The Director General of Politics and General Governance at the\nMinistry of Home Affairs, Akmal Malik, assessed that the issue of\ndecentralisation in Indonesia is not merely related to the constitution.\nThe problem is believed to be more deeply rooted in the implementation\nstage and the dynamics of the relationship between the central and\nregional governments.<\/p>\n
Akmal emphasised that the division of authority between the central\nand regional governments must be accompanied by institutional and\nbudgetary clarity. Furthermore, aspects such as human resources,\nsupervision, and systems of rewards and sanctions must be addressed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe problem lies in implementation. When there are problems in\nimplementation, is meritocracy functioning? What is the reward for those\nwho succeed, and what is the punishment for those who do not? This\nmechanism is currently non-existent,\u201d Aklar stated in a written\nstatement on Monday (21\/9\/2026).<\/p>\n
These remarks were made by Akmal while serving as a speaker in a\nFocus Group Discussion (FGD) for Group III of the MPR RI Research Body.\nThe event, themed \u201cDecentralisation, Regional Autonomy, Local\nGovernment, and Villages,\u201d took place in Bintaro, South Tangerang.<\/p>\n
The discussion was led by the Chairperson of Group III of the MPR RI\nResearch Body, Hindun Anisa. Several members of the MPR RI Research Body\nfrom various factions, including I Wayan Sudirta, Firman Soebagyo, and\nIda Fauziyah, were present, alongside the Vice Rector I of UIN Syarif\nHidayatullah Jakarta, Prof.\u00a0Ahmad Tholabi Kharlie, S.H., M.H., as a\nresource person.<\/p>\n
Akmal highlighted the importance of policies that consider the\nspecific conditions of each region. According to him, the\ncharacteristics of regions such as Aceh, Papua, Yogyakarta, and Jakarta\ncannot always be equated with other areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot all regions are the same. Sometimes we are too lazy to create\ndifferent policies and instead choose a one-size-fits-all approach, even\nthough regional conditions vary,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Additionally, Akmal encouraged regional governments not to rely\nsolely on transfer funds from the central government. Regions need to\ndevelop their inherent potential to boost the economy and public\nwelfare.<\/p>\n
\u201cProductive autonomy like this must be encouraged moving forward. Do\nnot forget to bring prosperity to the people. There is much that can be\ndone,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n
He added that strengthening decentralisation still requires an active\nrole from the central government. The central government is tasked with\ncoordinating various policies while considering the diverse conditions\nof each region.<\/p>\n
\u201cDecentralisation requires centralisation to coordinate it,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Prof.\u00a0Ahmad Tholabi Kharlie, S.H., M.H., stated that every\nissue in the administration of government does not necessarily need to\nbe resolved through constitutional amendments. He argued that a\ndiagnosis must first be conducted to determine whether the problem\noriginates from the constitution or is merely related to laws,\nregulations, and their execution.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, we must diagnose first before providing the prescription. Before\nchanging the most fundamental norms, we need to ensure whether the\nproblem truly stems from constitutional norms or can still be resolved\nthrough legislation and implementation improvements,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
Ahmad assessed that Articles 18, 118A, and 18B of the 1945\nConstitution of the Republic of Indonesia already provide a sufficient\nbasis for the implementation of regional autonomy and special regional\nstatus. The challenge lies in how those rules are applied in policy and\ngovernmental practice.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur laws are not heading in the wrong direction. The problem lies in\nthe fact that the safeguards are not yet strong enough against the\ntendency towards re-centralisation through sectoral regulations,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Ahmad assessed that the issue of high political costs and the\npotential for transactional practices in regional elections (Pilkada)\ncannot be resolved simply by changing the election mechanism. Changing\nthe system from direct elections to those conducted via regional\nlegislatures (DPRD) is considered insufficient to resolve the core\nproblems of local democracy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the source of the problem is at the upstream, then moving the\nelection to the DPRD will not necessarily eliminate transactions.\nTransactions can simply move spaces, from the public sphere to the elite\nsphere,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Therefore, he urged that the improvement of local democracy be\ncarried out from upstream to downstream, starting from the nomination\nprocess, political and campaign financing, supervision, to\naccountability after a candidate is elected. Ahmad emphasised that the\nimprovement of decentralisation and local democracy can first be\nachieved through regulatory and implementation reforms without\nimmediately altering the constitution.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first priority is legislative reform and implementation\nimprovement. Even if the constitution needs to be addressed in the\nfuture, such changes must be done in a limited, measurable, and\ndiagnosis-based manner,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mpr-ri-discusses-strengthening-decentralisation-highlights-central-regional-relations-1789999031", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }