Novy Lumanauw – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday officially revoked two presidential decrees he had signed on Sunday, which allowed ministers and other high-ranking government officials to seek medical treatment abroad at the taxpayer's expense, following a public outcry.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Yudhoyono said the two decrees were no longer needed following the upcoming implementation of the National Social Security Scheme (SJSN) and Social Security Organizing Body (BPJS) services, scheduled for Jan. 1.
"I have decided that the two presidential decrees will be revoked and will not be implemented," he said. "I have taken into account voices and input from the public which regarded such regulations as unfit and unnecessary."
The president said he was aware that many saw the regulation as a way of giving special treatment to high-ranking government officials and that the move proved unfair for the public.
The revocation was announced after the president held a meeting discussing the implementation of Indonesia's ambitious new national security scheme, the BPJS and SJSN.
"We have concluded, and I have decided, that we already have the BPJS and SJSN system. So everything will be integrated there and government officials, their wives and families will be included in the BPJS system," he said.
The decrees have become the subject of public criticism since their signing and contradicts Yudhoyono's own rhetoric discouraging Indonesians from seeking health treatment abroad.
In July, Yudhoyono called on hospitals to improve their services and facilities to win back the public's confidence in their services, echoing similar statements in previous years.
"Honestly, I'm not really happy if Indonesian people – mainly the wealthy – go abroad for medical help," he said. "The ones that benefit are our neighboring countries."
His statement came just a month after his wife traveled to the United States for treatment for a nerve problem.
In the controversy that erupted over the lack of consistency, it was revealed that Yudhoyono himself had undergone a medical checkup at a Malaysian clinic in 2005, despite claiming he had done all his checkups domestically since becoming president in 2004.
Under the decrees signed on Sunday and revoked a day later, government ministers and certain top officials would have been allowed to bill the taxpayer for their overseas medical expenses.
Several ministers have defended the decrees on the grounds that they were part of a health insurance scheme, which means eligible public officials would still have to pay monthly insurance premiums.
"The cost is coming out of the officials' salaries," Hatta Rajasa, the coordinating minister for the economy, said on Saturday as quoted by Kompas. "The only ones being paid for by the government are the poor."
A. Hasyim Muzadi, a leader of Nahdlatul Ulama, the country's biggest Islamic organization, was among those calling for the government to revoke the decrees.
"Giving excessive financial facilities for state officials even as people continue to suffer from poverty and natural disasters is a mistake," he said as quoted by Antara.
"Government officials with a sense of responsibility toward the people should oppose such a facility, although I am sure those officials make up a minority of state officials," he continued, adding that the signing of the decree ahead of the legislative and presidential elections next year would only amplify the public's skepticism toward government officials.
Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) legislator Rieke Diah Pitaloka criticized the signing of the decrees as a careless move by Yudhoyono.
"Today, after a meeting with his helpers, Yudhoyono said he will be revoking the decrees following intense criticism. Such an argument does not reflect the qualities of a leader," she said as quoted by Tribunnews.com. "[It is] careless, and it's as if he's toying with the public. Yudhoyono should not have signed the decrees in the first place."
Rieke also added that the two decrees had been sneaked in by Yudhoyono among other presidential decrees approved to assist with the implementation of the BPJS and SJSN in January. "None of the articles in the SJSN and BPJS laws say anything about such a regulation," she said.
Said Iqbal, president of the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Union (KSPI), also condemned the decrees, saying there were approximately 10.3 million poor Indonesians who would not be eligible for coverage under the new health scheme.
"Why, then, are there special privileges for high-ranking officials to seek free medical treatment abroad?" he said. "When it comes to their own personal interests, it seems there is always enough money."
Meanwhile, Yudhoyono on Monday said BPJS will not only boost the nation's welfare but also enhance social justice.
"The BPJS will make our development more just, especially for our less fortunate brothers and sisters," Yudhoyono said during a limited cabinet meeting in Bogor. The president said much could still be done to improve the scheme, but believed such issues could be dealt with after its implementation.
Officials have said that the new health care system will see some 172.84 million Indonesians joining. The government is aiming for every Indonesian to be covered under the BPJS by Jan. 1, 2019.