SYAFII MAARIF: DON'T MAKE POLITICS LIVELIHOOD

Padang, Nov 1 (ANTARA) - Don't make politics as a source of livelihood, as it will be difficult to get rid of the existing corruption practices-related general patterns which are deeply rooted in this country, Prof Dr Ahmad Syafii Maarif says.
Maarif made the remark at a thanks-giving party here on Saturday upon the receipt of the Ramon Magsaysay award for "Peace and International Understanding" a few weeks ago.
According to him, if politics was made a livelihood, it is actually a sign that the nation is no longer civilized and practically a fight against corruption will be difficult to achieve.
Qouting the annual report of International Transparancy, Maarif said Indonesia was still in a high rank of corruptive states, but the figure has recorded a slight decline in corruption practices.
Hopefully, there was a hope that Indonesia would revive if the continued fight against corruption should be intensified.
Maarif further said the deviation of general pattern already happened several years ago in Solok district, West Sumatra under the leadership of district head Gamawan Fauzi at that time.
"I feel delighted with the existing brave breakthrough in bureaucracy and other corruptive practices," he said adding his happiness after Newsweek Online with regard to a threakthrough in Solok district.
In the Newsweek magazine, it was said that a fight against planned and systemic corruption was already started from Solo district early in 21 century which was then adopted by other district administrations in Indonesia.
"I don't know whether as a governor, Gunawan Fauzi is still facing heavy constraint as local kings (a negative connotation) are still roaming in the province," said Maarif who was also former general chairman of Muhammadiyah.
(E002/A/HAJM/A/E002)