The signing of the Helsinski Peace Agreement on 15 August 2005 has ended many years of violence in Indonesia's eastern most Province of Aceh, and since then people in the province have been enjoying a peaceful life.
This peaceful situation was confirmed after Irawadi Yusuf, an independent candidate supported by former separatist GAM, won the Governor election on December 2006, and the Aceh Party (reincarnation of GAM) won the provincial parliamentary elections in 2009.
And then there was a verdict of the Constitutional Court
on December 2010 which determined that independent candidates may be
nominated as candidates in the 2011/2012 Governor and Regents elections.
The Court's reason was to provide opportunity for not-political party
backed candidates to be nominated, and the fact that more than 50 % of
the Regents and Governor were independent candidates.
This
verdict was protested by the Aceh Party who said that independent
candidates can only be nominated in the 2006 election, after that all
candidates should be nominated by political parties.
The general
election commission plan to implement the Constitutional Court's
verdict, therefore the Aceh Party said that it will boycott the elections.
In recent months, there has been lots of shootings
that have killed 13 people and wounding 13 others. According to the
Coordinating Minister of Politics, Laws and Security General Djoko
Suyanto this violence is related to the Regional Election in Aceh.
Due to this violence, there is a possibility that the regional election in Aceh will be postponed.
Considering
the above, I hope that the central government in Jakarta, the general
election commission and all the parties in Aceh would seat down together
and find the best solution acceptable by all the political parties,
including the Aceh party.
Showing posts with label government. Show all posts
Showing posts with label government. Show all posts
Friday, January 13, 2012
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Nepotism in Banten
The Province of Banten, formerly part of West Java Province, was established in the year 2,000 and have its own governor, government and regional Houses of Representatives.
The current Governor of Banten, Ratu Atut Chosiyah (49) of the Golkar Party, was elected on January 2007. Previously, she was Acting Governor (2006-2007) and Vice Governor (2002-2006).
According to Kompas newspaper, many members of Ratu Atut's family held various government offices in the province, and also members of regional and central parliaments.
Her husband and son are members of the national House of Representatives in Jakarta, her sister is the Vice Regent of Serang, her step mother is Vice Regent of Pandeglang, sister in-law is Mayor of South Tangerang, her daughter-in-law, step-mother and brother-in-law are members of the Banten House of Representatives, her step-brother is the Mayor of the Province's capital city of Serang.
Nepotism also occur in Lebak Regency whereby two daughters of Regent Mulyadi Jayabaya are members of the national House of Representatives, and his two brothers are members of the regional House of Representatives.
In Tangerang Regency, the son of Regent Ismet Iskandar is a member of national Houses of Representatives and his daughter is a member of local House of Representatives.
Liberal democracy adopted by Indonesia since May 1998 allow every citizens to hold public offices provided that he or she meet all requirements set forth by the laws and regulations, supported by the majority of people, and capable of doing the jobs properly and legally.
However, in order to avoid any conspiracy among public officers, I hope that family relationship among public officers can be avoided or at least minimized in the future. For which purpose the election law and regulation should be amended accordingly.
The current Governor of Banten, Ratu Atut Chosiyah (49) of the Golkar Party, was elected on January 2007. Previously, she was Acting Governor (2006-2007) and Vice Governor (2002-2006).
According to Kompas newspaper, many members of Ratu Atut's family held various government offices in the province, and also members of regional and central parliaments.
Her husband and son are members of the national House of Representatives in Jakarta, her sister is the Vice Regent of Serang, her step mother is Vice Regent of Pandeglang, sister in-law is Mayor of South Tangerang, her daughter-in-law, step-mother and brother-in-law are members of the Banten House of Representatives, her step-brother is the Mayor of the Province's capital city of Serang.
Nepotism also occur in Lebak Regency whereby two daughters of Regent Mulyadi Jayabaya are members of the national House of Representatives, and his two brothers are members of the regional House of Representatives.
In Tangerang Regency, the son of Regent Ismet Iskandar is a member of national Houses of Representatives and his daughter is a member of local House of Representatives.
Liberal democracy adopted by Indonesia since May 1998 allow every citizens to hold public offices provided that he or she meet all requirements set forth by the laws and regulations, supported by the majority of people, and capable of doing the jobs properly and legally.
