed itself from rice importer to self-sufficiency. In early 1990s Indonesia became industrial country where industry excelled agriculture contribution in GDP. Population is under controlled by aggressive family planning program. Economic growth was high and invariably higher than reform era. Strategic industries were established and in fact since then Indonesia was ready for knowledge-based economy. Security officers did their job well, so relatively Indonesians live in peace.
In short, there are many things make us proud as Indonesians.
Now, all is water under the bridge. Certainly, Indonesia cannot go back to the past. However, if democracy doesn’t work, this western-style system must be improved. Democracy is not sacred, so it subject to change.
Not all policy from the past is bad and out of date. Given its past success, New Order has left must-learned legacy. Indonesia must not throw out the baby with the bath water. Some New Order’s characteristics should be considered for current implementation.
First, economy must be put before politics, as the horse before the cart. Economy is the engine, while politics is the burden. It seems reform era repeats the some mistakes of Old Order which politics overwhelmed economy and finally caused economic debacle. Because of this, after 13 years of reform era, nothing remarkably achieved in terms of prosperity.
Second, revive the real presidential system. Bizarrely, Indonesians created new system which president elected must coalesce to gain enough power in parliament. As a consequence, a president must also share portfolios to other parties whether they are in line with a president’s policy or not.
This must change. The president should have adequate power to implement policy what he has planned and promised during campaign. The ministry must be led by able persons and not by know-nothing dud politicians.
Finally, Indonesia is a developing country which mainly needs continuity of development and strong government. Democratic system doesn’t suit this requirement. Fortunately, people begin to realize that our system goes wrong by remembering Pak Harto-style government. It is the first step to make headway.
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well it seems so deciles! I think the poll participants doesn’t have enough knowledge about “what does SOEHARTO did to this country”, for any references please watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zEKCgE_cCk
power tends to corrupt, absolute power corrupts absolutely. there are few reasons to justify Soeharto is better than current government, however there are thousand reasons that Soeharto is the worst dictator in the world and new order is the worst of all. I can’t understand how people actually glorify his period and ironically, he was like being deified.
Democracy works in a country where the citizens are educated & highly independent.
Afters decades of repressive-style government, we are just not ready for democracy yet.
there are several people who abuse their freedom, and eventually make others question whether we are ready for democracy or not, but it’s better to be free than being repressed. democracy is our future, there is no turning back unless we want to degenerate into north korea.
Erwin,
Firstly I have a similar post on this survey topic which I have written here, so I do not want to comment further on the survey results.
I would like to argue, however, that I disagree that the old authoritarian system is the right way to go for Indonesia’s current condition. I agree that we have to have strong presidential leadership, a solid government, but I believe that we do not need another dictator.
What we see lacking in SBY – a strong leader with a vision and the will to get things done – we then substitute it with our fond memories of ‘development’ with Soeharto. If we gave SBY 32 years, of course we would see ‘development’ too. But are we willing to give that to him? Because in the case of Soeharto, we did not have a choice and some people had to suffer through it.
In Indonesia’s current condition, we should be grateful that we do have a choice and it is up to the people to use it wisely.
On the point of communist party, was the killing of 500,000 people who are deemed as members of PKI necessary, without any due process or fair trial? Is it not called a massacre?
And I would like to note that Indonesia’s economic growth has so far grown good quantitatively, but during Soeharto and until now, the quality of our economic growth is not distributed equitably.
I have several writings on my own blog on democracy and the weakness of our political institutions, so it is redundant for me to put it up here. Some of them are:
Judicial Corruption in Indonesia: Authoritarianism & the Weakening of the Judiciary
Much Ado About Emails
An Enlightened Indonesian on the Singapore Elections
Dear Micheldewilde,
I am not teenager who know nothing about New Order. I live in both Pak Harto and his successors administration, so I can also compare them. I have told about what he had done to this country, but I also admit his downside.
To me, as Deng judged Mao, in Pak Harto era seven parts good, three parts bad. I can’t understand why people close their eye on Pak Harto’s achievement.
“I can’t understand why people close their eye on Pak Harto’s achievement.”
I didn’t close my eyes on 1998 when I was just started college. Then, due to the economic collapse, my father lose his job, and nobody can pay my college fee. Can you explain to me, then, was the economy crisis just happened by itself (and had nothing to do with how Soeharto had run this country with all those debts), or do we need to learn something from it?
