I do it for the people: Outspoken legislator

JAKARTA (JP): Legislator Alvin Lie of the Reform faction has emerged as one of the harshest critics of President Abdurrahman Wahid, but he says strong criticism only mirrors the depth of his love for his country and the President.

It was Alvin along with Zulfan Lindan of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and Ade Komaruddin of the Golkar Party who were the initiators of the recent interpellation motion at the House of Representatives.

"I have been critical of the government because I love President Abdurrahman Wahid and Vice President Megawati and I want them to achieve improvements for the people," he told The Jakarta Post here on Tuesday.

"I will remain critical, regardless of the possible consequences," he added.

Alvin, representing the National Mandate Party (PAN) from the Central Java capital of Semarang, has frequently criticized the government for its failure to stop the prolonged bloody violence in Aceh, Maluku and North Maluku, to defuse the economic crisis and for creating political instability.

"I have nothing to loose if I'm recalled. But, so far, my faction has given moral support to me to remain critical, despite my different background," he said referring to his Chinese ethnicity.

"I didn't come here to enrich myself and my family, but to channel my constituents' hopes," he asserted.

Alvin, whose full name is Alvin Lie Ling Piao, was born in Semarang on April 21, 1961.

Being a Central Java native, Alvin said he and other legislators from the province were pushing the central government and provincial administration to pay more attention to the floods that hit the provincial capital annually.

The floods, he claimed, were in large part due to excessive drilling for water and deforestation in mountainous resorts around the city.

"We are also working to encourage the government to internationalize the seaports and airports in the province to make sure they are ready to go international and to help improve the welfare of the people," he said.

He said that despite being Catholic, he was proud to be a member of PAN and the Reform faction, which is known by some as being closer in nature to an Islamic party.

Alvin said his presence in such a party provided a distinct color to the party and his faction.

"The party has the primary mission of promoting total reform in all sectors and religious tolerance among its members and supporters," he added.

Asked to comment on the House's performance, Alvin, a graduate in international marketing from Strathclyde University in Scotland, said it had a lot to do as it was only in the early stages of waking up from over three decades of sleep.

"The House should continually be encouraged to carry out its function of empowering the people and upholding their sovereignty."

"I have been considered critical and outspoken because numerous other legislators are still enjoying their sleep. They should also wake up to represent the people and help ease their suffering," he said.

He said that he along with other young legislators were launching an informal moral movement to encourage the House to remain critical of the government.

"The informal moral movement started with the recent interpellation motion ... The next step is the planned investigation into Buloggate, Bruneigate and the leakages in the State Logistics Agency's (Bulog) nonbudgetary funds," he said.

Alvin pointed out that his faction and himself were dissatisfied with the President's behavior and his administration's poor performance in handling major problems.

"We are worried about the President's capability in running the government and to defuse the crisis due to his unstable personality and physical handicaps," he said.

He admitted that this was the reason his faction at the People's Consultative Assembly had proposed a decree to delegate power to Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri in running the government. (rms)