However, in order to avoid any conspiracy among public officers, I hope that family relationship among public officers can be avoided or at least minimized in the future. For which purpose the election law and regulation should be amended accordingly.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
The New Air Cargo Regulation
On 21 April 2011, the Ministry of Transportation issued a new cargo processing regulation, SKEP/255/ TW2011, designed to optimize security surveillance at all airports in Indonesia..
The regulation stipulated that only three companies would be responsible for security screening of cargo shipments. Those three replaced eight companies that had been contracted to do the job previously.
Besides, packages are to be inspected individually, causing 10 to 14 times increase in the inspection cost from Rp 60 (US 0.007 cents) per Kilogram to Rp 850 (US$ 0,10) per Kilogram.
When the regulation was implemented at the Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Jakarta last July, the result was disastrous. A long backlog developed of cargo waiting for inspection, hundreds of tons of cargo, including newspapers, medicine and even human remains, were stranded, incurring losses in the billions of Rupiah. This prompted cargo companies to strike working.
In order to stop the chaos, the government has postponed the implementation of the regulation until 3 September.
The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) has urged the government to postpone the implementation of regulation for six months, saying that lack of infrastructure and manpower will cause bottlenecks.
However, the government insists that the regulation will be implemented on 4 September.
Considering the huge impact that cargo clearnce has on businesses and the economy as a whole, I hope that the government would postpone implementation of the new regulation and talk to all the parties involved to find the best solution for this case.
The regulation stipulated that only three companies would be responsible for security screening of cargo shipments. Those three replaced eight companies that had been contracted to do the job previously.
Besides, packages are to be inspected individually, causing 10 to 14 times increase in the inspection cost from Rp 60 (US 0.007 cents) per Kilogram to Rp 850 (US$ 0,10) per Kilogram.
When the regulation was implemented at the Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Jakarta last July, the result was disastrous. A long backlog developed of cargo waiting for inspection, hundreds of tons of cargo, including newspapers, medicine and even human remains, were stranded, incurring losses in the billions of Rupiah. This prompted cargo companies to strike working.
In order to stop the chaos, the government has postponed the implementation of the regulation until 3 September.
The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) has urged the government to postpone the implementation of regulation for six months, saying that lack of infrastructure and manpower will cause bottlenecks.
However, the government insists that the regulation will be implemented on 4 September.
Considering the huge impact that cargo clearnce has on businesses and the economy as a whole, I hope that the government would postpone implementation of the new regulation and talk to all the parties involved to find the best solution for this case.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Saudi Arabia Beheads an Indonesian Worker
The authoritarian regime of Saudi Arabia has carried out a death execution on an Indonesian female worker namely Ruyati on Saturday in the country's western Province of Mecca.
The execution was carried out by using a barbaric middle-age-method i.e cutting-off the head of Ruyati with a sword.
The SPA news agency quoted an official of the Saudi Interior Ministry as saying that Ruyati was found guilty of murdering Khairiya binti Hamid Mijid by hitting her in the head with a meat chopper and stabbing her in the neck.
A spokesman of the Indonesian Foreign Ministry i.e. Michael Tene criticized that the execution was done without observing international practices related to consular protection. He said that the Ministry was aware of the case and Ruyati has confessed to the murder, but was not informed of the timing of the execution.
Meanwhile, according to his spokesman, President SBY expressed his condolence over the death of Ruyati.
I would like to expressed my deepest sympathy and condolence on the death of Ruyati. I hope that her family would be given the strength to live without her.
I also hope that our government would show much stronger reaction toward the Saudi government and try its very best to stop more beheading of our workers in the future.
Sources :
- Saudi Beheads Indonesian Woman Convicted of Murder (Kompas)
- Indonesia Criticized Beheading of Maid (The Jakarta Globe)
- President saddened by Ruyati execution: spokesman (The Jakarta Post)
The execution was carried out by using a barbaric middle-age-method i.e cutting-off the head of Ruyati with a sword.
The SPA news agency quoted an official of the Saudi Interior Ministry as saying that Ruyati was found guilty of murdering Khairiya binti Hamid Mijid by hitting her in the head with a meat chopper and stabbing her in the neck.
A spokesman of the Indonesian Foreign Ministry i.e. Michael Tene criticized that the execution was done without observing international practices related to consular protection. He said that the Ministry was aware of the case and Ruyati has confessed to the murder, but was not informed of the timing of the execution.
