Professor Ryaas Rasyid: I Am Disappointed With The Implementation Of Regional Autonomy

Eddy Wijaya and Muhammad Ryaas Rasyid. (Doc Eddy Wijaya)

JAKARTA - Minister of Regional Autonomy for the period 1999-2000, Professor Muhammad Ryaas Rasyid expressed his disappointment with the implementation of regional autonomy (otda). Ryaas considers that the Otda has not succeeded the community, and tends to run backwards due to the lack of guidance and supervision of the central government.

"If I say sad, I feel too much, but I am disappointed (with the current implementation of the Otda) because it has not achieved its goals," said Prof. Ryaas during a conversation with Eddy Wijaya on the EdShare On podcast which aired on Wednesday, September 18, 2025. Giving authority (Otda) to the regions must be accompanied by two actions, first the central government must supervise local governments so that they are not mistaken, the second is the supervision (to the local government) because the potential for irregularities and mistakes is always there," he added.

According to Prof. Ryaas, the Otda is still failing because the poverty rate in a number of regions is still high. This is because the central and regional governments are unable to take advantage of the Otda to run welfare improvement programs. Our ideals at that time, who initiated this (otda) were busy, it was at least 10 years, no later than 20 years after the implementation of the Otda, there was an increase in the welfare of the people in the regions. Now the value itself, is increasing or not? Poverty (in fact) is increasing," he said.

Regional autonomy policies have returned to the spotlight recently after the government cut many authorities and budgets in various regions. As a result, many regions are forced to find shortcuts to increase their income in various ways. One of them that has drawn a wave of demonstrations is the increase in Land Taxes and Rural and Urban Buildings (PBB P2). After the reform, Prof. Ryaas is a figure who has overseen this policy since the era of President Abdurrahman Wahid alias Gus Dur.

Prof. Ryaas said the central government should be able to map the economic problems faced by each region. This is because there are differences in local wisdom and the wealth of natural resources in each region. You (the government) must know the causes of poverty in an area. Because it is different between the causes of poverty in Papua, in Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, so the approach must be different. So it cannot haphazardly overcome poverty with a uniform national program. It illustrates the inability to think," he said.

However, Prof. Ryaas explained, Otda has played an important role in improving the welfare of the community since its implementation, because local governments can independently process their resources. Without that authority, he (local government) stagnates. Financial resources are not always from natural resources, from other sources as well. It can be created creatively if there is authority," said the University of Hawaii's Doctor of Political Sciences, United States.

Therefore, Prof. Ryaas hopes that the Government will be able to carry out a program to reduce poverty in Indonesia. For example, the program to waive all education costs for the community. We have to first agree what should we prioritize in the context of organizing local governments? In addition to government management issues, services, empowerment, there must be a focus on how to overcome poverty. One that contributes to efforts to overcome poverty is education. So what can be demanded by the local community and the Indonesian people is all free education," he said.

Ryaas Rasyid: Party Chair Don't Join The Government Cabinet

Professor Muhammad Ryaas Rasyid highlighted a number of political party leaders who are members of the Red and White Cabinet. According to him, joining party leaders in government is a barrier to people's aspirations to be conveyed to the government. If we want to supervise the government, because we have a presidential system, not parliamentary, especially party leaders, not members of the cabinet. So that he can control the interests of the people outside of collaborating with the DPR. So the closest to the leadership of the party is the DPR," said Prof. Ryaas to Eddy Wijaya.

The political observer who was born in Gowa, South Sulawesi, December 17, 1949 explained that the DPR, which should be the mouthpiece of the public to the government, will be easily controlled by the government if party leaders are entrenched in the ministry. Well, if all leaders of political parties have entered the government, how can the DPR want to fight the government, or have different opinions with the government? All the bosses are in the cabinet, "said Prof. Ryaas.

Prof. Ryaas said that the twists and turns of politics in the country resulted in the creation of distortions to the presidential system that resembled the parliamentary system. "When party leaders join the winning presidential candidate, the first idea is 'what can I do in the cabinet?'. There is no party leader who does not want to become a minister," said the Minister of State Empowerment of State Apparatus for the 2000 2001 period.

Who Is Eddy Wijaya Really, Here's The Profile

The figure of Eddy Wijaya is a podcaster who was born on August 17, 1972. Through the @EdShareOn YouTube account, Eddy interviewed many national figures ranging from state officials, legal experts, political experts, national politicians, to Indonesian celebrities. The man with the characteristics of the right cheek dimple is also a nationalist who is a struggling activist for discriminated and social observers by helping the community through the Wijaya Peduli Bangsa foundation.

He is also active in the field of sports by serving as the Daily Chair of the All-Indonesian Equestrian Sports Association (Pordasi) Pacu and has also served as Deputy Chairperson of the All-Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) East Jakarta. Eddy also serves as the Advisory Board of the Social Association of Marga Tionghoa Indonesia, the 2022-2026 term of service. His ideas were formed because of his hard work to be independent from the age of 13 years until his success as he is now. For Eddy, the world of work is not as smooth as imagined, failure and rejection are common. This is what makes him hold fast to the tagline Success is only a matter of time.