Responding To Megawati's Statement Regarding Women Lining Up For Cooking Oil, PKS: Boiling Food Is Good For Health, But This Is The Right Of The People

Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician Mardani Ali Sera/DOK ANTARA

JAKARTA - Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician Mardani Ali Sera criticized the statement of PDI-P General Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri who admitted to rubbing her chest when she saw women queuing for cooking oil.

According to Mardani, boiling food can indeed be an alternative way of managing food as stated by Megawati. However, the problem of scarcity of cooking oil should be looked at more broadly.

Moreover, cooking oil is a people's need that should be available at affordable prices without the need to queue.

"The boiled chapter (food, ed) is good for health but the problem is not in health and how to manage food. This is the right of citizens to obtain their necessities of life at an affordable price," Mardani told reporters quoted on Saturday, March 19.

By lining up for women for cooking oil, Mardani considered, the government had failed to ensure the necessities of life for many people.

"The state failed to realize it. Promises are just promises," he said.

As previously reported, Megawati admitted that she was surprised why there were still women who chose to queue for cooking oil. Even though there are various alternative ways to cook in the midst of scarcity and rising prices that have occurred recently.

"Now, let's see, the fuss is about buying cooking oil. I can just rub my chest, it's not a matter of not having cooking oil or how expensive it is," said Megawati in a stunting-related webinar broadcast on YouTube, Thursday, March 17.

"It made me think, so every day the women only fry? So that the scramble, is there no way to boil, then steam or like rujak?" he asked.

He said that this method of cooking can actually be used in various Indonesian menus which can be used as references.

"Isn't there (another way of cooking, ed)? It's an Indonesian menu, you know. Why is it complicated (difficult, ed)," said the 5th President of the Republic of Indonesia.