Human rights minister complains over salary<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Justice and Human Rights Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra has
\ncomplained about his monthly salary, saying his basic salary of
\nRp 19 million does not reflect his workload.<\/p>\n
\"I feel like I am being exploited (by the state). I am not
\nhappy (with this job),\" he told reporters during a recent
\ninterview.<\/p>\n
\"I always do my best in this job. You know that I always
\nfinish my job on time,\" said Yusril, claiming he always
\nprioritized his ministerial tasks.<\/p>\n
He claimed that he and some high-ranking officials at the
\njustice ministry often had to dig into their own pockets to pay
\nfor damage to jails across the country.<\/p>\n
\"If a brawl occurs in a penitentiary, we are often forced to
\ndig into our pockets to pay the repairmen in advance. The
\ngovernment usually pays it back afterwards.\"<\/p>\n
Yusril, who is also chairman of the Muslim-based Crescent Star
\nParty (PBB), said he was often forced to do a ministerial job
\nwhile he visited a province, in his capacity as the party
\nchairman.<\/p>\n
\"I've never used a VIP service if I do my tasks for the party.
\nThe party pays for my travel. But, on many occasions, I am forced
\nto visit this or that penitentiary. You see, it's the PBB that
\npays for the state and not vice versa,\" he said, claiming that he
\nnever used state facilities for his private or party interests.<\/p>\n
The government, Yusril said, paid him a basic salary of Rp 19
\nmillion, three quarters of which was allocated for social
\npurposes every month.<\/p>\n
The government actually provides allowances, including state
\nfacilities such as a house in the ministry housing complex in
\nSouth Jakarta and a Volvo car, as well as VIP services for his
\nstate duties.<\/p>\n
Yusril, however, said the house embarrassed him, while the
\ncar, which he said had sparked public debate, was worth nothing
\nmore than Rp 100 million.<\/p>\n
\"I have a carpet in the ministry house that was installed when
\nSusilo Sudarman became a minister. The carpet is still there
\nwhile he passed away years ago,\" he complained, saying that he
\nhad never received respected guests like foreign ambassadors at
\nhis official residence.<\/p>\n
Susilo was a minister during the administration of President
\nSoeharto, who was forced to resign in May 1998.<\/p>\n
Commenting on his earnings as a minister, Yusril said: \"It's
\nnot appropriate. Frankly speaking, I am disappointed. The state
\nhas asked too much of me. I have told Finance Minister (Boediono)
\nabout it.\"<\/p>\n
Yusril claimed he was not the only minister in the country who
\ncomplained about the salary as several other fellow ministers
\nalso did.<\/p>\n
However, he could not name a figure for the salary of a
\nminister.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know, but it's just not appropriate,\" said Yusril,
\nadding his salary was far below the monthly salary of government
\nofficials appointed as directors of state-owned enterprises.<\/p>\n
When asked whether he no longer wanted to be a minister, he
\nreplied: \"It's not that. It's because most people think that
\nbecoming a minister means having a lot of money and getting a lot
\nof facilities.\"<\/p>\n
Yusril also claimed that he was more than willing to become a
\npro-bono minister, \"as long as people do not shower him with
\nnegative allegations.\"<\/p>\n
He served as a justice minister for the first time in August
\n2000 in the Cabinet of former president Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\"
\nWahid, who dismissed him six months later.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur's successor, President Megawati Soekarnoputri,
\nreappointed him in August 2001.<\/p>\n
The debate over the appropriate salary for Cabinet ministers,
\nand state officials, is not new.<\/p>\n
In 2000, backed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Gus
\nDur's administration proposed to increase officials' salaries
\nthree to four times in an attempt to combat corruption.<\/p>\n
However, the proposal was rejected due to public criticism.<\/p>\n
Early this year, outspoken Minister of National Development
\nPlanning Kwik Kian Gie also raised the same issue. He said that
\nthe increase of the state officials' salary was mandatory in a
\nbid to eradicate corruption, collusion and nepotism.<\/p>\n
Currently, the monthly salary for Cabinet ministers stands at
\nbetween Rp 15 million to Rp 20 million. In comparison, the salary
\nof a state-owned bank director is about Rp 100 million a month.<\/p>",
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