Pork Barrel Spending
Jun 9th, 2010, in Opinion, by Ross
Pigs at the trough? Golkar seeks a 15 billion rupiah allowance for MP’s to fund local projects.
Golkar – A Party with Humour
Golkar party introspection was slightly visible recently in a news piece (Golkar Starting to Feel the Heat From Poor Showing In Regional Elections), but much more evident was the unconscious humour of the self-regarding self-interest of that sometime vehicle of tyranny in Indonesia.
Following a series of bruising defeats in local elections, Golkar leaders have exhorted local party officials to work harder to win the trust and sympathy of voters on the ground. Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie said:
“Show that the Golkar Party, at the national and local levels, has the ability to be an effective political machine in developing and directing the government to reach goals that benefit the people.”
But if the early results in regional elections are any indication, the former ruling party under Suharto has a long way to go in transforming rhetoric into votes.
Party official Priyo Budi Santoso said lawmakers needed to bring innovative ideas to the table to defend the interests of their constituencies and keep voters happy.
“All Golkar members must become the engine for initiating concepts and ideas that benefit the public”
Well said, Priyo, I muttered, and waited for him to suggest stripping the ‘snouts-in-the-trough’ legislators of all their perks, their housing allowances ( they all have houses, or if commuting, can use modest hotels like the ones mention in IM’s recent thread on reasonable accommodation) their transport allowances (they all have cars, right, and could stop using them to join us on the buses and angkots, right?), their fancy new building due to be built (when plenty of office-blocks are vacant throughout the city)….or best of all, an end to ‘fact-finding’ junkets overseas for the parasites and their hoggish wives!
But as so often I waited in vain. In fact I had to wait till June 7th for party boss Bakrie, the man whose family wedding expenditure could have housed hundreds of Jakarta’s homeless, to declare his backing for a wondrous plan. Here it is:
Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie over the weekend defended the proposal that each lawmaker be provided with 15 billion rupiah ($1.6 million) to fund projects in their constituency as a way of answering the prayers of poor communities and those in regions left behind by development.
Analysts and political observers have been scathing in their criticism of a legislation proposal floated by the Golkar Party that each lawmaker be provided with 15 billion ($1.6 million) to fund development projects in their constituencies.
Good God! The guy has built a huge business empire, so he clearly isn’t stupid, so why on earth does he not suggest something that might not stink of corruption? If these lazy, greedy, often unintelligent legislators got given a handout on that scale, does anybody think that more than a handful of them would use it in impartial or unselfish ways?
Sure, some of it would trickle down to locals, but only locals whom the snouts could count on as supporters. Would any of these MPs use it to re-settle the Ahmadiyah in their Lombok homes?
It’s a blatant ploy, as the Globe cutely put it, to introduce a new level of pork-barrel’ politics into one of the most corrupt societies in the world. And the more cerebral politicians appear to recognise this.
However, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Arif Wibowo said he was opposed to the proposal.
“The role of legislators must be strengthened and more defined in regard to job description, role and functions.”
Arif said that if the idea were to provide more equitable development distribution across the country, what needed to be done was to revise existing regulations in relation to the allocation of central and regional budgets. The finance minister has already voiced his opposition to the plan.
But in keeping with their history as a Nazi-style phalanx of a harsh dictator, the creeps still hope to get their evil way, by threatening obstruction of government if they are denied their pot of honey.
Golkar MP Harry Azhar Azis, who chairs the House’s budget council, threatened delaying tactics if the proposal were rejected.
“If the attitude of the government is like that, any talks with the government could reach a deadlock, including the 2011 state budget plan.”
Let’s hope Golkar’s grubby, tainted hands are kept out of this particular compartment of the public purse.
27 Comments on “Pork Barrel Spending”
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dragonwall says:
“Pork barrel is a derogatory term”
Well when referring to this ABU the Pork Barrel is befitting because coming out of a person who cause his own Bank Nusa to collapse to benefit himself and his business groups and enrich himself through another endeavor like mining, explorations etc. Later choose the post to expand his wings and enrich himself from, if not mistaken around 800 million to 2.5 billin in a period of less than one year?
