President: Public adherence to ethics, rules still low

Antara News, Friday, May 7, 2010 20:55 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed concern here on Friday about the rampant flouting of ethics and rules of good conduct in the country.

"We all can feel that our ability to adhere to ethics and rules of conduct has not yet developed well. If this situation continues, our political and democratic life may eventually be crippled and there will be no peace in the community, the state and national life," he said when opening the Islamic Community Congress here on Friday.

"So, it will be the responsibility of all of us, the leaders in particular, to work together to develop this ability," he said.

The President said the basic value and spirit of democracy was freedom and adherence to rules, including legal, social and religious rules.

"We have seen freedom has grown such as freedom of speech, association, the press, in elections and others. Certainly this is an achievement and progress," he said.

President Yudhoyono said Muslim community held responsibility and obligation to play a bigger role in determining the direction of the national development.

"For that synergy among Muslim components in Indonesia which are heterogeneous in terms of ethnicity, language, political affiliation, religious views and choice of strategies in implementing obedience and service," he said.

He said strong and friendly leadership was therefore needed so that the heterogeneity could be combined to become a power for creating efforts for people`s empowerment in the social, economic, political, legal, scientific, technological and religious fields.

The head of state hoped the congress could formulate ideas to be used as the basis for people`s empowerment.

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