Asia-Pacific

Indonesia asked to return to its genuine way of life

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-01-12 18:57

JAKARTA: Leaders and senior officials in Indonesia were urged to return in abiding Pancasila instead of practicing the pragmatic liberalism values in carrying out their tasks, experts said here on Tuesday.

Speaking in a seminar entitled "Indonesia Next, New Hope" discussing the government's political moves exercised at the moment, experts said that the current democracy and western-style liberalism was not fit for the country.

"They have to return to basic, to the country's way of life Pancasila that has been drafted by our founding fathers, adopted from life values of all tribes living in Indonesia," Maulida Hatta, an analyst said in the seminar.

"Voting mechanism, that doesn't reflect the public's want, is commonly applied in taking decisions in political level," Maulida cited a practice that commonly used in western world and applied in Indonesia.

She said that it was far from the country's Pancasila value that upholds discussions among people to determine the approved decision for the sake of the people.

Echoing Maulida's opinion, Budiman Sudjatmiko, a former activist who now turns to a lawmaker, said that Indonesia's future leader must be able to bring the country in breaking through an era which he regarded 'New Frontier' amid the rampant free trade pacts and rapid technology development.

"By abiding to the Pancasila and taking local wisdom to help them carrying out their tasks, their decision would fit with what the country's really need," Budiman said.

The Pancasila value was founded by Indonesian first president, Soekarno, adopted from the original values adhered by various tribe living in Indonesia. It has been declared as the only way of life for Indonesian people since the country's independence in 1945.