So
“Referring to spending that is intended to benefit constituents of a politician in return for their political support, either in the form of campaign contributions or votes.”
Actually had the derogatory circle churning to the tune of a possible collution and massive corruption by manipulating politician using public money. How demoralising.
Politician or SBY who take the baits, or the DPR/MPR approval of such a moves is deemed to be of criminal objective and intent. Simple logic, when a minister can do it in such a big way, I see with ease that most politician receiving such funds will first pocket the money and the same old song started to sing.
Pancasila no longer serves it purpose and a fake democracy is presented to the Indonesians and that is vote buying.“Not everyone knows this but Aburizal Bakrie is of chinese-batak descent. Here’s an article on his dad.”
Everyone Dick Tom and Harry in Lampung knows that this ABU is of Chinese descent but the only thing is that he will not acknowledge it because he is already a convert. SWell I suppose they convert for a due course and that is to show that they are patriotic and easy to appease the general public’s heart. Remember there was a postings when a magazine release is fortune, there were people clapping to their hearts delight only to be dissappointed by his behavior.
He actually is a disgrace to the Chinese Indonesians, but most of all he disgrace the Muslims who held him in such high esteem by shovelling his respnsibilities to the Indonesian Government.
First he manipulated with Bank Nusa, then he manipulated with LP and sold it to Lyte for a song and bought it back to have it name as Bakrie Brothers again.
With the help of several friends, to take turn as I can’t spend too much time and stay up all night, we are putting up a post on the topic of Resolving Indonesia’s Problem.
I will say that in the short coming future we will make an expose as much as possible in financial terms, how these people walk away with Indonesian Government’s Money including people like Yusril Ihza Mahendra on the matter of Immigration, Burhannudin, Geltom, Ani and so on. Lets see what happened.
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Sorry should be from 1.2 billion to 5.4 billion..
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Ross says:
Bakrie also erected a very grim high-rise office tower near Rasuna Said. Only went by there recently and saw it for the first time. Made me think of that English hymn about ‘dark satanic mills,’ of all things.
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venna says:
He actually is a disgrace to the Chinese Indonesians, but most of all he disgrace the Muslims who held him in such high esteem by shovelling his respnsibilities to the Indonesian Government.
______For some reason it reminds me of one big corruptor that got good social status in his neighborhood because he contributed a lot to build a mosque, and never disappoint people who come to him asking money.
I thought Bakrie was Arab descent.
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It is very common, unless you really know who the perosn is, that such a the norm who masquerade as philantrophist to boost their status.
There is no difference to this ABU in the case of his donation where he donated 204 houses madee of asbestos in Aceh where residents there reject them.
In the Lapindo Brantas case, this ABU is not smart enough. He did not make out any payments but instead asked the Indonesian Government to bail him out blessing from the Jap looking Jusuf Kalah. I wonder how much he took from this ABU.
Imagine the problem could be resolve at a reasonably period of time if he had brought in people who are in the field of Loss Control Management instead of leaving as it is allowing the mud to continue its flow.
How far they have drilled into the ground, they have the record. The thermal imaging could easily allowed them to gain access where the river or basin beneath the ground is. They did not even do a grid on the plot therefore they failed to get to where they could control the loss by cutting off the flow reducing the damage.
Many of us witness how oilwells was burn and recovered by contractors in Iraq. The fire was well contained and none of those well blew up.Whether it is the flow of mud or oilwell the principal remain the same.
I was able to obtain from the energy department quite some time ago, wells that was drilled by the Dutch throughout South Sumatra. Each and everyone of it was well gridded, drilled and capped by the Dutch who fnd them unfeasible r not viable.
I failed to see why those geologists from LB was unable to do so that cause such a massive damage, and unnecessary loss of money burdened upon the Indonesian Government.
Many people even really thinks that going to the Haj will make them Holy and they will be cleared of their sins by fasting. Is that really such a thing as that?