Meanwhile, according to his spokesman, President SBY expressed his condolence over the death of Ruyati.
I would like to expressed my deepest sympathy and condolence on the death of Ruyati. I hope that her family would be given the strength to live without her.
I also hope that our government would show much stronger reaction toward the Saudi government and try its very best to stop more beheading of our workers in the future.
Sources :
- Saudi Beheads Indonesian Woman Convicted of Murder (Kompas)
- Indonesia Criticized Beheading of Maid (The Jakarta Globe)
- President saddened by Ruyati execution: spokesman (The Jakarta Post)
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Merpati Plane Crash - 27 Died
A Merpati airlines Flight MZ8968 plane plunged to the sea yesterday as it approached the Utarom Airport, Kaimana, West Papua. All of its 21 passengers and 6 crews were predicted died in the accident.
Kompas quoted the Director General of Air Transportation Herry Bhakti as saying that the made-in China MA-60 turboprop plane was scheduled to land at 1.55 pm. At that time the weather was bad, rain was falling heavily and cloudy, the plane was almost ready to land when suddenly communications broke off before the crash.
The fact that the plane was manufactured in 2010, therefore very young, has made people questioned the quality of the plane. Especially that former Vice President Jusuf Kalla has once rejected Merpati's plan to buy fifteen MA-60 because it was not certified by the U.S Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Aviation observer Dudi Soedibyo said that the CN-235 passenger plane produced by Indonesia is much better than the Chinese MA-60. This can be seen from the fact that our CN-235 has been used by US Coast Guard, South Korean Air Force, French Air Force and Merpati airlines.
In a hearing with the House of Representatives in June 2009, the President Director of Merpati Bambang Bhakti revealed that the airlines has once grounded an MA-60 plane because they found a Crack in the Rudder of the plane.
Meanwhile the Director General of Air Transportation said that the plane has been certified in China and Indonesia, therefore there should not be any problem flying it here.
Considering that Merpati has purchased fifteen MA-60 planes, four flying - waiting for eleven more, I hope that the Indonesian government and aviation authority would investigate this accident thoroughly, . I also hope that the House of Representatives would hold hearing with Merpati and relevant parties on the real reason why has Merpati purchased the Chinese MA-60 plane, instead of our own CN-235 plane which is much better and safer.
Kompas quoted the Director General of Air Transportation Herry Bhakti as saying that the made-in China MA-60 turboprop plane was scheduled to land at 1.55 pm. At that time the weather was bad, rain was falling heavily and cloudy, the plane was almost ready to land when suddenly communications broke off before the crash.
The fact that the plane was manufactured in 2010, therefore very young, has made people questioned the quality of the plane. Especially that former Vice President Jusuf Kalla has once rejected Merpati's plan to buy fifteen MA-60 because it was not certified by the U.S Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Aviation observer Dudi Soedibyo said that the CN-235 passenger plane produced by Indonesia is much better than the Chinese MA-60. This can be seen from the fact that our CN-235 has been used by US Coast Guard, South Korean Air Force, French Air Force and Merpati airlines.
In a hearing with the House of Representatives in June 2009, the President Director of Merpati Bambang Bhakti revealed that the airlines has once grounded an MA-60 plane because they found a Crack in the Rudder of the plane.
Meanwhile the Director General of Air Transportation said that the plane has been certified in China and Indonesia, therefore there should not be any problem flying it here.
Considering that Merpati has purchased fifteen MA-60 planes, four flying - waiting for eleven more, I hope that the Indonesian government and aviation authority would investigate this accident thoroughly, . I also hope that the House of Representatives would hold hearing with Merpati and relevant parties on the real reason why has Merpati purchased the Chinese MA-60 plane, instead of our own CN-235 plane which is much better and safer.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
13 more Indonesians held by Somali Pirates
Last Sunday, 20 Indonesians and 11 foreign crews of Indonesian flag ship MV Sinar Kudus were released by Somali pirates who held them as hostages since 16 March 2011.
Kompas reported that the release was made after PT. Samudera Indonesia as owner of the ship paid a ransom demanded by those pirates, which according to the pirates amounts to US$ 4.5 Million.
Actually, the government had decided to combine two options in efforts to free the ship crews i.e. negotiations and military operations. For which purpose three ships, one aircraft, one helicopter and special commando unit have been sent to the Somali sea to carry out the mission.
