My Blog

A sharp kick in the butt for bureaucrats and government officials

It is one week into the new year, and we are still being inundated by daily news updates on the Asian tsunami, and about many people and countries falling over themselves to donate to the cause. My only hope is that the billions that have been pledged and collected will eventually reach those in need of the assistance. Unfortunately, I believe that a good portion of the donations will fall into the hands of opportunists and corrupt officials at the receiving end.

Indonesia is known to be one of the most corrupt countries in the world, and there were accounts the other day of incompetent Generals in the Aceh area who claimed that "everything was OK" when in fact medical assistance was badly needed and who demanded 100,000 rupiah tax for each aid worker to enter the region. They should have these corrupt people executed, just like what they used to do to such officials in China at one time.

Bureaucrats and stupid or corrupt government officials and politicians are just roadblocks in many activities that could do better without their presence. The public has shown that they are capable of responding better and faster than most governments in the situation where it was imperative to provide aid and assistance as quickly as possible. With so many layers of bureaucracy and with people who are more used to talking than actually doing things with their own hands, governments and politicians have shown time and again that their cogs and wheels of action take a very long time before they start turning. Rapid action is not something that these people are used to unless there is someone to give them a sharp kick in the butt when required.

It is up to the public to remind government and bureaucrats constantly that they are "civil servants" and not the "leaders" that they like to think of themselves. Unfortunately this only happens when it is election time and the various politicians who are eager for the vote condescend to meet the public or make false promises that they do not intend to fulfill once they are elected to office. Therefore it is up to us to ensure that there are mechanisms in place that allows the public to prod governments and bureaucrats to action, and to follow the will of the populace, not only in the instances such as the recent disaster, but in all everyday situations.
We often do not realise the power of groups and "people power" until there is an instance of common thought and consensus that presents itself, such as the need to provide aid to the victims of the recent tsunami disaster.