He likes people to acknowledge him as of Arab descent that makes him even more than a Muslim. LOL
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Oigal says:
What happened to the millions that Santos paid to extract themselves from the lapindo mess????
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Ok, there’s a dispute here, whether bakrie is a chinq or alalalalalala (arab). Let’s just settle this issue by agreeing that he combined the worst of chinq and alalalalalala…, a chirab.
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Chris says:
I still don’t get how the then richest man in Indonesia could become Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare.
Usually the world’s richest men love their money more than other people. Could you imagine Rupert Murdoch or Kerry Packer as a Social Security Minister?
I did read in a local business magazine that he is also one of Indonesia’s largest philantropists (i.e. gives more money to charity than anybody else). But having seen him do everything possible to neglect/deny/obfuscate his responsibilities in Sidoarjo and having met some of the people who used to live there, I still can’t believe he is a nice guy with the interest of others as his first priority.
Unfortunately, one of the few people to stand up to him, Ibu Ani, recently resigned as Finance Minister to join the World Bank.
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Many people even really thinks that going to the Haj will make them Holy and they will be cleared of their sins by fasting. Is that really such a thing as that?
_____Nah, it needs more hard work and expensive. Mine is better. Just recite some verses everyday, and all my sins are cleared. Life is really good when we just simply thinking dumb like this, isn’t it?
I don’t believe a man like Bakrie has good deed for people. Never ever ever.
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“Mine is better. Just recite some verses everyday, and all my sins are cleared. Life is really good when we just simply thinking dumb like this, isn’t it? ”
That many bloggers commenting with regardless of the topic, I find this could probably come out from someone right out of the heart. Smple unsophisticated.
All a person needs is to clear the heart of any sins and they shall have no sins to atone for.“I don’t believe a man like Bakrie has good deed for people. Never ever ever.”
Sure he will never be the man. I will still prefer a village person or someone who just walk up to a church, a mosque or a vihara and drop something for the poor and remain anonymous.
After his stint with Ani, he immediately make his approach to SBY and suddenly Ani is on the way to World Bank.
? Does World Bank need people like Ani? Is she going to do Indonesia good? Or what?
How could someone be involve in a scandal, a place where lots of money that she could have within reach in comparison to World Bank, to have walk away without a hitch. Did we find something fishy? Of course. -
dragonwall asked: did we find (smell) something fishy here?
diego responds: yes, since you popped in.Seriously, this guy dw seems to go against any positive development / aspect of indonesia, anytime. Don’t know what’s his problem.
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Honestly speaking in all the comments you blogged into, there is only one thing in common. Licking ass nothing less.
Point out at this moment what do you incinuate as positive development.
Ah I forget! Corruption big time is positive development. Collusion Big time to further encourage corruption. Make the Indonesian Government pay for corruptors’ mistake is positive deveopment. Moeny that could have well spent into the general public went straight into peosonal pocket is a much bigger positive development so that they could claimed themselves to be the richest man in Indonesia or the world!
Which aspect of Indonesia you are referring is?
Oh sweeping dirt under the rug and pretend that it had did not happened , right.
Ya Pak Presiden semua beres – Di muka tapi dibawa gimana hajat dan kotoran dari orang seperti kamu yang selalu dipanggil KKN (Kawan Kawan Negara)
It is people like you that makes Indonesia drift backward into the Aya Allah How Many Money era you know (I can’t spell to well those leaders of Iran, sort of Fuzzy Speaking).
You made me think of the problem in you. ‘DH’ tahu la apa itu kan no bhrainer.
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You were incapable of coming up with something concrete except drop in a few line or so to make your presence felt.
Show to people of Indonesian that you know something, as I really find it hard to believe that each time I come up with something your presence makes you felt unwanted owing to your uneducated and under develop mind that makes you think more like a squabbling son of a bitch. Just refer back to all your comments before you continue any further.
I am semi retired now and I can spend more time with bitch like you so that you know.
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Did we find something fishy?
