Transport Justice for Those Who Educate the Nation
The disparity between the salaries of teachers and members of the House of Representatives (DPR) remains an irony that challenges the sense of justice. A harsh reality persists: many honorary teachers, earning between Rp 500,000 and Rp 1.5 million, must sacrifice 20% to 50% of their income solely for transport costs, exhausting their physical and mental well-being on the road.
In contrast, members of the DPR enjoy basic salaries, honour allowances, communication allowances, as well as transport and housing facilities worth dozens to hundreds of times the income of an honorary teacher.
How does the lens of Maqashid Syariah (the primary objectives of Islamic law), specifically the thought of contemporary scholars such as Yusuf Al-Qardhawi and Thahir Ibnu Asyur, view this inequality?
- Fiqh al-Awlawiyyat (The Jurisprudence of Priorities) by Yusuf Al-Qardhawi
Yusuf Al-Qardhawi emphasises the importance of Fiqh al-Awlamiyyat in managing state policy and budgets. In Islam, the fulfilment of needs is divided into three levels: Dharuriyyat (primary/urgent needs), Hajiyyat (secondary needs), and Tahsiniyyat (tertiary/luxuries).
Teachers fall within the realm of Dharuriyyat: transport for teachers is not merely about comfort, but a determinant of whether they can teach or not. Teachers are the primary agents preserving the intellect (Hifz al-Aql) and religion (Hifz al-Din) of the nation’s generations. Securing decent wages and access to pioneer transport for teachers is a Dharuriyyat obligation for the state.
DPR facilities tend towards Tahsiniyyat: conversely, the excessive facilities and allowances provided to officials or members of the DPR, such as luxury cars or extravagant aspiration absorption allowances, often fall into the realm of Tahsiniyyat (luxuries).
Qardhawi’s View: Allocating the state budget for the luxuries (Tahsiniyyat) of a small elite of lawmakers, while the urgent needs (Dharuriyyat) of the nation’s educators are neglected, is a violation of social justice and a flaw in establishing national priorities.
- Preserving Honour and Life (Hifz al-Nafs)
The routes traversed by teachers in 3T areas (Underdeveloped, Frontier, and Outermost) are incredibly dangerous. They must cross rivers in makeshift boats or navigate broken roads that threaten their lives.
The Burden on Teachers: Teachers risk their lives (Hifz al-Nafs) in service. The physical and mental exhaustion (burnout) caused by travel leads to a decline in teaching quality.
The Privilege of the DPR: Legislative members are not only provided with transport allowances but are also facilitated with first-class infrastructure and accommodation to support their ‘performance’.
The Maqashid View: The state is obliged to protect the lives and intellect of its citizens. Allowing teachers to risk their lives on the road without infrastructure support or transport subsidies is a form of state negligence in performing the function of Hifz al-Nafs.
- The Principle of Equality (Musawah) according to Ibnu Asyur
Thahir Ibnu Asyur, a great scholar from Tunisia, developed the concept of Maqashid Syariah by adding a broader social dimension, one of which is Al-Musawah (Equality and Social Justice). According to him, Islamic law aims to eliminate unfounded discrimination within society.
Ecosystem Inequality: Welfare is not just a figure on a payslip, but a healthy ecosystem. Members of the DPR possess a very established support ecosystem, ranging from expert staff to recess allowances. Conversely, honorary teachers must struggle alone against urban congestion or the extremes of remote areas without pioneer transport subsidies.
Ibnu Asyur’s View: This extreme inequality harms the principle of Musawah. Equality does not mean salaries must be identical in nominal value, but equality in the fulfilment of basic rights and human dignity. The state violates the principle of Maslahah Mursalah (public interest) if its payroll system impoverishes those who contribute most to educating the nation, while pampering those seated in bureaucratic positions.
Through the lens of Maqashid Syariah by Yusuf Al-Qardhawi and Ibnu Asyur:
Systemic Budgetary Sin: Ignoring the salaries and transport access of teachers, while the state is capable of paying legislators with fantastic figures, is a form of misaligned priority (prioritising the Tahsini to the detriment of the Dharuri).
Honouring Teachers is Sharia: The state is obliged to provide specific public transport subsidies for teachers and build pioneer roads. This is not merely an infrastructure programme, but a religious obligation to preserve the intellect (Hifz al-Aql) of the people.
Educating the nation is a long journey, and that journey must begin by ensuring those who lead the way arrive in the classroom with a smile. In Islam, ensuring the smiles of these educators is a priority of justice that the state must fulfil before considering the luxuries of its officials.