EDITORIAL : THE JAKARTA POST, INDONESIA

 

 

‘Kate and Will’ fever

 

This Friday, many Indonesians, along with much of the rest of the world, will be glued to TV screens watching what has widely been touted as the wedding of the century, between Prince William, the second heir to the British throne, and “commoner” but elegant and attractive Kate Middleton.
Thirty years ago, when William’s father Charles married Lady Diana Spencer, many Indonesian girls born in the days, weeks and months afterward were named Diana. This time, Indonesian parents thinking along the same lines should pay attention to the spelling of Kate, which in Indonesian would be pronounced (kah-teh), which means dwarf. Perhaps they should go with “Kathy” or “Katherine”.
But the infatuation with the affairs of the British monarchy is a global phenomenon, found even in republics that have long got rid of their own royalties. The House of Windsor is unique among the remaining few monarchies in that it does not meddle in politics beyond approving or dissolving parliament. At a time when British interests with their monarchy seem to be ebbing, with Queen Elizabeth II now ruling since 1953, this week’s wedding might just revive them, not so much about the way it rules as the personality, characters and behavior of members of the palace.
The William-Kate wedding has spawned endless stories about their encounter, the list of invitees (anyone from Indonesia?), Kate’s wedding dress, their choice of honeymoon destinations and many others. Beyond this point, they will provide endless fodder for the gossip pages.
And Indonesia, typically, lost a golden opportunity. If our tourism officials had made greater efforts in their sales pitch, Bali would have beaten even the best of the honeymoon resorts around the world. Just think of all the publicity Bali and Indonesia could have enjoyed if the couple was to come here after their wedding.
The royal wedding has also launched a heated debate on the succession to the throne. Most Britons indicate in polls that William is far more favored than Charles to take over. Few people talk about dismantling the monarchy. Other than sapping British taxpayers’ money, the monarchy is not seen as a threat to most Britons, Australians, Canadians and other nations still governed by the Commonwealth. The monarchy is seen as part and parcel of the best of British traditions. And then there’s the multimillion pounds it earns the UK in the form of tourism, especially with this wedding.
Congratulations to Will and Kate. We shall stay tuned, today and beyond.

 

Don’t spoil the games

 

Everything was looking good for Indonesia as it geared up for the 26th Southeast Asian Games in Palembang and Jakarta this November, that is until the recent arrest of Youth and Sports Ministry secretary Wafid Muharam for alleged bribery.
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators caught Wafid, PT Duta Graha Indah construction executive Muhammad El Idrus and middleman Mirdo Rosalina Manulang in the act last week, as they were reportedly sealing an improper deal worth Rp 3.2 billion (US$370,198) related to the development of a four-story athlete’s dormitory in Palembang.
As far as the preparations for the Games are concerned, the graft case seems like a mere sideshow. Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng said the detention of his aide will have no impact on Indonesia’s organization of the first SEA Games ever held in two cities.
But the KPK findings, if proven in court, should give us cause for concern, not only because the case has tainted the image of Indonesia as the host of the regional sporting event, but also because it has dealt a crushing blow to the sports community.
Corrupt practices very much go against the spirit of sportsmanship, a term coined decades ago as a reference to the virtues of fairness, respect and striving spirit and it is supposed to characterize athletes across the world.
There is a correlation between sports and morality, and for that reason the classic Latin phrase mens sana in corpore sano or a healthy mind in a healthy body has stood over the centuries.
It may require thorough study, but countries that excel in sports usually score high in the corruption perception index. This looks to ring true in the case of Indonesia, where graft remains rampant and finishing among the top five in the Asian Games, let alone the Olympics, remains elusive for the country despite its abundant talent.
We, too, may easily jump to conclusions that corruption might have contributed to Indonesia’s poor performances in the last few SEA Games, the worst being in 2005 in Manila when the country placed fifth. But certainly the entrenched graft has cost the country opportunities to spend more on sports development.
Corruption in sports, be it embezzlement of sports funds or bribery in fixing matches or to win seats in sporting bodies, is not solely a problem facing Indonesia. But that’s no excuse for us to tolerate corrupt practices both in sports and other fields as they have proven to lead to the collapse of many nations.
Let the KPK deal with the bribery case involving the Youth and Sports Ministry official as we believe the anticorruption body had already collected solid evidence before the raid last week.
The investigation shall not spoil our preparations for the SEA Games and, more importantly, our bid to regain supremacy in the biennial event. There is no more honor than hosting and winning the Games through fair play.