______It is fishy. But since I don’t know much about economy I prefer just reading actually. The same like topic on multiculturalism on other threat which I like, but I haven’t finish reading on it so I choose to stop, read other comments and other sources until I have enough, well, I call it “ammunition”. I don’t aim it as negative, it’s just refer to my favorite childhood game: hunting.
I wish someone with knowledge willing to spill something here about relationship between Ani and WB plus IMF far before she was appointed as one important person there. I meant, really know about this. And how her works as finance minister so she was acknowledged at international level. Was it fishy too or it was because of her real achievements? Will Ani in her current position can push back SBY/Indonesia to improve economic sector and “spank” the parasites like Bakrie and all corruptors? I still see Ani has made real contributions to Indonesia and I don’t think WB just merely take her without any further agenda behind it. Why they have to throw a top position and million dollars to a person they don’t really need? By saying this, I imply two possibilities: Ani can do better thru her position or Ani just being a puppet for WB.
Btw, personally I have a little bit doubt that Ani can do something to Bakrie. But it is still too early to measure it.
___Smple unsophisticated.
____Umm… it was my spontaneous comment on something and i don’t see a reason why I have to make it sounds sophisticated. Or should I?
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Btw, DW, I’m in the mood of “ngobrol” rather than debate. Just in case you misinterpret the tone in my posting.
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Perhaps you mistaken my reply because I know who to debate and who to ngobrol.
And that was what I actually meant when your spontaneous reaction was plain simple and unsophisticated speaking from the heart . Nothing bengkok bengkok but to the point what you wanted to say. Nothing to argue about because you wanted to express your view and not finding someone to debate with. Your personal view on what you read and hear about the person. Like “it is fishy” because you too find something was amiss and fishy about.
You will find bona fide corporation, institution and government paying a hefty sum to retain a person. Why? So that they will concentrate on the job and not think of something else. But Ani’s case is an exception right on the dot.
People find her work with WB to be acceptable therefore she was paid such a salary. Becaue of her experience she was taken into the finance ministry. But once in the ministry what happened to her then? Bla bla bla happened. So in order to get her out of that came the WB posting. I am sure you could think fof what that meant to SBY and the ABU. Still nothing was resolve but left dangling in the air. She still cannot clear herself from the BC involvements and the ABU is all too happy no one is there to kick his ass or probe further into with the arrest of the whistle blower Susno and dismiss from his post. Even Surya Paloh claims that discrimination in Indonesia is still not over.
Why are all these hapenning to Indonesia? Ask ourselves this question to find an answer. I am not be the one to answer to that but there are many people all over Indonesia even the world who will answer to that. Well there is no lack of personality. -
deta says:
Okay DW, while you talked about Bu Ani being sent abroad for the interest of ‘the untouchable’ people involved in BC case and ABU, you haven’t exactly mentioned the agenda behind WB appointing her as the managing director. My thought is, appointing Ani as a managing director is an attempt of the donor countries of WB and IMF to let Indonesia remains indebted and has a high reliance on these financial institutions. Bu Ani, with the ‘neoliberalism’ system she holds, seems to benefit them in this situation. So WB acted like memancing di air keruh, under a conspiracy with those ‘important’ people in Indonesia who are celebrating her leaving. I read that people appointed as managing director of WB usually come from the countries with common characteristics: a country with large debt and has majority of poor people. So it should come with no surprise after all.
Anyway, just my two million dollars. -
deta, there are more to come from these corrupt people and the conspiracy involving freign countries hoping to squeeze Indonesia by the neck and breath through the nose under water.
IMF, WB UN are all shoulder to shoulder. She will remain in WB for four years and without her presence in Indonesia no one could meddle with Indonesia’s finance while the WB, IMF hopes Indonesia could drift further, rupiahs weakened, foreign investor capitalizing on the yoyo of the rupiahs, investment fall, jobs lost, export fell production decrease due to high cost. Indonesia had no alternative but to stretch their hands to the WB and IMF for assistance. (Whatever they made from Indonesia is more than sufficient to cover the 2 million dollars and a warm home coming of a retired ex finance minister filthy rich) Indonesia would continue to pile up her foreign debts to the maturity of Bills and Bonds issued by the Indonesian Government waiting to be cashed. The hole continues to get bigger and bigger.
