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Sunday 25 July 2010

High Political Cost Paradox

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - Nowadays, Local election generate paradox. political cost that reach billions rupiah for a single candidacy confronted with idea to form a good governance that is uncorrupted, collusion and nepotism free either.

The election expense of 2010 is rising since considering the local election frequent. In 2010 KPU (Indonesia's Elections Committee) holds 244 elections. As details, 7 governor elections, 202 regent elections and 35 mayor elections. Professor of economy of Economics and Business Faculty, Gadjah Mada University Yogyakarta, Mr.Mudrajad Kuncoro to KOMPAS, Thursday (22/07/2010), estimated amount of 2010 elections expense reached number of 4 billion rupiah. The amount of total expense may vary due to variable expense of official candidates.

"For example, at the regency level, a candidate spends about 5 billion rupiah for his candidacy, a governor candidate spends much more even, it's not less than 20 billion rupiah much. Well, now that we can calculate of how much will the candidates spend of total for a single territory which sets 3 candidates in a row of each election level", Mr.Mudrajad said.

Previously, the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr.Gamawan Fauzi expressed paradox, billion rupiah of money meet the challenge to enter the row of local head-official candidacy. They meanwhile acquired to establish a good governance. Mr.Gamawan said that governor salary was 8.7 million rupiah per month, while regent salary was 6.2 million per month. "Assume that the elected governor spend 20 billion rupiah much, by his monthly revenue, how much time does he need to set those 20 billion back ?" the minister said (KOMPAS/22/07/2010).

Mayor of Natuna Raja, Riau archipelago, Mr. Amirullah admited that the election expense was relatively significant. However, they can raise money from many reliable sources such an private fund, grant and else.
"I fortunately run a business of my own, so I use mine. partners grants is something else", Mr.Amirullah said for he was reluctant to mention his expense in detail.            

Can be economist
Separately, mayor of Kubu Raya, Mr.Muda Hendrawan and mayor of North Kayong, Mr.Hildy Hamid, both in the West Borneo, admitted that they could save the political cost. They held survey among voters to watch their popularity and electability number as well. Both were on foot to candidacy as they possessed relevant issue of 60 percent electability number.

"For we are popular and trustful, we don't have to spend much. The matter is how to build communication with the loyal voters and how to make a solid winning team", Mr.Muda said. Those common popularity and trustworthy set Mr. Muda's confidence to win election trough the way of independent candidacy as well. This choice inflict him not to drain his wallet to be a philanthropist politician who easily share money to affiliate political party. He later on be able to apply his money effectively.
Mr. Muda spend about 1.5 billion rupiah much to win the 2008 election. That was a good deal to grab majority votes of Kubu Raya which is 7.000 kilometers square and consist of 300.000 voters spread in 9 sub-districts and 106 villages. As the result of being an independent candidate, Mr. Muda has no moral duty to political party at the moment he elected mayor. He finds no obstacle from political party whom officials seat in DPRD (the house of local legislative) also because of his neutral position and capability of building comprehensive communication with legislative. 

Mr. Hildy admitted that his political expense in the previous election was nearly reach 2 billion rupiah. The amount is fair to him elected functionaries of Local Unity Party and straight forwarding for candidacy trough the Party. "That come to be a factor of high political cost is expense related to all attempts taken to gain support of political party, exceedingly to them who don't belong to certain political party. The up-coming cost leverage would be astonishing as the candidate apply such strategy to recruit as many as possible party", he said.
Mr. Hildy appended, the intensity of his involvement in North Kayong expansion and the enchanting charisma of General Chairman of Local Unity Party, Mr.Oesman Sapta Odang who is Kayong origins, made his way to win candidacy by the number of 80 percent legal votes. The revenue of being a mayor is unbalance to  the candidacy expense but Mr. Hildy was fine to it. His His motivation was not raise income. It was something subtle. His annual revenue was about 360 million rupiah much. "I used to run a business with excellent asset and profit as well," Mr. Hildy said.

The Chairman of Local Election Team of Central Executive Council of National Mandate Party, Mr. Drajad Wibowo judge that highly expensive political cost affected by local election which held in the middle of poverty. Vote is the one and only access of people to derive something useful from the coming leader. In prosperous state, people reluctant to sale their vote for money or something equal. They eventually fund the chosen candidate voluntary, as it is occur in USA and Australia", Mr. Drajad said.

Therefore, the member of Commission II DPR (Indonesia's Legislative Body) from Fraction of The Rise of Nation, Mr. Abdul Malik Haramain suggests reinforcement of National Election Supervisor Body and National Election Committee to control funds of candidacy.              

Friday 23 July 2010

Uncompromising Napalm Still Exist

JAKARTA - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Darwin Zahedy Saleh was optimistically declare success of government program of kerosene conversion despite of numerous casualties collided with the explosion of leaking gas canisters. 

"This program is remarkably succeeded. As noticed by KOMPAS daily news, the program taught people to leap on a higher level of technology so they were culturally changed as well, " Mr. Darwin said during meeting with Commission VII DPR RI (Indonesia's Legislative Body) on Thursday, (22/07/2010) in DPR RI's meeting hall, Jakarta. Mr. Darwin affirmed, 90 percent of conversion program had been being accomplishing since the first launch in 2007. It was a hard work, though. Peoples used to be pleasant hereditary to kerosene. He continued, the program itself enable country to gain saving of 15 billion rupiah net. Total saving calculated from the first launch in 2007 was 50 billion rupiah. 