Kompas reported that the release was made after PT. Samudera Indonesia as owner of the ship paid a ransom demanded by those pirates, which according to the pirates amounts to US$ 4.5 Million.
Actually, the government had decided to combine two options in efforts to free the ship crews i.e. negotiations and military operations. For which purpose three ships, one aircraft, one helicopter and special commando unit have been sent to the Somali sea to carry out the mission.
Last Saturday, 13 Indonesians together with 12 other ship crews of a Singapore flag ship MT Gemini were hijacked by Somali pirates at the Somali sea.
In reaction to this new piracy, the Commander in Chief of the Indonesian Armed Forces Admiral Agus Suhartono said that Indonesia will coordinate with Singapore to secure the release of 13 Indonesian sailors.
Considering that 13 of the 25 crews of the Singapore ship are Indonesians, it would be very interesting to know whether or not this time our government (and Singapore) would choose to give in to the pirates' demand, or take military action instead.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
The Capture of MV Sinar Kudus by Somalian Pirates
On 16 March 2011, an Indonesian bulk cargo carrier i.e. MV Sinar Kudus with 20 Indonesian crews, was captured by Somali pirates around 320 miles north east of the island of Socotra, Somali Basin.
According to the European Union Naval Force Somalia, MV Sinar Kudus was on its way to Suez, Egypt, from Singapore, when it was attacked. Initial reports from the crew stated that 30 to 50 pirates had boarded and taken control of the vessel.
In a teleconference between the Captain of MV Sinar Kudus Djuhari Selamet and his family in Jakarta facilitated by MetroTV this morning, the Captain said that the ship was carrying Rp 1 Trillion = US$ 90 Million worth of Nickels when it was captured. The pirates demanded a ransom of US$ 3.5 Million for the release of the ship and crews but the ship owner PT. Samudera Indonesia did not give any response. Due to which fact, he and his family request the government to help by paying the ransom.
Considering that it has been three weeks since the capture of MV. Sinar Kudus and its 20 crew, I hope that our government would take steps to solve this problem, for which purpose it would be better to consult first with the governments of countries that already have their naval ships in the region such as the U.S and the European Union.
The question is, why have the news media not been reporting intensively about this incident before ? Is it because they think that this incident is less important then the Malinda Dee-Citibank case ?
How about the members of the House of Representatives and others who love to shout loudly ? Don't they care about this incident ?
According to the European Union Naval Force Somalia, MV Sinar Kudus was on its way to Suez, Egypt, from Singapore, when it was attacked. Initial reports from the crew stated that 30 to 50 pirates had boarded and taken control of the vessel.
In a teleconference between the Captain of MV Sinar Kudus Djuhari Selamet and his family in Jakarta facilitated by MetroTV this morning, the Captain said that the ship was carrying Rp 1 Trillion = US$ 90 Million worth of Nickels when it was captured. The pirates demanded a ransom of US$ 3.5 Million for the release of the ship and crews but the ship owner PT. Samudera Indonesia did not give any response. Due to which fact, he and his family request the government to help by paying the ransom.
Considering that it has been three weeks since the capture of MV. Sinar Kudus and its 20 crew, I hope that our government would take steps to solve this problem, for which purpose it would be better to consult first with the governments of countries that already have their naval ships in the region such as the U.S and the European Union.
The question is, why have the news media not been reporting intensively about this incident before ? Is it because they think that this incident is less important then the Malinda Dee-Citibank case ?
How about the members of the House of Representatives and others who love to shout loudly ? Don't they care about this incident ?
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Reduction of Subsidized Fuel
For which purpose, state owned petroleum company Pertamina will only sell subsidized fuel i.e Premium to public transportation.
Whereas, owners of private vehicles should use the more expensive non-subsidized fuel i.e. Pertamax.
However, Pertamina is currently not ready to supply enough Pertamax, therefore it must import the fuel.
Kompas reported that currently, Pertamina can only produce 200,000 kiloliters of Pertamax per day, which is not enough to meet the highly increasing domestic need.
Considering the above, I felt that the price differences between Premium and Pertamax, and Pertamina's inability to supply enough Pertamax, would create the existence of black market for the Subsidized Fuel.
Therefore, I hope that the government would carefully reconsider its decision.
