M. Taufiqurrahman and Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has asked the country's second largest Muslim organization, Muhammadiyah, to help solve Indonesia's economic problems by tailoring a program that will focus on poverty eradication.
Yudhoyono said Thursday that although Muhammadiyah had been successful in providing health and education for a large portion of the country's population, its contribution to the Indonesian economy had been minuscule.
"We have to admit that the contribution of Muhammadiyah in helping the economy grow has been relatively modest compared with its contribution to social activities," Yudhoyono said, while addressing hundreds of Muhammadiyah members who gathered for an annual national meeting in Yogyakarta.
Yudhoyono called on the meeting's participants to develop concrete plans and help enact programs that would benefit the country's poor.
"I hope that participants in this meeting can come up with programs that can economically empower the poor so they can be freed from the scourge of global capitalism," Yudhoyono said.
The President said the lack of Muhammadiyah-developed economic programs was due in part to the absence of businesspeople in the organization's leadership structure.
"Leadership in Muhammadiyah has been controlled lately by bureaucrats, intellectuals, politicians and activists," he said.
Yudhoyono admitted, however, that Muhammadiyah has contributed significantly to improving the quality of human resources in Indonesia through its educational institutions and healthcare facilities.
Muhammadiyah currently owns 5,754 schools and manages several large Islamic universities throughout the country. The organization also runs hundreds of Indonesian medical clinics and hospitals.
The country's second largest Muslim organization after Nahdlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah has some 30 million members. It was founded in Yogyakarta in November 1912 by Ahmad Dahlan, a Muslim scholar trained in Mecca.
The establishment of the organization, mostly by Muslim merchants in the sultanate town, was motivated by the spread of syncretism in the country, especially among the Javanese people.
Although it never officially formed a legitimate political wing, Muhammadiyah has been recognized as one of the country's main political forces with a number of its members having occupied ministerial posts in every administration, especially those relating to education and health.
Incumbent Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari and Minister for National Education Bambang Sudibyo are members of Muhammadiyah's executive board.
Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin has said the organization supports the application of a sharia-based economic system as part of efforts to resolve the country's current economic condition.
"This system has been applied in non-Muslim countries and I think it will be relevant for our country, which has a majority-Muslim population," Din said.
To meet that end, he added, the government should create a conducive environment for the application of the system.
Din also said that Muhammadiyah has thrown its weight behind the government's social welfare program, which has taken the form of, among other programs, free medical services for the poor.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Friday, April 13, 2007
Acting IPDN rector inaugurated
JAKARTA (Antara)
Home Affairs Ministry Thursday carried out an inaugural ceremony for newly appointed acting rector of the Institute of Public Administration, or IPDN, Johanis Kaloh, whoreplaced I Nyoman Sumaryadi.
Nyoman was suspended from his position over the death of Cliff Muntu, the institute student from North Sulawesi, last week.
"The decision of Home Affair Minister (Widodo Adi Sucipto) is a follow-up of president's order (to carry out total reform in the institute)," said Ministry's Secretary General Progo Nurdjaman, who represented Widodo in the inauguration.
He repeated announcement that the institute would not recruit new students this year as part of the cooling down following the fatal beating.
He said the ministry would invite regional leaders to discuss the reform process in the institute. Cliff Muntu died last week after participating in a campus activity. The police has named seven suspects over the incident. (**)
Nyoman was suspended from his position over the death of Cliff Muntu, the institute student from North Sulawesi, last week.
"The decision of Home Affair Minister (Widodo Adi Sucipto) is a follow-up of president's order (to carry out total reform in the institute)," said Ministry's Secretary General Progo Nurdjaman, who represented Widodo in the inauguration.
He repeated announcement that the institute would not recruit new students this year as part of the cooling down following the fatal beating.
He said the ministry would invite regional leaders to discuss the reform process in the institute. Cliff Muntu died last week after participating in a campus activity. The police has named seven suspects over the incident. (**)
Thursday, April 12, 2007
IPDN rector suspended after student's death
M. Taufiqurrahman and Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Bandung
The Home Ministry suspended I Nyoman Sumaryadi from his post as rector at the Institute of Public Administration (IPDN) on Wednesday following the public outcry over the death of sophomore Cliff Muntu at the college.
Acting Home Minister Widodo Adi Sucipto said Sumaryadi would be suspended for the duration of internal reform at IPDN, which includes an investigation in the death of Cliff and other suspicious incidents at the college in the past.
"He is suspended so that the evaluation can go smoothly and will not be a burden for him," Widodo told reporters after a ceremony swearing in the members of the newly established Presidential Advisory Council.