The government perceives the risk of collateral damage as the result of misused or defected units this far, so that they don't run the program as business as usual. Mr. Darwin, of Democratic Party promised to intensify socialization of portable gas stove safety application.

We hereby conclude that we're now stuck in the middle of ambiguity of governance policy. Many of public figure would manly show-up on the media to declare upon a successful policy that is show no complain or retention among public. In opposite, few of them commit responsible when many other would better flown away from public condemnation of a mischief policy they made. We're all just notice that few of elite-political official preludes public needs. Many left become voracious to position and property.

The uncompromising "napalm" still exist. The "disguise explosives" are about to blow. We don't even know when will they stop to injure people around. All that we can do is crying for mercy of God, so that the truth revealed to many peoples then those 3 kilos gas canisters withdrawn.        

Thursday 22 July 2010

Indonesia Moves to Block Pornographic Web Sites


JAKARTA, Indonesia - is taking steps to block pornographic Web sites before the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, the country’s information minister said Thursday, defying local criticism that the plan amounted to censorship and was unworkable.

“I’ve asked all Internet service providers to filter porn content by using anti-porn software,” the information minister, Tifatul Sembiring, said in a text message.
Mr. Sembiring, of the conservative Islam-based Prosperous Justice Party said he made the request last week and expected Internet service providers to take one month to implement it before the start of Ramadan on Aug. 11 . He did not say how many sites would be blocked.

Free speech advocates have accused the authorities of arbitrarily enforcing the country’s controversial 2008 anti-pornography law, which has been criticized as draconian and overly broad. Religious minorities in this Muslim-majority country have been among the most vocal critics. The government’s attempts to clamp down on Internet pornography have also been criticized as costly and unenforceable, given the vast scale of the Web. Local news media earlier this week quoted an official from the country’s association of Internet service providers as saying it would cost about $110 million to attempt a ban.

Mr. Sembiring disputed that estimate but did not say how much he thought the plan would cost. He said Internet providers could use government keyword-filtering software free of charge. He said the filter would not be 100 percent effective but was a "first step to minimize the distribution of pornography."

A short message on Mr. Sembiring’s Twitter account announcing the schedule drew mixed reactions. Many Indonesian Twitter users relayed a chain message criticizing what they called the minister’s “shallow logic.”

Mr. Sembiring floated a similar plan to filter Internet content earlier this year but withdrew it amid strong public opposition. But conservatives’ calls for stricter online controls have gained force since June, when pixelated video clips allegedly showing three of the country’s most popular celebrities having sex spread rapidly online, causing a media sensation.

A male pop singer, Nazril Irham, could be imprisoned for up to 12 years as one of the first people arrested under the anti-pornography law, which was championed by Mr. Sembiring’s party. The two women from the videos, both television presenters, have also been declared suspects over the videos. - New York Times/23/07/2010 -

Indonesia's Social Security Primary Principle


Passion of democracy has been bursting civil awareness of human rights and genuine independence since a massive vocal movement in 1998. The burst was just beyond local understanding that inflict social shocks in many aspects pertaining to the state and social life. The wave of democracy forced transformation of governmental system. One that examined is the system of social security.

Social security be hold in accordance to welfare-state principle which was announced world-wide in the early 19 century. The principle provoke nation to pay attention on mostly social scheme. Social security system is one included. Indonesia's path of social security is now vivid. Social Security Act 40/2004 has just begun a significant leap - and a challenge also - to Indonesia's strategic policy in the atmosphere of Reformation Era.

Policy is forged by natural value and ideal thought of people, act is her only child. The mother was the demand of security system which drive the establishment of appropriate policy itself whom social security act is the son. National System of Social Security Act 40/2004 is beloved son of policy related to the need of people in 2004 era.

Ideally, the term of social security system should meet principle of social insurance despite of charity basics according to National System of Social Security Act 40/2004. Social security systems top principle is non-profit sustainability. Furthermore, its membership is compulsory and there's should be an equalization of insurance fund to its premiums that apply progressive method. Social security is somehow becomes civil privilege rather than annual charity program, business necessary, nor a pension fund. The presence of a non-profit institute is a must to implement the spirit of National System of Security Act 40/2004. The main role of the body is solely providing public insurance and not to take a business opportunity to the fund of public. Its simply has no chance to be profit-oriented.

Nowadays, there are four bodies regards to social security provider in Indonesia. Those are PT. ASKES with 96.2 million members and 10 billion capital, PT. ASABRI with 1.1 million members and 11 billion capital, PT. TASPEN with 2 million members and 60 billion capital, PT.JAMSOSTEK with 8.9 million members and 86 billion capital. The core of national system of social security is unification of institute to provide public insurance. The opinion based on the amount of fund that is obtained from public would be very significant to raise the effectiveness of the institute role.

Let us be aware, the accomplishment of the ideal above has just become our task. We, the citizen. Let us be vocal to maintain the flow of the spirit of democracy.