Photo : Courtesy of Kompas.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The Shares of Krakatau Steel
Last week, the government sold 3,155 Billion shares worth Rp 2,6 Trillion or 20% of the Paid up Capital of PT Krakatau Steel through Initial Public Offering (IPO) at the price of Rp 850 per share.
When it was first listed at the Jakarta Stock Exchange last Wednesday, public's demand for the share of said State Owned Company was extremely high that the price has sky rocketed to Rp 1.270 per share and up again to Rp 1.340 per share on Thursday.
Due to this fact, some members of Parliament and NGO have suspected that the share has intentionally been offered very low i.e. Rp 850. They said that during the roadshow to promote the IPO, people have shown interest to buy the share at around Rp 1.150 - Rp 1.200 per share.
For details, please find below an article that I have quoted from Kompas.
When it was first listed at the Jakarta Stock Exchange last Wednesday, public's demand for the share of said State Owned Company was extremely high that the price has sky rocketed to Rp 1.270 per share and up again to Rp 1.340 per share on Thursday.
Due to this fact, some members of Parliament and NGO have suspected that the share has intentionally been offered very low i.e. Rp 850. They said that during the roadshow to promote the IPO, people have shown interest to buy the share at around Rp 1.150 - Rp 1.200 per share.
For details, please find below an article that I have quoted from Kompas.
Sabtu, 13 November 2010 | 02:53 WIB
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The polemics over the sale of PT Krakatau Steel (KRAS)’s shares through an initial public offering (IPO) could discourage foreign investors and have bad impact on the investment climate in the country.
Following the IPO, a controversy surfaced where many quarters were of the view that KRAS’ share price which was set at Rp850 percent was too low and might have benefited certain parties only while disadvantaging the state.
Read More ...
Following the IPO, a controversy surfaced where many quarters were of the view that KRAS’ share price which was set at Rp850 percent was too low and might have benefited certain parties only while disadvantaging the state.
Read More ...
Saturday, October 23, 2010
The Torture in Papua is True
After several days of silence on the video showing the torture of civilian in Papua by soldiers, yesterday the government admitted about this brutality, and promised that a thorough investigation shall be carried out.
Please find below an article about this that I have quoted from Kompas.
The decision to admit the about torture is a brave decision that should be appreciated. By doing so the government has shown to the public that it not hiding bad things and willing to reveal the truth by investigating the allegations.
However, it would be a lot much better if the said investigation involve independent party (ies) so as to get more convincing result..
"If they are really wrong they can just be arraigned in a court martial," he said after attending a limited cabinet meeting on political, security and legal affairs at the president’s office in response to an indication that TNI (Indonesian Defense Forces) members had maltreated prisoners in Papua. READ MORE ..
Please find below an article about this that I have quoted from Kompas.
The decision to admit the about torture is a brave decision that should be appreciated. By doing so the government has shown to the public that it not hiding bad things and willing to reveal the truth by investigating the allegations.
However, it would be a lot much better if the said investigation involve independent party (ies) so as to get more convincing result..
Purnomo Yusgiantoro
Sabtu, 23 Oktober 2010 | 04:49 WIB
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said soldiers found to have acted excessively in interrogating prisoners could be tried in a court martial.
"If they are really wrong they can just be arraigned in a court martial," he said after attending a limited cabinet meeting on political, security and legal affairs at the president’s office in response to an indication that TNI (Indonesian Defense Forces) members had maltreated prisoners in Papua. READ MORE ..
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Govt will Review Electricity Hike
Last month, the government announced that there will be an electricity hike of 10% to 18% starting 1 July 2010.
Although the electricity hike excludes households using less than 90 Watts of electricity, but this decision has been widely protested especially by the industries that stated that the increase is actually many times higher than the average 15% declared by the government.
For example, the association of textile industries and association of furniture industries alleged that the increase would be more than 40%. They said that if the electricity hike is not delayed or revised they would not be able to make and sell products that would compete with cheap products freely imported from China. Which means that they would have to stop business operation and more than 10 million their workers would be out of job.
In response to the above protests, the Coordinating Minister of Economy Hatta Rajasa (a technical engineer) announced that the government will review the electricity hike and limit it to18% max. for industries.
Although I am glad that the government decided to reconsider the electricity hike rate, however I am very sad that the hike has not been made based on careful and accurate calculations that it has to be reconsidered only 2 weeks after its implementation.
