Mar'ie: Provinces must be given the widest possible autonomy'

JAKARTA (JP): Former minister of finance Mar'ie Muhammad said on Thursday that he supported autonomy for the provinces as it would help avoid a repetition of the neglect experienced by provinces outside Java and Bali.

Addressing the Indonesian Moslem Congress in Pondok Gede, East Jakarta, on its third day, Mar'ie did not mention the term "federation", which has become a hot topic of late, but said the government needed to give provinces "the widest possible autonomy".

While people have been debating the possibility of disintegration if a federal system was introduced, several governors have urged a larger share of revenue for their natural resource-rich provinces regardless of status.

Mar'ie said provinces outside Java and Bali should be given autonomy to develop their own economy, "including the management of their natural resources", he said.

Mar'ie told some 300 participants that about 62 percent of the country's total population of 202 million live in Java and Bali, which make up only 7 percent of the country's land.

Kalimantan, East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi and Irian Jaya make up about 58 percent of the country and are only inhabited by 11 percent of the population.

This, Mar'ie said, has caused centralization not only in administration but also in economic development and distribution of the fruits of development.

"It has also centralized political power and authority in Java and Bali," the founder of the Indonesian Transparency Society said.

The congress, which ends on Saturday, was organized by the Indonesian Ulemas Council. Thousands gathered at the opening of the event in a show of unity versus disintegration.

Mar'ie further said the political elite should admit to its mistakes to restore people's trust in the government.

Outside the forum, he cited that one indication of the lack of trust was the fluctuation of the rupiah.

He also said people's aspirations should be institutionalized to avoid conditions worsening, including the possibility of chaos.

In his speech on "Empowering Moslems' economy", Mar'ie noted that small-scale enterprises were a potential asset to economic development. Government help was needed to bridge small-scale enterprises with more sophisticated businesses, he said, besides the help of export firms to sell products.

"I hope this congress will initiate a working group to realize such empowerment among Moslems," Mar'ie said. (01)