The House and Indosat
The House and Indosat
From Koran Tempo
The Indosat divestment case has drawn public attention and it remains to be seen how it will end. And now there is another case: The simultaneous hikes of fuel prices, electricity rates and telephone tariffs. Rallies have been held everywhere, lashing out strongly at the government. These rallies are legal and natural.
The problem now is whether or not these policies -- the Indosat divestment and the simultaneous price hikes -- are solely the government's, as is usually alleged in the rallies. Let's allow the facts to speak for themselves.
The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) has decided upon privatization, and Commission IX of the House of Representatives has also determined which state-owned enterprises must be privatized. Every year, the Budget Commission of the House includes privatization as a source of funds for the state budget. When privatization has been implemented, the House members themselves have lashed out at it. Observers are no longer scientifically objective as their observations are colored by their political leaning.
Strangely, though, all of a sudden, many House members are of the opinion that the Indosat divestment is the sole affair of Commission IX and the government. In fact, Commission IX is part of the House, not of a political party. This commission is composed of representatives of different factions.
As if to justify this weird situation, protests have been lodged. Some House members have tried to exercise their right to interpellate, while others have tried to resort to their right to inquire. Still others have demanded the establishment of a special committee. Then, all of a sudden (again), many House members have found themselves protesting alongside Indosat employees.
What about the price hikes? Vice President Hamzah Haz has said that these hikes were the result of a political decision that the government made jointly with the House.
Given the facts above, is it really fair to say that only the government has committed a heinous sin, while the House members are "holy"?. Protesters must see these cases with open eyes and minds.
SUSI PURWATINI, Jakarta