Soeharto’s family and colleague.

I don’t understand, why his children becoming so rich. – Lee Kuan Yew

Everybody knows that Soeharto’s children enter the business with unfair way. That’s way most of Indonesian economist believe that distrust public over Soeharto is mostly causes by unfair business that ran by his own children.

Soeharto as leader has shown a significant growth in economic, but his incapability to control his family and colleague to takes advantage from his power to develop their businesses is ruin his image as a successful leader, especially in south East Asia.

Soeharto family and colleague is also plays apart in government, like his daughter that becoming minister of social welfare, and some other name that fill strategic position in government. The government than fill by un capability person, impact on policies that they make is un effective to save the country from global economic crisis that spread to all South East Asia at that time, any way corruption is already in every sector in all department, makes the situation even worse.

People, who experience unfaithful situation from the economic crisis, fill all the street in Jakarta’s and start to make chaos. In 1998 Soeharto retreat from power, and replaced by his vice president, BJ Habibie that also known as soeharto most trust. Habibie is famous as a Muslim leader that full with honest, simply a right person to be a president, but the Soeharto opposite cannot share that view, they believe that Habibie is a Soehato’s doll, so in 1999 the opposite force Habibie to held a national election that bring Gus Dur as President.

Soeharto’s Families and colleagues is also retreat from power, even some of them still wanted power so badly, Mbak Tutut one of Soeharto’s daughter is founding a party that collapse in the next national election.  Indonesian people does respect Soeharto very much, but not his family and colleague, so after Soeharto not in reign any more, only a few of his family and colleague that still hold power in politic and business, but only mediocre politician or businessman.

Manchester United doesn’t proving anything with Community Shield.

Yesterday Manchester United (MU) won Community Shield Cup over Chelsea 3-1, in Wembley Stadium, London. Community Shield maybe a cup without great tension, it’s only an opening ceremony to enter the league new season. But normally the team which won the cup will be the league champion, Chelsea for example; they won the cup last year and won the league at the same year.

MU plays very well, and completes their pre-season tour with winning over Ireland’s Selection 7-1 three days before. But winning a Community Shield is not a guarantee to win the cup, MU still have a lot of problems to solves. One of the most is their unproductive striker Wayne Rooney that doesn’t score a goal until now, and Rio Ferdinand their power full centre defender that still struggling from injury.

Although surrounding by those problems, MU still hold some of an ace card like their young fresh striker, Javier Hernandez, and the next Rio Ferdinand Chris Smalling. If MU plays on their best performance and stability, I believe they will be bringing home more Cup than only a Community Shield.

Two thumbs up for Rahmad Darmawan.

I believe we don’t have any doubt on Rahmad Darmawan (RD) Couching ability. He has a good football knowledge, tactic and ability of judging player. He is one of the best in Indonesia. Three years as a manager of Sriwijaya FC (SFC). He has tribute 1 League Champion, and 3 Indonesian Cup. I cannot find any other manager in Indonesia who can compete his record, even though SFC board do not extend RD contract, he is being replaced by Ivan Kolev last month.

Most of SFC’s fans are shock by the replacement; even Kolev is a famous coach, but RD has his own position among the SFC’s fans. The question is; does the replacement is really necessary? RD has a good record any way. SFC never won a League for the last two years and the board believe that the team’s performance is in decline for the last two years; Indonesian Cup is not enough for a standard of success for the board. They believe that Indonesian Cup is second class after the League in Indonesia. Every body knows that SFC board has spend so much money for the team, and the board wants the League title not the Indonesia Cup which RD always won it. So at this point, the decision is understandable. The board need to burst the team for champion by bringing Kolev in to SFC. SFC will face a new era with Kolev, and RD will have his own role in Persija Jakarta for the next season.

But the phrase that “RD has won 4 titled for SFC” is something that we cannot elude. I don’t know how the board will appreciate RD, but for me, I’m going to point my thumbs up, and say “Thanks RD”.

About Bakrie Award.

Sitor Situmorang and Daoed Joesoef refused to receive Bakrie Award. Before them, there are Frans Magnis Suseno and Goenawan Mohammad who had return the award and all of the presents. The Bakrie Award has been run for 8 years. The Bakrie Award is given by Freedom Institute with full support of PT Visi Media Asia (VIVA) one of company that owned by Bakrie Group. It’s not only an award there is also a reward that amount 250 million rupiah.

Situmorang, Joesoef, Magnis and Goenawan refused the award because of political reason; they believe that Aburizal Bakrie should take responsibility on Sidoarjo Mud Tragedy that caused by unsafe drilling by Lapindo Brantas another company that owned by Bakrie Group. Aburizal Bakrie has state that he has no  guilty feeling at all, he believes that what happened in Sidoarjo was not his fault or Lapindo Brantas, that was a disaster caused by mother earth not his company.

The government has taken no action at all to Bakrie Group; it’s not weird because Aburizal Bakrie is the chairman of Golkar Party the third party that won national election last year, and he also a chairman of starring committee of Indonesia Coalition Party that support the government. The lack of firmness by the government, made most of Indonesian figure took action; they refused to accept Bakrie Award. Daoed Joesof said: “if name of the award is change, maybe I will accept it.” And he added “The hand of the person who gave that award is full with mud.”

Rizal Malaranggeng the Chairman of Freedom Institute feel that the person who refuses the award is missed conception about the award. In his opinion Bakrie Award has nothing to do with Bakrie Group. But many Indonesian people do not share that view. They believe that Bakrie Group have to take responsibility on Sidoarjo Mud Tragedy, moreover the Bakrie Group is notoriously known as a group of business that didn’t pay tax properly, even all of the Indonesian people know that Bakrie family live wealthy and happily. Daoed Joesof said “They are rich, why don’t they give some of their richness to the victims of Sidoarjo Mud.”

The refuses of some of Indonesian figures should have gave a straight punch to the Bakrie Group, so they will realize that Indonesian people disagree with how they threat the Sidoajo Mud Victims. Even though that effort is not under any legal action, at least it shows a moral point that cast light Indonesian feeling about Sidoarjo Mud Tragedy.