Yohannes Kalo, an official with the Home Ministry, has been installed in Sumaryadi's place.
Sumaryadi said he would accept the government's decision to suspend him.
"As a civil servant and a professor, I am ready to be dismissed anytime. After all, I can still teach," Sumaryadi told reporters at the IPDN campus in Jatinangor, Sumedang, West Java.
The IPDN is currently under the management of the Home Ministry, but in a Monday cabinet meeting, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered the establishment of an inter-departmental team that will start reform at IPDN, including transferring its management to the Education Ministry.
The team has been told it has two months to change the militaristic culture of the college that is blamed for the death of Cliff.
The President also ordered the end of all activities that involve junior-senior student relationships.
To break the cycle of violence among students, Yudhoyono has also decided that IPDN will not enroll new students for the 2007 academic year.
The government has also announced that it will rehash the curriculum of the college, which was established during the New Order era to train middle-ranking government officials.
This is not the first time the government has intervened in the college in the wake of violent incidents.
In September 2003, then Home Minister Hari Sabarno dismissed rector Sutrisno following the fatal beating of student Wahyu Hidayat.
Little changed after his dismissal, however, with many observers saying that the situation got worse instead.
It has been alleged that the college's faculty collected illegal levies from local governments that sent students to IPDN, with money also being taken from the stipend paid to the students.
The government annually spends around Rp 150 billion (US$16.4 million) to run IPDN.
Govt sets aside Rp 2.5t for mud projects
Ika Krismantari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government will set aside at least Rp 2.5 trillion (about US$275 million) from the national budget to reroute infrastructure facilities that have been damaged by the mud volcano disaster in Sidoarjo, East Java, a senior official said here Wednesday.
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said the government, under a presidential decree issued April 8, would cover all the costs of the relocation of the mud-affected infrastructure.
Some Rp 800 billion would be spent on rerouting an expressway, Rp 300 billion on the rerouting of main roads, Rp 250 billion on the rerouting of a gas pipeline, Rp 450 billion on the rerouting of a rail line and Rp 700 billion on land acquisition, said Purnomo, who is also a member of the supervisory board of the newly established National Sidoarjo Mudflow Mitigation Agency.
Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto, who chairs the supervisory board, said that the amounts involved could change in line with the real cost of the rerouting work.
However, he said that he had proposed to the finance minister that at least 50 percent of the money be paid out in advance to finance land acquisition for the rerouting of the infrastructure facilities.
"We are hoping to start building the facilities by the end of this year," Djoko said after a ceremony to officially inaugurate the new agency, which was set up to replace the national mudflow mitigation team.
Djoko said that the new agency would focus on reinforcing the containment embankments to prevent the further spread of the mud.
According to the presidential decree establishing the new agency, Lapindo Brantas Inc., the operator of the gas field, which has been widely blamed for causing the disaster, will only be liable for compensating the residents of Porong whose lands and homes had been inundated by the mud up until March 22, when the latest figures on the damage caused by the disaster were released.
According to the decree, the government will be responsible for covering the cost of damage and dislocation arising after March 22.
Based on the latest figures, Lapindo will have to pay compensation to more than 13,000 families in Porong that have been displaced for almost a year by the mud.
Previous figures provided by the team in December 2006 said that 6,000 families in four villages would be eligible to receive compensation.
The new decree also states that Lapindo will be responsible for paying for the efforts to stem the mudflow and for the construction of a spillway to the Porong river.
Djoko said that the cost of constructing the spillway would amount to Rp 500 billion.
Mud has been spewing out of the ground since May 29 last year, inundating homes, roads, factories and rice fields.
The government has estimated that the cost of relocating key infrastructure facilities from inundated areas and compensating those affected by the mudflow disaster will amount to more than Rp 7 trillion.
The government will set aside at least Rp 2.5 trillion (about US$275 million) from the national budget to reroute infrastructure facilities that have been damaged by the mud volcano disaster in Sidoarjo, East Java, a senior official said here Wednesday.
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said the government, under a presidential decree issued April 8, would cover all the costs of the relocation of the mud-affected infrastructure.
Some Rp 800 billion would be spent on rerouting an expressway, Rp 300 billion on the rerouting of main roads, Rp 250 billion on the rerouting of a gas pipeline, Rp 450 billion on the rerouting of a rail line and Rp 700 billion on land acquisition, said Purnomo, who is also a member of the supervisory board of the newly established National Sidoarjo Mudflow Mitigation Agency.
Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto, who chairs the supervisory board, said that the amounts involved could change in line with the real cost of the rerouting work.