The financial circle of will just continue over and over. It is like a quick sand and Indonesia will be trapped within the conspiracy forever. Had the riot not happened, Indonesia would have become one of the five super power in Asia and combine with CHina they could easily outbeat the West. And that was what Soros did to the five countries with Thailand, Korea and Indonesia suffering the worst. Take a look at Thailand now, how long must they take to recover with the new Prime Minister facing opposition from the Red.
This blog is all about Pork Barrel spending so coming to that particular topic I am hoping the webmaster could have the post publish asap.
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Back to the topic. If my understanding about pork barrel is right, there is virtually no party that never spends pork barrel to gain higher benefit at the end. From the obvious and up front projects until the CSR programs of BUMNs that at the end become a tool to gain votes on behalf of the supported party in the election. Even the increased salary of civil servants is too naïve to be called as merely to increase their welfare without any fishy agenda behind it.
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Quite true, Deta, parties spend money where they think it will gain advantage, but that Golkar plan was just a bit over-obvious. I guess it will get thwarted, this time.
Dragonwall’s post was interesting, as he is clearly on the ball as regards Soros, a thoroughly bad man. -
From the obvious and up front projects until the CSR programs of BUMNs that at the end become a tool to gain votes on behalf of the supported party in the election
Pertamina is the best example, with many of NU’s supporter working there. I guess there are about 20 million NU members the last I know of in 1990 when I met with ARW before Soeharto’s impeachment and he elected as President.
A few good things went by during his term as President. Still many a thing went undone, unaccomplished.
It is obvious on the part of the ABU with Golkar. You will be surprse because if he can convince the Indonesian Government to pick up the tab for LP, then 2 million each for them to put in extra effort to buy votes seemed a right price. When the price is right nothing matters more to them. After all it is the taxpayers money and he would also becme one of the more affluent recipient.
I have been watching the Chinese politics these few days and a certain phrase caught my attention.
???????
???????
???????
???????
???????It tells us of what happened in politic during the period of dynasty.
9 out of 10 plums are sour
9 out of 10 officials are corrupt
Wits are use to outwit another
Whatever you say turned to deaf ears
The bigger his post the more his greedSo we could expect more of what will happened to Indonesia including a possible coup d.etat or another riot. Simple reason is that he gets edgy of people uncovering his corruption and the only way out would be to make someone a scape goat.
Remember what he said before the riot.
It’s about time to distribute the wealth of the CHinese
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oops the chinese writing ???????????are missing
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But today SBY is showing interest in Golkar’s Porkies. Tough guy, our Prez!
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Well perhaps he suppose he could draw in his support base with a price.
Lets not forget the 98 riot started after several incidents throughout the country and the last one being the incident in Belawan flared and followed by Trisakti the following day and the orchestrated demo at Bunderan HI was probably the gaining of momentum and a last straw of power struggle by Wiranto, the two porkies Habibie and Prabowo.
The one very reason people were trying to express that Prabowo is clear is because he has several instrument behind him to do the dirty jobs when met with obstacles.Horay Hercules.
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rustyprince says:
I tend to believe that Bu Ani’s move to the WB is connected with Paul Wolveritz’s abiding interest with Indonesia and maintaining it as a pluralistic, stable and – post Suharto – democratic country. To this end SBY who seems to enjoy the global spotlight/approval can expect greater scrutiny with regard to corruption etc.Thus Bakrie may not be feelind as smug
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Do you really need to bring in 98 riot to this thread, dragie…?
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Pork barrel is a derogatory term referring to spending that is intended to benefit constituents of a politician in return for their political support, either in the form of campaign contributions or votes. – had to google that (^o^) –
Not everyone knows this but Aburizal Bakrie is of chinese-batak descent. Here’s an article on his dad.