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