Dear Pipi,
As I said before, the way Deng judged Mao, Pak Harto has 7 parts good and 3 parts bad.
Pak Harto himself might repent of leaving-office plan in 1992 as he told in his biography. If he did it he would be our national hero without any reservation. He also might repent why he couldn’t control his children’s business. Pak Harto did make several mistakes during tenure.
But he did do good for Indonesians.
In yaumul hisaab (day of reckoning) I expect that his goodness is heavier than his badness and he would be awarded heaven. I hope so.
At last, in terms of policy, take the best part of Pak Harto that proved success and leave the bad.
Dear Fika,
1) In we give SBY 32 years, then Indonesia will be the next Pakistan, or worse the next Afghanistan. Despite his military background, he can’t manage the hardliners – something that easily wiped off by Pak Harto.
2) As for Pak Harto killed communist without trial, why did Obama not give give fair trial to Osama instead of sending Navy Seals to kill him?
The best leader know what to do in precarious time. Sometimes actions must be done quickly and decisively. There no time to take action based on textbook. That’s why SBY looks indicisive and doubful.
3) What’s we need is the system that fit with the social condition. And when it fails to deliver achievement, we must find another including lessons learned from the past. To paraphrase Deng, we don’t care whether authoritarian system or democratic system as long as it gives us welfare. People eat rice, not democracy.
Hi Erwin,
I made a blog post to reply to yours: http://imo.thejakartapost.com/nrg07/2011/05/25/can-indonesia-afford-to-go-back-to-authoritarianism/
I disagree that we will become the next Afghanistan or Pakistan, I think your generalization might be too weak. We do have Islamic hardliners, but the majority of our population is still very tolerant and appreciative of the pluralism in Indonesia. SBY can’t “wipe them off” like what Soeharto did, because if we believe in law and order, we can’t simply kill them as it will create repercussions in the future.
In relation to that, you compare wiping off 500,000 Indonesian communists in which among them are innocent people, with the killing of one man, which is Osama Bin Laden who was the mastermind behind 9/11. Surely this is not fair comparison.
Yes, we don’t need a western-style democracy, but find something that works. Be pragmatic, as to what Deng Xiaoping implied. But it doesn’t mean that the Soeharto-style government is the way to go.
I’m not taking sides here… but how if “be pragmatic” calls for another dictator with 3 bads and seven goods or vice versa?
From my point of view, I think that Indonesian people DO need to be told this and that by their leaders. Just like a whatchamacallit psychological thing when one is loved and longed to be abused. As silly as it sounds I believe this is the truth.
And i do think that if there is a nation which is specifically made for authoritarian leader, dictator, centralist King wannabes, Indonesia is the place. The absence of such leader means: bloody conflicts, political bickering, bad public policy (Regional autonomy, anyone? more like corruption autonomy to me)
The only reason why democracy had never worked here (when people like Ruhut can be a DPR member, democracy clearly doesn’t work) is that we don’t fit for democracy in the first place: we love conflicts too much, unable to tolerate and accept differences, and too greedy (in terms of anything especially power and money). Hello, we don’t even understand the meaning of election! we do love the atmosphere though… to parade around the town…get drunk…dressed in party’s color…accepting money for that “efforts” etc.
Soekarno regarded himself as King as did Soeharto. And the people during their tenure were regarded them the same…as a King. So, maybe this clear out something?
If be pragmatic means to create an Indonesian Monarchy, middle-ages style. Are you still suggesting the same?
Wordworth,
Culture does matter. http://erwinwirawan.blogspot.com/2009/04/budaya-berpengaruh.html
Certain society driven by culture only suit to certain way of life, at least for some time. That’s why democrazy implementation in certain country such as Indonesia appears to be ridiculous.
For Asian countries, in developing stage, strong government seems the best option.
No doubt, Pak Harto give clear results in country development.
My friend comments after he see the political activist (which was being abducted, tortured, wiped in Soeharto era) who deny the development of Soeharto by saying, “The activist should ask themselves why, when they (the activist) is disappear, the people get welfare and peace, and when they are freed (in reform era), the people get poverty and chaos!”
dear Mr. Erwin
you have a very excellent argument about why we should care about New Order way of role a country, but I have some notes about your arguments.
indeed in New Order Era Indonesian people (most of) are in wealth condition (economically), but the economic it self run by unhealthy way, corruption is all over sectors, that’s why deep inside the administrative it self is not good enough. the worst part of new order that seems miss from your argument is how they threat others that do have a different political view with them. radically people died in Aceh, Tanjung Priok (1984), Papua, Lampung/Talang Sari (1996) and many others that I’m sure you are well inform about it. And there is no any legal actions on that cases! that’s why radicalism in Indonesia spread widely, they (the victims) were forgotten by the law. an authoritarian administrative as same as the democracy administrative is tend to do a violations against the Human Rights, but law is sterile in front of the authoritarian administrative, that’s the problems.
if you have problems with the hardliners, everyone does, the hardliners does also have problems. hardliners in Indonesia comes from a long historical issues, against them with what New Order used to do will have no effect at all, it only will makes them stronger.