Here are some related articles that I quoted from The Jakarta Globe :
- Industries Shocked By Steep Electricity Hikes
- Govt Will Rethink Electricity Hike Rate
- Indonesian Government Puts Cap On Electricity Rate Hike
Although the electricity hike excludes households using less than 90 Watts of electricity, but this decision has been widely protested especially by the industries that stated that the increase is actually many times higher than the average 15% declared by the government.
For example, the association of textile industries and association of furniture industries alleged that the increase would be more than 40%. They said that if the electricity hike is not delayed or revised they would not be able to make and sell products that would compete with cheap products freely imported from China. Which means that they would have to stop business operation and more than 10 million their workers would be out of job.
In response to the above protests, the Coordinating Minister of Economy Hatta Rajasa (a technical engineer) announced that the government will review the electricity hike and limit it to18% max. for industries.
Although I am glad that the government decided to reconsider the electricity hike rate, however I am very sad that the hike has not been made based on careful and accurate calculations that it has to be reconsidered only 2 weeks after its implementation.
Here are some related articles that I quoted from The Jakarta Globe :
- Industries Shocked By Steep Electricity Hikes
- Govt Will Rethink Electricity Hike Rate
- Indonesian Government Puts Cap On Electricity Rate Hike
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Domestic Workers' Blues
Most households in Indonesian cities have one or more Domestic Workers to clean and even guard the house, wash and iron clothes, take care of their children, cook, etc.
The Domestic Workers, a.k.a Pembantu or Servants, would wake up at dawn before their Employers awaken, and sleep after their Employers have their dinner, or even slept.
Many of the said Employers treated their Domestic Workers unkindly, they would scold them when they are wrong and say nothing when they do good things.
Efforts have been made to protect the Domestic Workers but do not seemed to be fruitful. For example, the Provincial government of Jakarta has issued some by-laws to protect Domestic Workers, but news reports about bad and inhumane treatments still exists.
The central government has prepared a bill for Protection of Domestic Workers, but unfortunately the House of Representatives (DPR) postponed discussion for unclear reason.
In order to provide a " bird's eye view " on the sufferings of some of those Domestic Workers, I have quoted an article of The Star (below).
The Domestic Workers, a.k.a Pembantu or Servants, would wake up at dawn before their Employers awaken, and sleep after their Employers have their dinner, or even slept.
Many of the said Employers treated their Domestic Workers unkindly, they would scold them when they are wrong and say nothing when they do good things.
Efforts have been made to protect the Domestic Workers but do not seemed to be fruitful. For example, the Provincial government of Jakarta has issued some by-laws to protect Domestic Workers, but news reports about bad and inhumane treatments still exists.
The central government has prepared a bill for Protection of Domestic Workers, but unfortunately the House of Representatives (DPR) postponed discussion for unclear reason.
In order to provide a " bird's eye view " on the sufferings of some of those Domestic Workers, I have quoted an article of The Star (below).
After a grueling, 18-hour day, 15-year-old Kaminah domestic worker would rest her head on a bag filled with blood-stained clothes, sleeping on cold ceramic tiles outside the bathroom.
The blood was her own, from the beatings inflicted by her employer on a daily basis.
“[Whenever I got a beating] I would always think of my family,” Kaminah told The Jakarta Post. “Late at night, before going to sleep, I would think about my father and mother and feel very sad. I miss my parents a lot.”
UNICEF estimates that more 100,000 Indonesian women and children are trafficked annually within the country and abroad, with about one in three being under the age of 18.
Pressured by families or lured with promises of work, an alarming number of girls and women find themselves in conditions of virtual slavery, both within Indonesia and abroad.
A recently released report by the U.S. State department on human trafficking lists Indonesia as a Tier-2 country for trafficking, for not fully complying with standards set by the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act.
“There is a particularly big problem with Indonesian women being trafficked as domestic workers, ending up basically enslaved in conditions in the Middle East, Malaysia, and to a lesser extent countries like Singapore,” says Elaine Pearson, Deputy Director of the Asia Division for Human Rights Watch.
“Part of the problem is that there is not effective oversight of recruitment agencies in Indonesia.”
But for some, the root of the problem lies not with the agencies, but with rampant poverty.
“I really wanted to finish school but we didn’t have enough money to pay for tuition,” another girl, Kiya, told The Jakarta Post. “So I decided to work as a domestic worker and help my family.”
