Students seek revocation of Manpower Law

JAKARTA (JP): More than 200 students staged a protest at the House of Representatives yesterday demanding the revocation of the Manpower Law following allegations that the legislators deliberating the document had received bribes.

The University of Indonesia students also demanded that Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief and the legislators be investigated.

"The Manpower Law should be revoked because it was made in a process which ignored ethics and moral norms," student leader Rama Pratama said.

The group also demanded that the minister return the money he received from the state-owned workers' insurance company to service the legislators deliberating the bill between July and September this year. They said the money belonged to workers.

Dozens of police from the mobile brigade and military police were on alert inside and outside the House during the demonstration.

The students opted to read their statement in the House's lobby after they failed to meet representatives of Golkar and the Armed Forces factions.

President Soeharto signed the bill into law on Oct. 3, but it will only become effective on Oct. 1 next year. The law sparked controversy following reports that Latief had asked the state social workers' insurance company PT Jamsostek for Rp 7.1 billion (US$2.15 million) to finance the 1992/1997 House members' deliberation of the bill.

Latief has admitted using Rp 2.8 billion of Jamsostek funds, but denied that the money was given to the legislators.

The Jakarta provincial prosecutor office and the State Audit Agency is currently investigating the case.

The students urged the House to hold a plenary session to hear Latief's accountability report seven days from yesterday.

The Golkar faction refused to meet the students because they had not formally requested a meeting prior to their arrival. The Armed Forces legislators said they would have accepted the students had they agreed to send only 20 delegates to the hearing -- a proposal rejected by the students.

Rama said the students, from 13 faculties, planned to return next week.

"We are not going to rally at the Ministry of Manpower because we are disappointed with the House legislators. We want a clean and strong representative body," he said.

Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono tried to assure the public that the government would seriously handle the alleged misuse of funds.

"President Soeharto will pay serious attention to the Jamsostek case, as well as to other state matters," he told reporters after a hearing with the House Commission II for political affairs yesterday.

He dismissed speculation that the disclosure of the alleged misuse of Jamsostek's money was politically motivated.

He said that the Attorney General had not asked for President Soeharto's permission to question Abdul Latief regarding the use of the insurance company's money.

"Questioning a cabinet minister for an investigation should be conducted only upon the President's approval," he said.

Moerdiono insisted that the decision on whether or not to question the minister, would rest on the Attorney General.

He urged the public to be patient regarding the case. (amd/09/imn)