Ok Pak, Saya bisa bantu..... (Ok Mr, I can help)
This week corruption has reared its ugly head in our blogs. Sad really.
Oigal paid up when a traffic policeman suggested that he, the cop that is, could help dispose of the fine for not wearing a seat belt. Oigal then suggests that there are certain factors which determine the scale of the fees. For expats, or bulés in the local racist vernacular, there is the
Pajak Kulit (Skin Tax) - you pay more. Speaking Indonesian will reduce the rate.
Indonesia Anonymus confess to inculcating the culture of corruption in their children.
The younger played the robber (who)
got caught by the cop (but)
refused to cooperate.
"Hey, you're caught already. You can't move your car!" said the older.
"Who cares," said the robber brother,"You're just a policeman. I can always pay you off...!"
Our colleague overheard that. Thinking that bribing is not a skill she wants her children to have, she interfered: "Adik! Why did you say that? That's bad. Bad, bad, bad ! Who taught you that?"
And the answer made her jaw drop."You did, Mommy..."
Among the comments following my post on Tuesday about the complications faced by those of us with mixed-marriages (by which I'm referring to expat-Indonesian rather than man-woman) are the following:
Jakartass, you live in Indonesia for so long but sometimes I feel like you've been here for less than a year. Man, just pay the kantor sipil guys some extra cash and consider everything done. No problems with change of a citizenship or anything alike. You get the paper without any problems, they get some extra cash for holidays on top of their ridiculous salaries, it's a mutual benefit and everyone is happy.Someone At least you have the option of paying a little pungli at the kantor sipil. goblog kIsn't it a shame that we have that option?
Some years ago I briefed a group of petroleum engineers who had just completed a pre-departure course. They were off to the UK for a six-month training course. I pointed out to them that if they lost their passport, traveller's cheques etc., the first thing they should do was to report the loss to the local constabulary. But, never, never, never ... and I rubbed my thumb and first two fingers together in the universal gesture of giving money.
The then head of the Pertamina Training Department turned to Dave, a colleague, and asked him if he'd ever paid a bribe, Dave answered, "Yes, often," and the Pustiklat Head stormed out of the room.
Funnily enough, Dave and I have never run a course for Pertamina again.
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