Soeharto disagrees with shoe project
JAKARTA (JP): A private shoe company's attempt to monopolize sales to millions of students across the country met the strongest possible opposition yesterday when President Soeharto announced his dissatisfactions with the plan.
The President expressed his surprise that certain groups wanted to force people, including the poor, to buy the expensive shoes.
"The President completely disagrees with the plan," Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Azwar Anas said after meeting with Soeharto at his Jl. Cendana residence.
The Jakarta-based company, PT Aryo Nusa Pakarti, claimed that it had the backing of the Ministry of Education and Culture and that it planned to donate some of its profit from the project to charity, including the Indonesian Foster Parents Movement (GN- OTA), whose mission is to help send poor children to school.
The company, owned by President Soeharto's grandson Ari Sigit, has reportedly launched the first stage of its scheme by selling shoes directly to primary schools in East and West Java.
The so-called uniform shoes, bearing the logo OSIS and costing Rp 21,000 (US$7.5) per pair, has sparked protests from parents who felt they were obliged to buy the shoes.
"The price is too expensive, and they have also misused the name of GN-OTA," Azwar quoted Soeharto as saying.
The chairwoman of the movement, Halimah Bambang Trihatmodjo denied Monday that the movement had any connection with the plan.
"We give free shoes, uniforms and scholarships to poor children ... and do not have any relationship with the company," said Halimah, who is also Soeharto's daughter-in law.
Amien Rais, the chairman of the Muhammadiyah Moslem organization, calculated that if the plan went ahead, the company stood to make trillions of rupiah in profit.
Azwar said he had ordered Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro to revoke the ministry's controversial letter to the company.
Director-General of Primary and Secondary Schools Z.A. Achmady stated in his letter dated Aug. 4, 1996, that he supported the plan.
"We have no argument with your proposal as long as it is not an obligation for students," he wrote.
Minister Wardiman denied yesterday that his ministry had required students to buy the shoes.
"The ministry has never issued any letter obliging students to buy shoes bearing a certain trademark," Antara quoted him as saying.
The ministry's only stipulation regarding school students' shoes is that they be black.
The chairman of the Indonesian Teachers Association, Basyuni Suriamihadja also called on parents yesterday to oppose the sales plan. "Students are only required to wear black shoes, and (there's no obligation) about the size, brandname or model," he said. (prb/07)