The Government is Busy Doing Things That Are Not Necessary, But Neglects Taking Care of Its Own People

JAKARTA - Legal and political observer, Dr. Pieter C Zulkifli, considers that there is something strange about the state in running the wheels of government. He assessed that the government was busy doing things that were not necessary, but forgot to take care of its own people.

"The state is beginning to forget the most basic affairs for its people. Regulations are born and changed, foreign diplomacy is displayed, while the most basic affairs, namely education, health, and welfare, often feel like they are going nowhere," said Pieter Zulkifli in his statement, Tuesday, March 17.

According to Pieter Zulkifli, criticism of the government in this situation is a must, not just a mere one. He even invited the public to see this problem clearly. "How can a country that diligently makes rules seem negligent in touching the lives of its own people," he said.

The former Chairman of Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives also gave a sharp reflection on the republic which seemed busy working, but often forgot who the power should be dedicated to. "When the country is busy diplomatically and making rules, the people are wrestling with life. This republic is like walking on autopilot, far from the pulse of people's lives," he said.

Pieter Zulkifli said there was a long irony in the republic's journey. For him, from regime to regime, the state seemed busy making rules, designing programs, and producing laws. At the same time, the great ideals of the nation to educate the people often feel like they are going nowhere.

He reminded the country that it has a strong constitution, a large budget, and various development programs. "But the quality of education, health services, and people's welfare is still far from adequate. At this point, the public is naturally asking: why does the state seem diligent in organizing, but often neglects its own people?" he said.

Pieter Zulkifli revealed that since the Megawati Soekarnoputri administration, the state's commitment to education has actually been emphasized through the allocation of a minimum of 20 percent of the state budget. This policy has been implemented consistently since 2009.

"In numbers, the commitment looks big. But the reality on the ground shows a story that is not always as beautiful as bureaucratic reports, for example, schools in the region still lack facilities, teacher quality is not even, and access to higher education is often influenced by the economic ability of the family," he said.

Citing data from the Central Statistics Agency, in September 2023 Indonesia's poverty rate was 9.36 percent, or around 25.9 million people. Pieter Zulkifli said, this figure is indeed decreasing compared to two decades ago when poverty was above 16 percent. However, it still means tens of millions of people live in economic constraints.

"Poverty almost always goes hand in hand with low quality of education and health. In other words, increasing the budget does not automatically bring about structural changes in people's lives," he said.

According to him, the problem of this is not only in the amount of the budget, but in how the budget is managed. In many cases, said Pieter, the politics of the budget are dragged by the interests of elites and political parties.

"Public money that should be an investment for the future of the nation often turns into a commodity for political transactions. Corruption of the budget is also a recurring story that seems never really finished," he said.

Pieter Zulkifli said that the indication of this problem was seen from the Corruption Perception Index 2023 released by Transparency International. Indonesia obtained a score of 34 out of 100 and ranked 115 out of 180 countries.

"This figure shows that corruption in the public sector is still a serious problem. In fact, in recent years, its value has tended to stagnate, indicating that governance reform is running slower than people's expectations," he said.

Ironically, continued Pieter, in the midst of the problem of implementing the policy, the country is increasingly diligent in making laws. New regulations continue to be born with various major goals, such as accelerating investment, improving bureaucracy, and increasing economic growth.

One of the most debated is the Job Creation Law which was drafted with an omnibus law approach. But the fundamental question is whether the many laws really make the country work more effectively.

"In practice, there are not a few regulations that stop as legal texts without strong implementation. The state looks productive in making rules, but does not always consistently implement them. This paradox is also apparent in the health sector," he said.

Pieter Zulkifli added that since 2016 the government has actually set a minimum health budget of 5 percent of the state budget. However, in various regions, basic health services still face limitations in facilities, uneven medical personnel, and still unbalanced community access.

"In the midst of various domestic issues, another paradox also emerged in the direction of national leadership at this time. President Prabowo Subianto appears to be very active in various global issues, ranging from conflict diplomacy in Palestine to efforts to strengthen Indonesia's position in international forums such as BRICS," he said.

According to Pieter Zulkifli, diplomatically these steps are certainly important. However, for many people in the country, the daily economic problems are actually felt more urgent. Controversies even arise when the government decides to join an international initiative known as the Board of Peace, which is said to require a commitment to an annual contribution of up to 1 billion US dollars or equivalent to approximately Rp. 17 trillion.

In the midst of the domestic economic situation, which is demanding efficiency in various sectors, ranging from budget savings to tightening state spending, Pieter assessed that the decision has drawn criticism from some quarters of the community. The public questions the country's priorities, whether the large resources should not first be directed to strengthening education, health, and people's welfare in the country.

"The impression that emerges is that the country is running on autopilot, while the president receives more beautiful reports from aides around him. Leadership feels far from the pulse of people's lives. While the people are still struggling with rising prices, limited jobs, and public services that are not yet fully adequate," he said.

Pieter Zulkifli emphasized that after more than 1.5 years of Prabowo Subianto's leadership, the state's attention should be more directed at the daily lives of the people. The president should be busy embracing the suffering of the people, greeting them with empathy, even with tears and virtue.

"Look closer at people's lives and dare to ask directly: "What should I do to improve the quality of people's education? What should I do so that public health services are not monopolized by a group of doctors while ignoring the expertise of other doctors?" he said.

For Pieter, loving and fighting for the interests of the people themselves is much more noble than being busy with various foreign political activities that ultimately have the potential to harm the interests of the nation and state. However, public disappointment is getting stronger when a number of programs that are claimed to be solutions for the people's economy are criticized.

The Free Nutritious Meal program and the strengthening of the Red and White Cooperative, for example, have been promoted from the beginning as an effort to strengthen community welfare. But in practice, criticism has emerged because the management and implementation network are judged to be more filled with groups close to the circle of power.

Instead of being an open people's economic movement, these programs are feared to become a distribution space for political cronies as well as a means of embracing former political opponents to enter the orbit of power. "In fact, a country that wants to progress must stand on three main foundations: strict law enforcement, quality education, and fair health services. Without these three pillars, the ambition to become a developed country will only be a slogan that is repeated every political season," he said.

In the midst of these various problems, said Pieter, the people actually miss something simple, namely a leader who is present in a tangible way. A leader who wants to greet, come down to see the conditions of the community, and hear the people's complaints to the ends of the village. The way to love the people is actually not complicated, come to them, listen to them, and feel their lives directly.

"Indonesia actually does not lack big ideas. What is often lacking is the seriousness to carry out simple things consistently: enforcing the law without compromise, managing education seriously, and ensuring that health services really protect the people. If these basic things continue to be ignored, then the irony of this republic will continue to repeat itself: the country seems busy working, but the people still feel abandoned," he concluded.