Legislators must be proactive
Legislators must be proactive
From Sinar Pagi
A legislator of the Jakarta Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) said on TV that he would go on strike if their demand addressed to the Jakarta administration to close down gambling dens and other immoral establishments was not met.
The law clearly prohibits businesses that provide gambling and other immoral practices. The proposal by the legislator should be seen as an ultimatum to the Jakarta administration, in this case the governor. If the governor cannot meet the legislator's demand, he should resign.
The reluctance shown by the legislator shows that the executive body is more dominant and authoritative than the legislative body. Moreover, as the governor's post is filled by an active member of the Armed Forces, it certainly makes legislators tremble.
In this era of reform, such an attitude should not be maintained. Legislators, both in the DPRD and the DPR, should more often sing, "...maju tak gentar, membela yang benar..." (a patriotic song asking people to go forward without fear while defending the truth) to encourage them to act in the people's interest. Now that their term of office is drawing to a close, legislators should take the opportunity to see their achievements written in golden ink in the country's history.
Legislators should also be more proactive when dealing with problems in the community. For example, there is a move to set up gotong royong command posts in the name of Megawati, the leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) Perjuangan. The existence of those posts must be monitored because they bring more disadvantages than benefits.
Some of those posts are used for activities which do not serve their intended purpose. These posts should be reconsidered because their existence could create unrest. If each political party were to set up similar posts, the situation could lead to a civil war among the common people.
Moreover, it is not guaranteed that Megawati and the PDI Perjuangan will in fact benefit from the command posts. If the existence of the posts is detrimental to the people's interest, it will certainly also adversely affect Megawati and the PDI Perjuangan.
AHMAD BAEDOWI
Jakarta