However, he said that he had proposed to the finance minister that at least 50 percent of the money be paid out in advance to finance land acquisition for the rerouting of the infrastructure facilities.
"We are hoping to start building the facilities by the end of this year," Djoko said after a ceremony to officially inaugurate the new agency, which was set up to replace the national mudflow mitigation team.
Djoko said that the new agency would focus on reinforcing the containment embankments to prevent the further spread of the mud.
According to the presidential decree establishing the new agency, Lapindo Brantas Inc., the operator of the gas field, which has been widely blamed for causing the disaster, will only be liable for compensating the residents of Porong whose lands and homes had been inundated by the mud up until March 22, when the latest figures on the damage caused by the disaster were released.
According to the decree, the government will be responsible for covering the cost of damage and dislocation arising after March 22.
Based on the latest figures, Lapindo will have to pay compensation to more than 13,000 families in Porong that have been displaced for almost a year by the mud.
Previous figures provided by the team in December 2006 said that 6,000 families in four villages would be eligible to receive compensation.
The new decree also states that Lapindo will be responsible for paying for the efforts to stem the mudflow and for the construction of a spillway to the Porong river.
Djoko said that the cost of constructing the spillway would amount to Rp 500 billion.
Mud has been spewing out of the ground since May 29 last year, inundating homes, roads, factories and rice fields.
The government has estimated that the cost of relocating key infrastructure facilities from inundated areas and compensating those affected by the mudflow disaster will amount to more than Rp 7 trillion.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Yogya governor praised for stepping aside
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta
Remarks made by Yogyakarta's Sultan Hamengkubuwono X during a speech announcing he would not seek re-election as governor have been hailed by many as a promising sign for democracy in the province.
"It is a wise, noble statement from a local politician (and his remarks have) been perceived as being very difficult (for him considering) the changes (at the) national level," Bambang Cipto of Yogyakarta Muhammadiyah University's School of Social and Political Sciences told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
His statement, according to Bambang Cipto, is particularly important amid the uncertainty over whether the province should maintain the status quo or conduct a democratic governor election like other provinces throughout Indonesia.
"We do hope this is a positive development, a good sign for a more democratic future in the region," Bambang Cipto said.
Political observer Ari Dwipayana of Gajah Mada University's School of Social and Political Sciences also said the sultan's statement was an important step toward the development of democracy.
"(The sultan's decision) should be seen as a way of reviving the position of the palace (as well as) a movement toward democratization -- as was shown in the past by Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX," Ari said.
Rector of Gajah Mada University Sofian Effendy said the sultan was doing the right thing by ending his run as governor, but remaining sultan, allowing the region to operate under a clear separation of powers.
The sultan announced his decision during a special event at Yogyakarta Palace over the weekend -- an event which also celebrated his 61st birthday.
Yogyakarta was declared a special region in 1950 and this status is clearly guaranteed by the 1945 Constitution, said Sofian.
"I think the sultan is doing the right thing because electing him as a governor actually means the specialty of Yogyakarta ... no longer exists."
Sofian said treating Yogyakarta exactly like other provinces in the country was a mistake.
He said the same mistake was made by lawmakers in Aceh -- a mistake which later led to the emergence of the GAM separatist movement.
What was needed was a government regulation giving a clear explanation about the special status of the province, he said.
"One way of ensuring this is by separating the functions of the head of the government and the head of Yogyakarta Palace -- like in a monarchy parliamentary system.
"(This) I think will make Yogyakarta much more attractive to investors as the existence of such a monarchy often contribute(s) a great deal (to) the political stability of a region."
Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono said he would not seek re-election in 2008 when his term ends due to "a thorough spiritual consideration".
"With all my heart and soul I sincerely declare that I am not willing to take on the (position of) governor and regional leader of Yogyakarta special province after the 2003-2008 term."
His statement was made in front of more than 500 people attending the special event which was held at the palace's Pagelaran Hall.
"From (2008) on, I entrust the Yogyakarta community to the next governor," said the sultan, who was awarded the Saya Bangga Menjadi Orang Indonesia Award by noted spiritualist Anand Krishna's National Integration Movement over the weekend.
The sultan said it was necessary to look through historical documents stipulating the existence of Yogyakarta's government and people to prove the region's special status from other provinces in the country.
"The speciality has explicitly been stipulated in Article 18 of the 1945 Constitution, along with its amendments, so it's our task all together to clearly formulate the exact meaning of (it)," he said.
The sultan's weekend announcement was attended by State Minister for the Environment Rahmat Witoelar, Public Housing Minister Yusuf Ashari and several foreign ambassadors.