Monday, June 14, 2010
Electricity for the Poor and for the Rich
Last Saturday, President Director of the State Electricity Company (PLN) i.e. Dahlan Iskan, proposed the government and the House of Representative (DPR) to free poor people from paying electicity, and increase electric tariff for rich people.
Considering that PLN has been unable to supply suficient electric power to its 40 million consumers in recent years, this proposal has received mixed reactions from members of DPR.
Please find below an article about this that I quoted from The Jakarta Globe.
Dahlan said the bulk of this group were the country’s poorest people, and made up half of PLN’s 40 million subscribers. As subscriptions usually mean a household, the move would potentially help 20 million families.
Dahlan said it should come before the TDL is raised by a planned average of 10 percent in July. If the government is really out to help the poor, he said, “the best thing to do would be not to charge the poor for their electricity usage.”
Only Golkar aired support for the proposal, with its faction secretary, Ade Komarudin, saying subsidies should not be given to those undeserving.
“But there must be a rigid scheme, that this is only for the poor,” he said, using the occasion to defend Golkar’s widely criticized proposal to give each lawmaker Rp 15 billion ($1.6 million) to develop his or her constituency as another pro-people move.
Sutan Batugana, a lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party sitting on Commission VII that deals with energy affairs, aired opposition to the scheme.
“Some think everything that is free is good, but I don’t agree,” he said. “I asked Dahlan Iskan already, why would you say all this when PLN still owes Rp 25 trillion to state oil and gas firm Pertamina? Don’t teach people to be lazy.”
Commission VII deputy chairman Effendi Simbolon, from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said the company should carefully study the financial consequences of the policy in detail before officially proposing it to the legislative.
“It was an unofficial statement, but if he [Dahlan Iskan] is serious, he needs to do his homework and submit a proposal to the commission,” Effendi said.
He said the scheme would be unfair to the country’s working class as they would end up having to pay more for electricity. “We shouldn’t teach the nation to hate people with money.”
Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) secretary general Anis Matta said it had yet to decide its stance, but was leaning toward disagreeing with the idea. “Rich people are also paying a higher burden of taxes. I think this needs to be studied a lot more before we decide anything.”
M Romahurmuziy from the United Development Party (PPP) said PLN should have discussed how a plan like this might work with the Energy Ministry before making it public, and throwing ideas around that don’t make good economic and social sense would only disappoint people.
Dahlan said that if large consumers of electricity, or those using above 1,000 watts per hour, were to pay prices based on actual production costs for a year, it would add an extra Rp 28 trillion to PLN’s annual revenues.
Dahlan also vowed to make PLN a more transparent state-owned enterprise and to figure out ways to make the entire agency less bureaucratic.
“I have proposed the Corruption Eradication Commission [KPK] to have direct access to our procurement procedures, and the State Audit Agency [BPK] direct access to our finances.”
Considering that PLN has been unable to supply suficient electric power to its 40 million consumers in recent years, this proposal has received mixed reactions from members of DPR.
Please find below an article about this that I quoted from The Jakarta Globe.
A proposal to provide free electricity for the poor and hike rates for the rich has received mixed reactions from the House of Representatives.
‘Free Electricity for Poor’ Plan Gets Mixed Reviews
A proposal by a state enterprise executive to make electricity free for tens of millions of poorer Indonesians and hike power rates for the rich has received mixed reactions from lawmakers.
Dahlan Iskan, president director of state-owned power company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara, on Saturday urged the government and the House of Representatives to free users with an hourly average of less than 450 watts from having to pay the basic electricity tariff, or TDL.Dahlan said the bulk of this group were the country’s poorest people, and made up half of PLN’s 40 million subscribers. As subscriptions usually mean a household, the move would potentially help 20 million families.
Dahlan said it should come before the TDL is raised by a planned average of 10 percent in July. If the government is really out to help the poor, he said, “the best thing to do would be not to charge the poor for their electricity usage.”
Only Golkar aired support for the proposal, with its faction secretary, Ade Komarudin, saying subsidies should not be given to those undeserving.
“But there must be a rigid scheme, that this is only for the poor,” he said, using the occasion to defend Golkar’s widely criticized proposal to give each lawmaker Rp 15 billion ($1.6 million) to develop his or her constituency as another pro-people move.