Thanks
PS: oia, about 32 years in SBY hand, Indonesia will be just like Pakistan, I doubt that, if there is a bet, I put all my cash
(joking)
sorry if there is any miss term.
Eradicate anyone who will endanger country dignity, security I called it a patriot. You may called Pak Harto a dicactor just as crazy as Hitler, Stalin, Castro,Gadafi, But at least they stand for something, they do things according to their idealism for their own country… When they stand for something they don’t fall on everything just like nowdays, falls on Everythings…
“But at least they stand for something, they do things according to their idealism for their own country… ”
–> the only thing Soeharto stood for was the welfare of his own family and friends, any idea why during his era all PNS (pegawai negeri sipil) must choose Golkar during the election??
just like what i’ve said, you can call him dictactor… i will still call him a Patriot..
im not denying there is bad part of Pak Harto, just like Mas Erwin said too ” the way Deng judged Mao, Pak Harto has 7 parts good and 3 parts bad. ”
He still did something good for this country, principle, brave, have vision,and expert in strategy.
Principle…??
Come on!!
Eradicate anyone who will endanger country dignity, security I called it a patriot. You may called Pak Harto a dicactor just as crazy as Hitler, Stalin, Castro,Gadafi, But at least they stand for something, they do things according to their idealism for their own country… When they stand for something they don’t fall on everything just like nowdays… falls on Everythings…
Actually, when I think of the late Soeharto, I always see a reason behind the terrible behavior of our government. It is one legacy which has become a culture among the government institution, that even our current President SBY can’t overcome.
We may have few Presidents leading the country after Soeharto, but all of them are not solely serving the needs of Indonesian people. They are representing their own political party, hence they are prioritizing on the welfare of the party, and this is what I think needs to change.
So regarding your title I personally think it should be changed to “Thanks to Pak Harto, Indonesia is still going nowhere…”
if “can’t overcome” then dont be a president,,
i know it’s easier said than done..
but seriously? we have no direction nowdays, and we are going nowhere.. no big plan.. bad system… and democracy is not sacred, im agree with Mas Erwin. our people is not ready with democracy… to much liberty? each person will feel more important than the other.
It should be controlled with many “ways” good ways,bad ways.. for this Country dignity…
so you’re big fan of our President heh? haha.. just kidding, be cool man.. you’re too serious on this article…
so i believe that this article of yours is a paean to that former butcher, no? as your title itself suggests and i also reckon that you are one of those people who like to reminisce the good old halcyon days of the dark ages of the orba style.
maybe you are just too oblivious by the fact that it was suharto himself who had caused prices of the nine basic things to sky-rocket like today. do you still remember that it was suharto’s order itself to not subsidize those nine basic things any more as part of the deal with IMF. did you forget already that stanley fischer crossed his both hands while watching the bent suharto was signing the agreement?
did you forget already that these calamities which we have been enduring for the last 13 years were actually caused by the reckless way of running the government by the orba regime itself?
banks giving credit recklessly among the groups of companies themselves and superfluous investment on houses and apartments without paying attention to the most fundamental law of economics itself – supply and demand.
did you forget already that we used to have a civil war going on up there in aceh province and the incident in tanjung priok and the raid to the pdi headquarter?
the orba regime was able to become self-sufficient in feeding its own people only in 1984 and we became rice importer again afterwards. and yes it was true that we used to be called one of the asian tigers due to our industrialization but it was only a bubble for it was purely based on import – we were not really producing things. had we had a strong fundamental economy, we would not have been collapsed by the storm of monetary crisis in the first place, no? and now that tiger is toothless, osteoporosis, impotent and suffering from back pain.
the tiger now can only reminisce those good old halcyon days and it only has itself to blame. and as for you, it is clear that you do not know what you are talking about here for there is no such thing called good government or regime in this absurd country.