Remarks made by Yogyakarta's Sultan Hamengkubuwono X during a speech announcing he would not seek re-election as governor have been hailed by many as a promising sign for democracy in the province.
"It is a wise, noble statement from a local politician (and his remarks have) been perceived as being very difficult (for him considering) the changes (at the) national level," Bambang Cipto of Yogyakarta Muhammadiyah University's School of Social and Political Sciences told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
His statement, according to Bambang Cipto, is particularly important amid the uncertainty over whether the province should maintain the status quo or conduct a democratic governor election like other provinces throughout Indonesia.
"We do hope this is a positive development, a good sign for a more democratic future in the region," Bambang Cipto said.
Political observer Ari Dwipayana of Gajah Mada University's School of Social and Political Sciences also said the sultan's statement was an important step toward the development of democracy.
"(The sultan's decision) should be seen as a way of reviving the position of the palace (as well as) a movement toward democratization -- as was shown in the past by Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX," Ari said.
Rector of Gajah Mada University Sofian Effendy said the sultan was doing the right thing by ending his run as governor, but remaining sultan, allowing the region to operate under a clear separation of powers.
The sultan announced his decision during a special event at Yogyakarta Palace over the weekend -- an event which also celebrated his 61st birthday.
Yogyakarta was declared a special region in 1950 and this status is clearly guaranteed by the 1945 Constitution, said Sofian.
"I think the sultan is doing the right thing because electing him as a governor actually means the specialty of Yogyakarta ... no longer exists."
Sofian said treating Yogyakarta exactly like other provinces in the country was a mistake.
He said the same mistake was made by lawmakers in Aceh -- a mistake which later led to the emergence of the GAM separatist movement.
What was needed was a government regulation giving a clear explanation about the special status of the province, he said.
"One way of ensuring this is by separating the functions of the head of the government and the head of Yogyakarta Palace -- like in a monarchy parliamentary system.
"(This) I think will make Yogyakarta much more attractive to investors as the existence of such a monarchy often contribute(s) a great deal (to) the political stability of a region."
Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono said he would not seek re-election in 2008 when his term ends due to "a thorough spiritual consideration".
"With all my heart and soul I sincerely declare that I am not willing to take on the (position of) governor and regional leader of Yogyakarta special province after the 2003-2008 term."
His statement was made in front of more than 500 people attending the special event which was held at the palace's Pagelaran Hall.
"From (2008) on, I entrust the Yogyakarta community to the next governor," said the sultan, who was awarded the Saya Bangga Menjadi Orang Indonesia Award by noted spiritualist Anand Krishna's National Integration Movement over the weekend.
The sultan said it was necessary to look through historical documents stipulating the existence of Yogyakarta's government and people to prove the region's special status from other provinces in the country.
"The speciality has explicitly been stipulated in Article 18 of the 1945 Constitution, along with its amendments, so it's our task all together to clearly formulate the exact meaning of (it)," he said.
The sultan's weekend announcement was attended by State Minister for the Environment Rahmat Witoelar, Public Housing Minister Yusuf Ashari and several foreign ambassadors.
President told to announce investigation result of Munir killing
JAKARTA (JP): President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was told the unveil the result of investigation by the Fact Finding Team to the killing of right activist Munir Thalib on his flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam in 2004.
Former deputy chairman of the team Asmara Nababan told the press conference Wednesday that the announcement of the work of the fact finding team would help the police to carry out their investigation.
"Under his own decree, the president has responsibility to announce it (the result of the fact finding team)," said Nababan, who is also former member of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas Ham).
Human rights activists from a number of non-governmental organizations attended the press conference. They also expressed their disappointments that the police had not announced the namesof the new suspects.
"It was not announcement. It was just a short statement," Usman Hamid, coordinator of the Committee for Missing People and Victims of Violence (Kontras), was quoted as saying referring the a statement made by National Polite Chief Gen. Sutanto, saying that police had named more than one suspect in case.
Rachlan Nashidik of Imparsial right group told the police to cooperate with former members of the fact finding team on munir murder in carrying out investigation.
Munir was murdered in September, 2004 with a lethal dose of arsenic. A district court sentenced pilot Pollycarpus Priyanto to 14 years in prison, but later the Supreme Court declared him innocence for the killing. (**)
Former deputy chairman of the team Asmara Nababan told the press conference Wednesday that the announcement of the work of the fact finding team would help the police to carry out their investigation.
"Under his own decree, the president has responsibility to announce it (the result of the fact finding team)," said Nababan, who is also former member of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas Ham).
