The Iceberg of Efficiency— Part 1

Introduction
There has been quite a bit of discourse on social media about budget efficiency. Among the discussions, opinions have emerged regarding the lavish facilities provided to public officials. Many argue that these extravagant perks should be the focus of cost-cutting measures — especially before reducing operational expenses, which would most significantly affect our fellow contract workers who labor daily without receiving equal welfare benefits.

The image above is a clip from a video; you can watch it here:
ASN Muda Indonesia on X: “I got carried away by the atmosphere. Thanks, Fer, for delivering 🙏 @irwndfrry https://t.co/fvOwYGQH71” / X

This made me wonder: how is it that we (the regular staff) are so complacent that these lavish facilities for public officials remain untouched?

This issue reminded me of my college days. I remember one day, while there was no class on the second floor, I stood near a window watching. I saw someone, who appeared to be an “Important Person” from the central government, getting ready to enter a car. As he got in, someone opened the car door for him and carried his work bag — after he had already entered the vehicle.

Almost immediately, I sarcastically remarked (and my comment might have been overheard by my classmates):
“Do public officials not have hands or what? They have their bags carried and their doors opened for them.”
A friend replied, “That’s our way of showing respect. We respect those who have contributed to making it possible for us to attend college here.”
I don’t remember all the details, but I understood his point about “respect.” I wasn’t eager to continue that conversation. However, inside I felt that this wasn’t really what true respect should be about. It’s understandable to show gratitude, but something just didn’t add up. In fact, such practices seem to belittle the very concept of respect itself — they become mere symbols, rituals, and formalities that are somewhat contrived.

Yet, I believe this isn’t about an unwillingness to perform these gestures of respect. It’s not that people don’t want to show respect. There was just this nagging feeling — though I couldn’t quite put my finger on it at the time — that something was off. Unfortunately, while I might have thought otherwise, I found myself, almost every day, automatically performing these low-level acts of deference towards those who are collectively considered “service providers.”

There are many ritualized events that underpin this mindset. For example, the ceremonial welcoming of public officials often ends up diminishing the true meaning of respect. This is especially troubling when such ceremonies are carried out by young talents — the future leaders of our nation — who will eventually become public officials themselves. It creates a vicious, never-ending cycle, inherited since our country was once exploited by its own people who acted as lackeys to colonial rulers.

There are still many symbolic and ritualistic actions that, in their shallow execution, are used as a way to show respect to others. My temporary hypothesis is that the state’s wastefulness in splurging on lavish facilities for public officials — while at the same time, the ordinary staff either accept it (as long as it doesn’t affect their pay) or feel powerless to do anything — is due to a lingering cultural parasite in our country: FEODALISM.

If you, dear reader, then ask what remains to be respected about you, that very question proves that you are not considered worthy of respect.

For all the potential consequences that might arise, I will never compromise with public officials who fail to understand that they are JUST PUBLIC OFFICIALS.
(Note: The bolded statement is only a part of the overall argument — don’t take it as a personal slight if you don’t see it that way ✌️)