Students seek revocation of Manpower Law<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): More than 200 students staged a protest at the
\nHouse of Representatives yesterday demanding the revocation of
\nthe Manpower Law following allegations that the legislators
\ndeliberating the document had received bribes.<\/p>\n
The University of Indonesia students also demanded that
\nMinister of Manpower Abdul Latief and the legislators be
\ninvestigated.<\/p>\n
\"The Manpower Law should be revoked because it was made in a
\nprocess which ignored ethics and moral norms,\" student leader
\nRama Pratama said.<\/p>\n
The group also demanded that the minister return the money he
\nreceived from the state-owned workers' insurance company to
\nservice the legislators deliberating the bill between July and
\nSeptember this year. They said the money belonged to workers.<\/p>\n
Dozens of police from the mobile brigade and military police
\nwere on alert inside and outside the House during the
\ndemonstration.<\/p>\n
The students opted to read their statement in the House's
\nlobby after they failed to meet representatives of Golkar and the
\nArmed Forces factions.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto signed the bill into law on Oct. 3, but it
\nwill only become effective on Oct. 1 next year. The law sparked
\ncontroversy following reports that Latief had asked the state
\nsocial workers' insurance company PT Jamsostek for Rp 7.1 billion
\n(US$2.15 million) to finance the 1992\/1997 House members'
\ndeliberation of the bill.<\/p>\n
Latief has admitted using Rp 2.8 billion of Jamsostek funds,
\nbut denied that the money was given to the legislators.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta provincial prosecutor office and the State Audit
\nAgency is currently investigating the case.<\/p>\n
The students urged the House to hold a plenary session to hear
\nLatief's accountability report seven days from yesterday.<\/p>\n
The Golkar faction refused to meet the students because they
\nhad not formally requested a meeting prior to their arrival. The
\nArmed Forces legislators said they would have accepted the
\nstudents had they agreed to send only 20 delegates to the hearing
\n-- a proposal rejected by the students.<\/p>\n
Rama said the students, from 13 faculties, planned to return
\nnext week.<\/p>\n
\"We are not going to rally at the Ministry of Manpower because
\nwe are disappointed with the House legislators. We want a clean
\nand strong representative body,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Minister\/State Secretary Moerdiono tried to assure the public
\nthat the government would seriously handle the alleged misuse of
\nfunds.<\/p>\n
\"President Soeharto will pay serious attention to the
\nJamsostek case, as well as to other state matters,\" he told
\nreporters after a hearing with the House Commission II for
\npolitical affairs yesterday.<\/p>\n
He dismissed speculation that the disclosure of the alleged
\nmisuse of Jamsostek's money was politically motivated.<\/p>\n
He said that the Attorney General had not asked for President
\nSoeharto's permission to question Abdul Latief regarding the use
\nof the insurance company's money.<\/p>\n
\"Questioning a cabinet minister for an investigation should be
\nconducted only upon the President's approval,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Moerdiono insisted that the decision on whether or not to
\nquestion the minister, would rest on the Attorney General.<\/p>\n
He urged the public to be patient regarding the case.
\n(amd\/09\/imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/students-seek-revocation-of-manpower-law-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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