Human rights activists from a number of non-governmental organizations attended the press conference. They also expressed their disappointments that the police had not announced the namesof the new suspects.
"It was not announcement. It was just a short statement," Usman Hamid, coordinator of the Committee for Missing People and Victims of Violence (Kontras), was quoted as saying referring the a statement made by National Polite Chief Gen. Sutanto, saying that police had named more than one suspect in case.
Rachlan Nashidik of Imparsial right group told the police to cooperate with former members of the fact finding team on munir murder in carrying out investigation.
Munir was murdered in September, 2004 with a lethal dose of arsenic. A district court sentenced pilot Pollycarpus Priyanto to 14 years in prison, but later the Supreme Court declared him innocence for the killing. (**)
New suspects named in Munir case
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Police on Tuesday named two new suspects in the 2004 murder case of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib.
National Police Chief Gen. Sutanto said after a cabinet meeting that the new suspects were former officials from national airline Garuda Indonesia.
"They are officials from Garuda with initials IS and R," Sutanto told reporters at the Presidential Palace.
The initials match those of Garuda's ex-president director, Indra Setiawan, and corporate security vice president, Ramelgia Anwar.
Sutanto said separately that R had issued an assignment letter to pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, the only person ever to be charged in the murder case.
"The document was issued on orders from his superior, IS," said Sutanto.
Sutanto also said that the police were now continuing their investigation and would name more suspects in the coming days.
"We are still building this case," he said.
Munir, co-founder of human rights organizations Imparsial and Kontras, was found dead on a Garuda flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam on Sept. 7, 2004.
Munir was a critic of Indonesia's military, accusing it of rights violations in the troubled provinces of Aceh and Papua and of running a network involved in illegal logging and drug smuggling. Following his death, Munir's widow reported receiving anonymous threats demanding she not implicate the military in her husband's death.
An autopsy conducted by Dutch authorities found excessive amounts of arsenic in his body, indicating that he was murdered on the one-hour leg of the flight from Jakarta to Singapore.
Rights activists have recently speculated that new suspects in the case would come from the State Intelligence Agency (BIN).
A government-sanctioned fact-finding team has indicated that at least six persons, including Pollycarpus and secretary to Garuda's chief pilot Rohainil Aini, were involved in Munir's death.
The team also implicated two unamed persons linked to BIN, along with Garuda's former president director and the vice president of corporate security.
In October 2006, a Supreme Court verdict cleared Pollycarpus of murder charges, leaving no one to be held accountable the murder of Munir.
Pollycarpus was an off-duty pilot of Garuda on the same flight with Munir from Singapore to the Netherlands. He was the first to administer medical assistance to Munir when the effect of the poison began to take hold.
Police on Tuesday named two new suspects in the 2004 murder case of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib.
National Police Chief Gen. Sutanto said after a cabinet meeting that the new suspects were former officials from national airline Garuda Indonesia.
"They are officials from Garuda with initials IS and R," Sutanto told reporters at the Presidential Palace.
The initials match those of Garuda's ex-president director, Indra Setiawan, and corporate security vice president, Ramelgia Anwar.
Sutanto said separately that R had issued an assignment letter to pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, the only person ever to be charged in the murder case.
"The document was issued on orders from his superior, IS," said Sutanto.
Sutanto also said that the police were now continuing their investigation and would name more suspects in the coming days.
"We are still building this case," he said.
Munir, co-founder of human rights organizations Imparsial and Kontras, was found dead on a Garuda flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam on Sept. 7, 2004.
Munir was a critic of Indonesia's military, accusing it of rights violations in the troubled provinces of Aceh and Papua and of running a network involved in illegal logging and drug smuggling. Following his death, Munir's widow reported receiving anonymous threats demanding she not implicate the military in her husband's death.
An autopsy conducted by Dutch authorities found excessive amounts of arsenic in his body, indicating that he was murdered on the one-hour leg of the flight from Jakarta to Singapore.
Rights activists have recently speculated that new suspects in the case would come from the State Intelligence Agency (BIN).
A government-sanctioned fact-finding team has indicated that at least six persons, including Pollycarpus and secretary to Garuda's chief pilot Rohainil Aini, were involved in Munir's death.
The team also implicated two unamed persons linked to BIN, along with Garuda's former president director and the vice president of corporate security.
In October 2006, a Supreme Court verdict cleared Pollycarpus of murder charges, leaving no one to be held accountable the murder of Munir.
Pollycarpus was an off-duty pilot of Garuda on the same flight with Munir from Singapore to the Netherlands. He was the first to administer medical assistance to Munir when the effect of the poison began to take hold.
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