MPR Leader Asks Minister Of Finance Sri Mulyani To Respect Relations Between High State Institutions

Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati (Photo: Instagram @smindrawati)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the MPR RI Bambang Soesatyo explained that the leadership of the MPR RI in the MPR RI Leadership Meeting asked the Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani to respect the relationship between high state institutions, because the Minister of Finance has several times failed to attend meetings invitations from the leadership of the MPR RI and the MPR RI Budgeting Agency, without any clear reason.

In fact, the presence of the Minister of Finance is urgently needed to improve coordination with the MPR RI as a people's representative institution which is filled by 575 members of the DPR RI and 136 members of the DPD RI.

"As the Deputy Chairperson of the MPR RI who coordinates the Budgeting Agency, Mr. Fadel Muhammad really finds it difficult to coordinate with the Minister of Finance. She has been invited several times by the MPR Leader, Sri Mulyani has never come. Two days before the meeting, she always cancels coming. This shows that Sri Mulyani does not respect the MPR as a high state institution," said Bamsoet in Jakarta, Tuesday, November 30.

The 20th Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives and the former Chairman of Commission III for Law & Security of the Indonesian House of Representatives explained that the MPR Budget Agency had also invited Sri Mulyani to meetings to discuss refocusing the Covid-19 response budget. But every invited did not attend. In fact, the MPR RI has always supported the government's various performances in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and national economic recovery.

The head of the FKPPI State Defense Agency explained that in addition to having an impact on the health and economic pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic could also cause a moral pandemic in the form of marginalizing noble values, local wisdom, and national identity. The impact of the damage can be much more devastating, as a visible threat that is not detected by medical diagnosis.

"So, in addition to supporting the government to intensify health vaccinations to break the chain of the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the MPR RI also continues to intensify ideological vaccinations through the Socialization of the Four Pillars of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly to prevent and at the same time break the chain of spreading radicalism and demoralization of the nation's generation," said Bamsoet.

Previously, Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly, Fadel Muhammad, admitted that he was annoyed with Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani who often cut the budget. However, recently many people have also been disappointed with the performance of the finance minister for the two periods.

"We have other duties in the community, but all of our friends agreed to ask me to convey this and we, the leadership of the MPR, are responsible for this statement that I convey. So we feel disappointed, with various attitudes, "said Fadel.

The MPR leader from the DPD RI element considered that the pressure to remove Sri Mulyani from her position was something that President Jokowi needed to consider. The reason, said Fadel, is that the Minister of Finance's policies and programs in stabilizing state finances are also not very good. "We see various financial policies that I don't need to mention here at length are also not good," he said.

Even Fadel also admitted that he received many reports from ministers who complained about Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani in managing state finances.

"There are some friends who also convey the conflict, the conflict between the minister and the finance minister is very sharp in the current cabinet. They all conveyed and all those present were the leaders of political parties," said Fadel.

"This is all we ask for the president to stop removing the minister of finance because he is not competent in regulating existing government policies," he said.

Meanwhile, political communication observer at Esa Unggul University, M. Jamiluddin Ritonga, assessed that the MPR Leader's request submitted by MPR Deputy Chair Fadel Muhammad was certainly surprising. Because according to him, as the leader of the MPR, it is not his domain to ask the president to fire his ministers.

"Indonesia as a country that adheres to the presidency, of course appointing and dismissing ministers is the prerogative of the president. Therefore, anyone, including the MPR, has no right to pressure the president to fire his ministers," said Jamiluddin, Wednesday, December 1.

According to him, it would be different if Indonesia adopted a parliamentary system. Where, the legislature is still possible to mess around with the appointment and dismissal of ministers.

"So, the MPR has exceeded the limits of its authority when asking Jokowi to fire Sri Mulyani. The MPR leadership does not seem to understand its duties and functions after the 1945 Constitution was amended," said Jamiluddin.

Therefore, Jamiluddin considered that President Jokowi should ideally ignore the request of the MPR leadership. "Because if this is followed, it will set a bad precedent in the life of state administration in Indonesia," he stressed.