A Fata Morgana (continuation)

Monday 01082011

Today is the first day of fasting month for all my Muslim colleagues. I sent a message of wishing a successful fasting worship to them this morning. I clearly understand how the fasting practice means to the growing of their faith and even to develop their personal religious character for life. How lucky is our country for having religious citizens, not just for Muslim, but also for other religion.

When I was working as a cost free expert at International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna I met so many people from all over the world with their own expertise and experiences. I really admire their attitude on taking care of their technical capability as world class expert. I did not know whether they develop such behavior because of their religion motivation or their own desired, but it works in producing something useful professionally. One of my Indonesian friends (Dr. Subki) who works as nuclear professional who sit only next door to me often mentioned that as religious people we have an extra motivation to do our work in where we work as worshiping to God.
However, in reality many of us are still not able to optimally use our talent and capability. It might be because of lacking of serious intention on national common goal among stakeholders such political parties, legislative, executive and judicative organization. They tend to focus on preserving their power position not on representing their voters. They do not even hesitate to sacrifice the public that they represented. Their focus is on achieving their own personal goal. There were so many corruptions, tax abusing, justice abusing and governmental misconduct. I do not say that we are hopeless but at least we are aware on what just happen in our country that makes us be difficult in developing national welfare. We still have hundreds millions citizen that still have good capability to develop the nation even though they are still hidden. How to raise these hidden potential is really a serious homework for those who want to see our nation resplendent?

First of all, be focus on national welfare instead of power struggling. There must be volunteers that take action on leading these activities such as Engineers, Scientist and Non Governmental Organization in various fields. They have to voice loudly with their prediction and estimation on energy, food starving, clean water, environment, national defend, infrastructure development and etc. Currently, only politician and sometimes a radical group dominates mass media discussions and raises the topics around corruptions, governmental misconduct, and radical group domination over minority. They both are really contradictive.

Secondly, be united with an eagerness to solve real nation problem. It could be started from government institution that performs research and development and strategic planning in various fields including in using nuclear technology for public welfare. What they produce should be able to solve the nation problem. Some R&D produced somethings just for R&D sake forgetting the implementation of their results in the market demand.

Thirdly, let the education should become a mandatory requirement for a citizenship of Indonesian people. There is no reason to let higher education school become luxury things that allow only medium to up level people be able to afford it. This unfair condition could force low economics level citizen live without enough hopes. It might trigger various radical movements. Government should take a responsibility to educate people and control using higher education as commercial goods by private foundation.

A lot of other activities can be added to achieve a public welfare but I want to stop in these three aspects only as my contribution to answer the question “will the public welfare be a Fata Morgana in Indonesia?” The answer is no, we can make it realistic. It is not a dream but strategic planning. I wish you all a successful fasting worship.