Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai delivered sharp criticism and a\ncall for reform during a meeting with the Central Papua DPR, the Papuan\nPeople\u2019s Assembly (MRP), tribal chiefs, community figures, and youth and\nstudents at the Central Papua DPR office on 17 August. In the forum,\nPigai urged all elements of regional government to abandon the habit of\nbringing money to Jakarta in order to obtain or influence a policy.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonourable DPR and MRP leaders, government services in Jakarta are\nfree of charge. Do not make a habit of delivering money to Jakarta! No\npolicy of this country can be bought with money. No state policy can be\nbought with money, none,\u201d Pigai said, as quoted on Thursday (20\nAugust).<\/p>\n
Pigai also referred to a local expression that has often been used to\ndescribe the practice of giving money to officials. \u201cThe fact is there\nis a term \u2018small fish pay the shark\u2019. Is that a fact? That fact is an\nenemy! That fact must be fought! I am a Papuan who every day peers into\nthe fortress of Papuan stories. But I rarely meet Papuan regents and\nofficials. You can check anywhere, I am a clean person. I have never\nbeen involved in anything improper. At least there is no gossip, right?\nI myself have never done so either. I cannot be bothered to know who\nthey are,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He reiterated that various government administrative processes\nrelated to Papua\u2019s development in Jakarta should be able to be carried\nout without incurring costs.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, administrative matters of governance and development related to\nPapua in Jakarta are free! No payment! I do not know about political\nmatters. The affairs of political parties and candidacy, that is wallahu\na\u2019lam. That is God\u2019s business and their business, not ours. But for\ngovernment services in Jakarta, nothing can be monetised,\u201d Pigai\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd therefore, do not have itchy hands. Do not take a wad of cash\nand deliver it to Jakarta to pay for policy. Policy cannot be paid for;\npolicy is free. You pay taxes, and the proceeds of those taxes are given\nto us as salaries and allowances, and on that basis we provide policy.\nThrow far away the tradition of \u2018small fish pay the shark\u2019,\u201d he\ncontinued.<\/p>\n
According to Pigai, the habit of bringing money to Jakarta has also\nshaped a negative perception of Papuans at the central level. He argued\nthat the practice actually lowers the position and dignity of\nPapuans.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a secret. In the minds of the rulers in Jakarta, the bribe\nvalue of a Papuan is ten times higher than the bribe value of someone\nfrom NTT. For political party matters, if you run as a member of the DPR\nor as a regent\/mayor, someone from NTT pays at least one hundred million\nrupiah, whereas a Papuan for one seat can pay two billion rupiah! Why?\nBecause we ourselves deliver the money. We even deliver money to enrich\nJakarta,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have heard information that recommendations from political parties\nfor Papuan candidacy are the most expensive in all of Indonesia. The\nrulers in Papua who want to become leaders but follow that method are\nalso wicked. Who becomes the victim? The dignity of Papuans becomes weak\nand low,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Pigai then said that he has tried to break that stigma through his\nattitude and track record, which he considers clean. \u201cCheck all the\nmedia in Indonesia, my name is one of the best and cleanest today. Even\nthough ninety-nine per cent in Jakarta\u2019s view, Papuans are easy when it\ncomes to money,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI break their way of thinking at the centre of power in Jakarta\nthrough clean means. Now, with this meeting of ours, at least in Central\nPapua Province, just do what I have said. Later we will see change after\nchange in the future, although it cannot be completed quickly, because\nit is a tradition,\u201d Pigai said.<\/p>\n
Not only highlighting bureaucratic and financial management issues,\nPigai also urged local legislators to be bolder in voicing the interests\nof the people.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am a minister, I speak plainly. Where is there a minister who\nspeaks politely and with pleasantries? I do not want that. I am a\nminister and I always speak like this and have not been replaced until\nnow, let alone you members of the DPR? Why do you keep silent? What is\nnot allowed and is prohibited by the state is demanding Papuan\nindependence. The moment you demand Papuan independence, you will be\nremoved tomorrow, done. But if you demand that the people be prosperous,\njust, prosperous, healthy, and secure, what is wrong with that? You are\ncarrying out the mandate of the Preamble to the 1945 Constitution. Carry\nit out! Never be afraid to speak out against injustice,\u201d he\nexplained.<\/p>\n
Pigai also stressed that justice, truth, and humanitarian values must\nbe the foundation for building Papua\u2019s future. \u201cIf there is justice,\ntruth, and humanity in Papua, then we will see the sun of justice rise\nstarting from Central Papua,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pigai-urges-papua-to-abandon-money-tradition-1787223085", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }