I read an opinion article published recently in Jakarta Globe and was compelled to write this blog in response to the survey that showed only 19 percent of respondents believed the nation’s president should be of Javanese descent, while 73 percent of respondents believed that hereditary was not very important.

It is the capability rather than ethenicity which counts



That is true, and I am a believer that it is not the ethnic background of a president that counts but their capability in leading the country toward social justice and welfare for the people. In fact, Indonesia recognizes unity in diversity through the ideology of Pancasila. The dichotomy of Javanese or non-Javanese is only a game the elite and the politicians play to serve their interests.

 

Indonesians, especially those of Javanese descent, have a culture that applies a high degree of tolerance, whether they are highly educated or not. What’s important for them is social justice and welfare, and they have the wisdom to choose whether the president should be Javanese or not. They, too, judge a person by their deeds, not by their pedigree. Read more