Sutiyoso to outdo Susilo with radio program

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

While President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has offered his cell phone numbers as a means of keeping in touch with the public, his senior in the Army, Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso, said on Monday he would rather make his services available through a radio show.

"I have long instructed my subordinates to establish a hotline via the radio so that I could listen and talk to residents while they were driving ... But, I am very disappointed that my subordinates have been too slow in following up the idea," Sutiyoso told The Jakarta Post and Trijaya radio station at City Hall.

Sutiyoso said he was interested in direct communications and was eager to receive calls, particularly complaints or criticism from residents about corrupt officials.

"I am sure that I would be able to encourage public input at a greater rate than merely awaiting my subordinates' reports," he said.

"As long as the criticism is constructive and clear, I will follow it up. Otherwise, I will certainly ignore it," he confided.

Sutiyoso is no stranger to talk shows, having hosted the Bang Yos Show, which was aired by private television station Lativi every Tuesday last year.

In the program, Sutiyoso invited Jakarta residents to discuss real issues faced by city communities, such as transportation and health problems.

City spokesman Catur Laswanto said the program had been dropped, but fell short of explaining the reason for its termination.

"We plan to cooperate with another private TV station to make a similar program," he said.

Critics have called the program a waste of taxpayers' money, saying it only served the governor's interests.

A radio producer with a private radio station in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta, Yudhi Damar, has welcomed Sutiyoso's plan.

"I think most private radio stations, including my station, would be willing to allocate a regular free-of-charge slot for the governor to talk to the residents," he said.

Currently, Sutiyoso's administration provides a mail box, PO BOX 0008, to which the public can send complaints or reports. The mail box is managed by the City Audit Agency (Bawasda).

However, whether the mail box is fulfilling its function as a direct link to the governor is anyone's guess, as reports on its effectiveness are pending.