PPP Believes Radicalism Can Be Prevented If The State Opens Consultation Rooms

Arsul Sani (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Deputy chairman of the MPR from the PPP faction Arsul Sani assessed that apart from the poverty factor, the radicalism movement thrives because of dissatisfaction with policies that are considered impartial for certain groups.

According to him, radicalism could be prevented if the process of state administration opens up spaces for public consultation and participation.

"The availability of communication space will narrow the potential entry of radicalism because they feel disappointed," said Arsul at the DPR / MPR building, Tuesday, April 6.

To neutralize radical ideas, the state is said to have made efforts to deradicalise and counter-radicalize them.

One of them, the DPR through the Special Committee has produced Law Number 5 of 2018 concerning Amendments to Law Number 15 of 2003 concerning Stipulation of Government Regulations in Lieu of Law Number 1 of 2002 concerning Eradication of Criminal Acts of Terrorism into Law.

The law lays the foundation for stronger regulation related to efforts to prevent radical understandings and movements. In implementation, the government then created a large national preparedness program.

However, Arsul regretted that the de-radicalization work as a manifestation of the national preparedness program was still ineffective.

"Because the paradigm still uses the old paradigm, namely the money follow function (budget allocation with the red function approach). So that work becomes uncoordinated, it seems overlapping" said the member of Commission III of the DPR.

The deradicalization program, Arsul continued, could be more effective if it applied the money follow program paradigm or a budget approach that was more focused on activities that were directly related to national priorities.

"In fact, it is the commitment of the Indonesian President Joko Widodo's administration since 2014, namely the money follow program," said the deputy chairman of the PPP.

In this paradigm, continued Arsul, agencies that run may be more than one but under the coordination of one institution so that there is no overlap, repetition and waste of budgets.

"I hope deradicalisation works in the future will be better by using the principle of the money follow program," he continued.

Arsul reminded that deradicalisation efforts must be carried out correctly, consistently and obtain community support. Because he said, one of the main dangers of radicalism is that it always targets the nation's young generation.

"To fortify, youths must be equipped with a strong understanding of nationality," said Arsul.