11 Comments on “PP 37”

1. Parvita Says:
   January 29th, 2007 at 6:18 pm

   I don’t see a reason why they have to get such big raise when there is no equal balance to the outcome. I don’t see any reason why they have to get additional pay for meetings; their job description includes meetings.

   But guess what, it is not only DPR that gets additional money and benefit for absurd things. Take a look at other government employees, who are supposed to be civil servants. I work pretty close to MIGAS and BPMIGAS and those people get paid by contractors, outrageous amount of money when they go for business travel, especially abroad. I once had to made up a technical justification for one of the BPMIGAS personel to boondoggle to Kalimantan. That’s only local trip (they get paid almost 1 million roops for 1.5 days travel, while I get nothing. Tragic).

   If a higher positioned guy goes for a trip abroad, say, if the company headquarter is in Paris, they will ask for a trip, make up a reason, “for audition”. Or, when the meeting is scheduled for 5 days, they ask if the meeting could be only 1.5 days, and the rest of the day they will go travelling with the contractor’s expense. I even had an experience when one (or two) of the big guys in BPMIGAS shamelessly asked for tickets to watch football match at San Ciro (several kilometers outside Milan) and the company gave them the balcony. One ticket was around 200 Euro. And I happened to know two cases. As an Indonesian working in a foreign company, I am totally ashamed of my own people.

   However, these people do it pretty subtle. DPR does it bluntly when they ask for money for travelling. For instance, when the gas sales from the West Natuna Transportation System was going on, these reps from the government bluntly asked for $5000 for 2 days travel to Singapore, on top of their lodging. And when they went there, they have no idea what they are looking at, or looking for.

   The money for comparison studies, they said? Maybe it is only uang jalan-jalan. They cannot even implement what Singapore implements at intersections: if a car is in the middle of a big junction on red light, they will get fined. Just simple things, they cannot do it. No money? Whoaaaa….

   Overall, it is the mentallity of the people that really makes me question, is this really the mentallity of Indonesian people? Shameless? Greedy? Pervert?

   Really, it pisses me off looking at these people, who are sucking tax payers money. I am fully behind those who protest against this. I do hope SBY will not grant such thing or else we are going to face another revolution. But what can I say, I’m just a normal person, who WORK for a decent living…!

2. Dimp Says:
   January 30th, 2007 at 7:12 am

   Hi Parvita,

   Unfortunately this is the fact of life in Indonesia, that is why I have very little faith in the government, they are supposed to represent the people, but what I am seeing is that the people are suffering because lack of food and other basic necessities, while the fat cats in Jakarta only think about their own pockets.

   I have only got one word for them “SHAME”.

3. Hassan Says:
   January 30th, 2007 at 11:22 am

   I would like to say to Ross McKay (the writer of the article) that if on other parts of the world money politics exists, in Indonesia the word ‘politics’ is synonymous with ‘money’. “No money, no politics” is the mind frame here. That said, money politics also thrives in our dear country.

4. Ade Wanto Says:
   January 30th, 2007 at 1:14 pm

   PP 37 is a perfect intreprepation’s sample of daily politics in Indonesia. I agree to Hassan, “No money, no politics” . This is also a result from INDONESIA’S POLITICAL REFORMATION.

   Great happy days for Indonesia’ Representatives, MERDEKA BUNG !

   I ask all Indonesia’s Parliament Persons to use the money like YZ had spent to Maria Eva. Maybe they will become producer for Mulan Kwok after she left Ratu. So Indonesians will happy ever after hear Mulan’s singing and dancing on the stage. Do they need Mulan’s number? Please notify me.

   I offer them too to spend the money to buy New Iraqi Dinars – so they will take a lucrative investment. Then they will have a great answer to the KPK question if the latest ask.

   I really get headache when seeing political person behavior in Indonesia. It’s very embarassing.

5. Dimp Says:
   February 1st, 2007 at 7:05 am

   Hi,

   I heard that SBY is reviewing the PP37, again it shows how the Indonesians work, very slow, what he needs to do is just scrap the PP alltogether and start from scratch, all representatives need to be paid based on their performance, and seeing that their level of performance up to date some of them actually need to pay the government back.

