Socializing federal state
Socializing federal state
From Pikiran Rakyat
I was impressed by the article in Pikiran Rakyat on Nov. 10, 1999, entitled The Concept of a Federal State and Amien Rais' performance, and would like to add some comments.
First of all, I am very sad to learn of the controversy surrounding whether we have to retain the existence of a unitary state or consider the establishment of a federal state. More extreme still is the fact that there are some regions who wish to separate from Indonesia and become independent.
As a matter of fact, the people on the street are not really too concerned about the issue. What matters to them is how to make life today better than yesterday. In other words, they want to be able to buy daily necessities at reasonable prices, get appropriate health care and send their kids to school without being burdened by all sorts of levies etc. Also they want the supremacy of the law implemented and the end of human rights violations.
To change a unitary state into a federal one is not as easy as turning the palm of one's hand. Australia, for example, took 35 years before it finally decided to become a federal state that closely resembled the federal system of the United States. A desultory debate (beginning at the turn of the 19th century) went on for 20 years. Then it was followed by a referendum, in which the supporters of a federal state were victorious. The result was enacted by the British Parliament on Jan. 1, 1901, and only in 1915 did the country became a federal state.
To establish a federal state takes time. It seems that it has become an accepted trend for all of us to take hasty steps, believing that all problems can be settled in a single wink of the eye. In fact, long, detailed and careful preparations should be made before we decide to establish a federal state. The following steps might be worth considering.
1. Hold a transparent debate/discussion/seminar on the topic to give the people plenty of time to think about the virtues and vices of the matter until the best result is produced.
2. Hold a national referendum, say in 2010, on the choice between a unitary state and a federal state.
3. If the latter is the people's choice, it should be legalized by a decree of the People's Consultative Assembly and a date should be set as to when the system will take effect. Much has yet to be addressed, e.g. preparation of the related laws, human resources and so on. Then the implementation of the federal state might be completed by 2015.
It should also be realized that to establish a federal state the central government must be strong and solid, and there should be a guarantee that free trade between states can be conducted.
SALMING UMAR
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