Polemics In The House Of Representatives On The Merger Of Two Ministries

Dpr Building (Irfan Meidianto/VOI)

JAKARTA - The House of Representatives approved the merger of two new ministries, namely the Ministry of Research and Technology with the Ministry of Education and Culture into the Ministry of Education, Culture and Technology in the plenary meeting of the House of Representatives held Friday, April 9.

Vice Chairman of the House of Representatives Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said, dpr has received the presidential letter Number R-14/Pres/03/2021 concerning Consideration of Ministry Change. The letter has been followed up through a consultation meeting in lieu of bamus meeting on April 8, 2021 which agreed on the merger and establishment of the Ministry.

The Gerindra politician explained that the decision-making on the merger and establishment of the Ministry was based on Article 19 paragraph 1 of Law 39/2008 concerning the Ministry of State.

"That states that the change as a result of the separation or merger of ministries is done with the consideration of the Dpr," dasco said.

Responding to the president's desire to merge the two ministries, PDIP Faction DPR member Masinton Pasaribu said that this plan has emerged since last year.

"We see the President in 2020 has already announced it (merging ministries, red) how there is efficiency in the ministry as well as law orders such as the ministry of investment," Masinton said in a virtual discussion titled Cabinet Evaluation and Political Map 2024, Saturday, April 10.

Masinton said, in a letter sent to the House of Representatives is not mentioned in detail the reason President Jokowi wants the fusion of the 2 ministries. However, the Bamus meeting agreed to approve the proposal brought to the plenary of the House of Representatives.

"In the presidential letter is not mentioned in detail but based on Law No. 39 of 2008 on state ministries, the merger for example must be the approval of the House of Representatives. So because earlier in the meeting of the relevant commission, commission X, the discourse has been raised," said the member of Commission III of the House.

Masinton believes the President will realize the combination of the two ministries. But who leads the ministry is the president's prerogative.

"So the merger will most likely be done by the president because the House of Representatives has already expressed approval for the merger, and then also the investment ministry has got approval. Later whether the president will (appoint, red) to fill people, that's the prerogative of the president," Masinton said.

Meanwhile, members of the House of Representatives from the MCC Faction admitted that they would inevitably approve the proposed merger of 2 ministries because it had been agreed in the Bamus meeting.

However, the MCC provided an important note for the implementation of the smelting of the ministry in order to be considered by the government.

"Because mindahin ministry is not rich mindahin cabinets. Mah cabinets are silent, this is what people move, programs, DIPA, can have an impact on performance,"Jelas Mardani.

Not to mention concerning Law 11 of 2011 on the National System of Science and Technology which is a derivative of article 31 paragraph 3 of the 1945 Constitution.

"This is sad, because it shows the government the word poco-poco for research and technology, whereas when pandemic developed countries actually invested large funds for research and technology. So he can be the leader in capturing great opportunities because there are only before COVID and after COVID," said Mardani.

Mardani regretted the fusion of the 2 ministries in the midst of the pandemic that the country should be able to optimize the Ministry of Technology for the development of the COVID-19 vaccine. In fact, he said, this decision is a step backwards for the government.

"For me the big note is a step back from the application of the Law," said Mardani Ali Sera.

In line with his colleague in the MCC Faction, member of Commission VII of the House of Representatives Mulyanto, called the government policy that combines the functions of the Ministry of Research and Technology (Kemenristek) into the Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemendikbud) is a step back (set back).

Mulyanto view, the Government did not learn from previous experience, where the smelting of the two ministries is difficult to run optimally.

"We have experienced with the merger of higher education functions with Research and Technology in the form of Kemenristek-Dikti. It turns out that in its implementation does not run effectively, so the function of ristek is returned to the Ministry of Technology and higher education function is returned to the Ministry of Education," mulyanto said in his statement, Saturday, April 10.

Now, he continued, the Government is doing the same for something that has been corrected. "By forming kemendikbud-Ristek. Of course this decision is very confusing," said the member of the Commission who became a partner of the Ministry of Technology.

Legislators in Tangerang, Banten predicted that the merger policy would not run optimally. Moreover, he said, the separation or smelting of institutions takes a long time to coordinate and adapt to structuralization.

"The adaptation process alone takes about 2-3 years. While the second term of Jokowi's government effectively stayed 2 more years. So practically this new ministry will not effectively work in the rest of the current government age," explained the Secretary of the Ministry of Technology sby government era.

Not only members of the House of Representatives, Senators in the DPD RI also opened a vote on Jokowi's plan to merge the 2 ministries.

Vice Chairman of DPD RI Sultan B Najamudin suggested the government reconsider the smelting of the Ministry of Technology into the Ministry of Education. Because according to him, the merger will weaken the function of both institutions.

"We have experience in the past towards the merger of the two ministries and the results are not effective and maximal. In the end, the ristek function was returned to the Ministry of Technology and the educational function was also returned to the Ministry of Dikbud," Sultan told reporters on Saturday, April 10.

Supposedly, continued sultan, Jokowi's government strengthens the two institutions by standing alone instead of uniting. Because, research and innovation are the keywords in the progress of a country.

"Then we must read the consequences effectively, should not only be judged in terms of efficiency alone. Because the two institutions (interests) that are united have an impact. Whether they become stronger, or cannibals make only one function work, they may even become weak. Now the government must really understand the consequences," said Sultan.

The senator from Bengkulu said that developed countries are very focused on research and technology. In fact, sultan said, the resulting policy must also be based on research data that must be accounted for scientifically.

"Currently how many policies have a scientific basis of the process of a research. Or vice versa, how much research is done and has an impact on the advancement of science and technology that will further affect the way of view and way of life of humans?," sindir Sultan.

According to him, to become an innovative nation that mastered science and technology only through the increase of national research capacity that includes the quantity and quality of science and technology resources.

"Increasing relevance and productivity of research as well as the role of stakeholders in research activities, and increasing research contributions to the life sector, including in the recovery of national economic growth under pandemic pressures as it is today," he continued.

Therefore, according to him, the Ministry of Dikbud and Ristek are two very fundamental focuses in building the lives of future Generations of Indonesia.

"So I hope that the unification of these two ministries does not change the direction of our ideals so that Indonesia can be better," concluded sultan.