6. Ade Wanto Says:
   February 1st, 2007 at 10:38 am

   This PP 37 comes from SBY next door’ office – his VP. To fund raise for 2009 electoral campaign, all member parties especially to whom sit in representatives office must donate. The PP is based on the latest though. So, I don’t think SBY could reviewing. Those are many ways to raise fund from politics in Indonesia. Someone is founding party just to collect money from political’ investors and government aid to party. There are billion rupiah for every five years National Election ceremonial; and hundreds million local election. This money comes from Indonesians pocket. If Indonesians buy cigarettes, some tax money will go to the Parties’ fund and Parliament Persons’ pocket.

   When you sit as a House Representatives Office, you may have a lot of people come to you. Your table in Senayan Office is full of donation’ demanding. If you don’t give them, you must be prepare sometime you need them you cannot ask them. Many people believe that “The Political Leader” must give donation to them. This the money for politics begin. It is about culture.

7. Parvita Says:
   February 2nd, 2007 at 7:42 am

   You know, this is really embarrassing. Sometimes as a person who is working professionally, (let’s assume that we are all middle class white collar people here), I feel disturbed with this issue. Is there anything that we can do? What kind of power do we have? We all pay tax, the tax goes to government and representatives, do we really like that our tax money goes like this? Maybe like a one day strike?

   Maybe if we get together there is something that we can contribute to this country. Instead of just complaining, maybe there is something more realistic that we can do about this. The problem is, our sum is so small. I don’t know what kind of power we have…

8. Dimp Says:
   February 5th, 2007 at 3:57 pm

   Hi Parvita,

   Maybe if we get together there is something that we can contribute to this country. Instead of just complaining, maybe there is something more realistic that we can do about this. The problem is, our sum is so small. I don’t know what kind of power we have”¦

   What we need to have is a clean government to start with. When the Asian Crisis happened, Thai people actually gave away their money to the government to help the government. Now I don’t see this happening in Indo as the people know that the government will just take their money and put it in their pocket.

9. Ihaknt Says:
   February 8th, 2007 at 8:14 pm

   Patung, I just have to say this one in Indo, no other language can quite capture the meaning.

   Makanya, begini ngaku orang Islam suci. Munafik!

10. Ross Says:
    February 9th, 2007 at 1:53 pm

    To Parvita
    I’d have replied earlier but floods denied me email access.
    Don’t give up. In the West there are bad parties and bad politicians but this is the internet age and honest folk can get together much more easily.
    If enough people start an honest party, not fanatic and not marxist, and fight for it, you may well be surprised what support you will get. I’m not saying this would be an easy option, but it’s up to Indonesians who care.

11. Arema Says:
    April 30th, 2007 at 11:34 am

    In Singapore, pay rise for ministers is also a hot topic currently. The issue arises when a newspaper published a statistics where ministers get paid less than most top earners in Singapore. It raises concern that if the top / best people is not paid top dollars, they might opt to move to private sector and leaving the government with “second class” personnel, which Singapore could not afford. Surprisingly, not much people object the idea of paying their minister more than a million dollar a year (that’s a huge payrise I tell you, from previously “only” a few hundred thousand dollars a year), because they have shown results and integrity.

    It is simple actually. Results first, and then compensation. It works this way and not the other way around. This is what companies do, and why shouldn’t government do the same? Impress your boss and get a high payrise, disappoint your boss and get the boot. Simple.

    If they reason the money is not enough now, it will NEVER be enough. Greedy bastards!. If they reason it will stop corruption, it will not, it will just reduce the total amount of money to be corrupted. If they can’t work with “that kind of pay” they shouldn’t be politicians in the first place.

    If they got a “blind payrise” without performing, then it will be a huge downfall for policitians’ moral in Indonesia. “Without doing anything I can get this, so why bother doing something extra?” attitude will sprout everywhere, and I guess it’s game over already.

    I think we wouldn’t mind if we give the best pay to our government IF they can perform like Singapore’s, right? but that’s a big IF there… a very big one.

    I think they should get 50% paycut, I really do. And much stricter punishment to corruptors. Death penalty plus plus plus. We are overpopulated anyway, losing some corruptors is like killing two birds with one stone.

    By the way, any update on this issue?

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