Sutan Batugana, a lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party sitting on Commission VII that deals with energy affairs, aired opposition to the scheme.
“Some think everything that is free is good, but I don’t agree,” he said. “I asked Dahlan Iskan already, why would you say all this when PLN still owes Rp 25 trillion to state oil and gas firm Pertamina? Don’t teach people to be lazy.”
Commission VII deputy chairman Effendi Simbolon, from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said the company should carefully study the financial consequences of the policy in detail before officially proposing it to the legislative.
“It was an unofficial statement, but if he [Dahlan Iskan] is serious, he needs to do his homework and submit a proposal to the commission,” Effendi said.
He said the scheme would be unfair to the country’s working class as they would end up having to pay more for electricity. “We shouldn’t teach the nation to hate people with money.”
Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) secretary general Anis Matta said it had yet to decide its stance, but was leaning toward disagreeing with the idea. “Rich people are also paying a higher burden of taxes. I think this needs to be studied a lot more before we decide anything.”
M Romahurmuziy from the United Development Party (PPP) said PLN should have discussed how a plan like this might work with the Energy Ministry before making it public, and throwing ideas around that don’t make good economic and social sense would only disappoint people.
Dahlan said that if large consumers of electricity, or those using above 1,000 watts per hour, were to pay prices based on actual production costs for a year, it would add an extra Rp 28 trillion to PLN’s annual revenues.
Dahlan also vowed to make PLN a more transparent state-owned enterprise and to figure out ways to make the entire agency less bureaucratic.
“I have proposed the Corruption Eradication Commission [KPK] to have direct access to our procurement procedures, and the State Audit Agency [BPK] direct access to our finances.”
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The Grand Coalition
Last July, President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono (SBY) won 60.80% popular votes in the Presidential Election, ensuring his re-election for the next 5 years.
However, this is not enough, because in the Parliamentary Election last April, SBY's Democratic Party only secured 26% of the seats in the lower house of Parliament (DPR), therefore he needs to form a coalition with other political parties.
Initially, four Islamic based political parties, i.e. PKS, PPP, PAN and PKB, have vowed to support and provide additional 30% seats in the lower house of Parliament (DPR).
But this is still not enough for SBY, so he made a deal with the opposition party PDIP, 3rd. winner in parliamentary election, PDIP recognized SBY's re-election as President, in exchange for Democratic Party's support for Taufiq Kiemas, husband of PDIP's chairperson, to become chairman of the Parliament (MPR) on 3 October.
SBY's wish for more parliamentary support was materialized last Wednesday when the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie was elected as Chairman of the Golkar Party, 2nd. winner in the parliamentary election.
With the support from PDIP & Golkar, SBY's government will have the support of more than 85% of the seats in parliament. Critics feared that this will weakened law enforcement, which can be seen from SBY's appointment of 3 new leaders of the independent Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the mysterious status of the Bank Century case.
For detailed media reports, please click here, here, here, here.
In view of the above, I hope that the grand coalition built by SBY and his party with all the other parties would enable the upcoming government to work much harder and better for the very best interests of the people & the country of Indonesia.
However, this is not enough, because in the Parliamentary Election last April, SBY's Democratic Party only secured 26% of the seats in the lower house of Parliament (DPR), therefore he needs to form a coalition with other political parties.
Initially, four Islamic based political parties, i.e. PKS, PPP, PAN and PKB, have vowed to support and provide additional 30% seats in the lower house of Parliament (DPR).
But this is still not enough for SBY, so he made a deal with the opposition party PDIP, 3rd. winner in parliamentary election, PDIP recognized SBY's re-election as President, in exchange for Democratic Party's support for Taufiq Kiemas, husband of PDIP's chairperson, to become chairman of the Parliament (MPR) on 3 October.
SBY's wish for more parliamentary support was materialized last Wednesday when the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie was elected as Chairman of the Golkar Party, 2nd. winner in the parliamentary election.
With the support from PDIP & Golkar, SBY's government will have the support of more than 85% of the seats in parliament. Critics feared that this will weakened law enforcement, which can be seen from SBY's appointment of 3 new leaders of the independent Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the mysterious status of the Bank Century case.
For detailed media reports, please click here, here, here, here.
In view of the above, I hope that the grand coalition built by SBY and his party with all the other parties would enable the upcoming government to work much harder and better for the very best interests of the people & the country of Indonesia.
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