Remind DPR To Dare To Be Criticized During A Special Plenary Session, Puan Is Considered To Show Humility

JAKARTA - The speech of the Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, in a special plenary meeting that reminded council members to dare to be criticized and busy talking about the people, was appreciated by academics. A lecturer at the FISIPOL University of Muhammadiyah, West Sumatra, Hairunnas, considers Puan's statement to show humility as the leader of a board of institutions.

"Formally, the constitution has made it very clear that the DPR is carrying out the three main functions of making laws, drafting and supervising budget policies and supervising the running of the government wheels. All of this at the level should ideally be directed for the benefit of the people alone," said Hairunnas, Sunday, October 5.

"However, we need to admit, Puan's statement also made the public aware that the political reality in the DPR does not always run with public expectations. Therefore, it is natural that the public is waiting, whether the statement is just a state normative message or indeed can be realized in practical political practices in Indonesia," he continued.

Hairunnas also mentioned Puan's statement that "People's representatives must be busy talking about the people, not the people who are busy talking about the DPR". According to him, the DPR on the one hand should be a space for deliberation, a place where all views meet and are debated in a healthy manner. But on the other hand, sometimes the reality of the political process in parliament is often busier with political negotiations rather than prioritizing the public interest.

"But this is where the DPR's challenges in the future, how to revive its deliberative function in a more open way in the future, for example holding a public consultation forum that really listens to people's voices before a policy is decided, not the other way around listening to people's voices after the policy is implemented," said Hairunnas.

Hairunnas is also of the view that the DPR's apology delivered by Puan is an interesting note. In Indonesian political traditions, apologies rarely arise from high state institutions.

"In terms of political communication, this step can be considered positive because it shows a willingness to admit shortcomings. However, on the other hand, the public will certainly wait for the apology to be followed by concrete steps," said the Researcher on the Political Spectrum Institute.

Nevertheless, Hairunnas said that political accountability does not stop at confession, but must be proven by updating the way it works. For example, the DPR can improve the quality of legislation by avoiding problematic articles, increasing member discipline, or improving a more sensitive pattern of public communication that has been criticized by the public.

"The acknowledgment that the people's criticism mechanism can come in various forms, ranging from demonstrations on the streets to providing comments on social media indirectly showing the DPR's understanding of the dynamics of society today. This diverse criticism is actually a sign that the democratic mechanism is running," he explained.

Meanwhile, Puan's call for the DPR to be more busy discussing the interests of the people, according to Hairunnas, is actually a mandate that is inherent in this institution. However, the daily facts show that the DPR is still often busy with electoral agendas, budget withdrawals, or faction internal debates that are difficult for the public to understand.

"The constructive criticism is, if you really want to place the people as the center of discussion, then the DPR must have the courage to prioritize the pro-people agenda above the short-term political interests. Thus, yesterday's plenary meeting can be read from two sides," said Hairunnas.

"On the one hand, he carries a message of openness, humility, and awareness that the DPR has not fully met public expectations. That is a step that needs to be appreciated. But on the other hand, the criticism of building it is that it is not enough if it only stops on the podium," he continued.

Hairunnas added that what will determine the legitimacy of the DPR is not the words conveyed, but the consistency in carrying out the legislative, budgetary, and supervisory functions according to the interests of the people.

"In other words, the people are waiting for evidence, not just a promise," said Hairunnas.

It is known, in a speech at a special plenary meeting as a celebration of the 80th Anniversary of the DPR RI, Thursday, October 2, Puan Maharani emphasized that members of the DPR RI must have the courage to answer criticism from the public, both in a subtle and abusive tone by proving real work. Puan said that the DPR RI must answer the criticism with real work.

Puan also asked DPR members to always be introspective, and the DPR RI must dare to listen, dare to be criticized, and be highly committed to increasing its dedication, so that people's hopes and beliefs continue to grow and strengthen.