Jakarta – Noted economist Syahrir declared on Monday the formation of the New Indonesian Association Party (PIB) at Hotel Indonesia and was observed by some 3,000 people.
Syahrir said that the setting up of the new party aims to revive the economic sector for a new Indonesia through reasonable politics, adding that it also aims to "create a healthy, clean and dynamic political life." The economist was elected as general chairman of the PIB and Taufik Darusman as its secretary-general.
Former student activist in 1970s expressed hope that the new party would create more jobs, raise tax revenues, improve economic growth and eradicate poverty.
PIB is the latest party to be set up by public figures during the past few months. The other three parties founded were President Megawati Soekarnoputri's sister Rachmawati Soekarnoputri (Pioneer Party), composer-turned-politician Eros Djarot (Bung Karno Nationalist Party), and political observer Andi M. Malarangeng (Unity, Democracy and Nationhood Party).
Police report filed against six Jakarta MPs
Straits Times - September 28, 2002
Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Amid a blaze of flashing camera lights, six parliamentarians were reported to the police for failing to report their assets to a government wealth audit commission on Thursday night.
The commission, previously dismissed as a toothless tiger, has also threatened to take legal action against the legislators.
The head of the Public Servants Wealth Audit Commission, Mr Jusuf Syakir, said he was so frustrated by the politicians' refusal to cooperate that he resorted to such tactics to pressure them.
"According to the presidential decree, it is very difficult to chase these politicians as the law says the punishment for failure to submit a wealth report is only an administrative sanction," said Mr Jusuf.
"So I tried to use another law under the criminal code." Under a 1999 presidential decree, all national and regional politicians, as well as public servants, are to submit a report on their assets. However, the law also says that this is voluntary.
Mr Jusuf said he hoped another law on public servants in the criminal code, which says that public servants who do not abide by government orders relating to civil servants can be sentenced to four months in prison, would be more effective.
Inspector-General Engkesman Hillep, the national chief of detectives, received the report on the six politicians on Thursday and vowed to investigate the case immediately.
Although none of the six politicians are major political figures, the reports on the wealth of public officials, especially politicians, have been followed closely.
Politicians who fail to go public about their wealth even have their names listed during ad breaks on the MetroTV television channel. But even if the politicians declare their assets, investigating those suspected of corruption would be extremely difficult, said Mr Jusuf.
Politicians or public officials could still hide extra funds in additional bank accounts or have unlisted additional properties. "We don't really have the intelligence apparatus to investigate, which is why we need the public to report to us any information they have," he said.
And the reaction from one of the reluctant legislators shows just how much contempt politicians have for public accountability, and even for laws that they have helped pass.
Mr Solihin Gautama Purwanegara, a member of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) and former governor of West Java, argued that his case should not be sent to the police because there was no proof that he was corrupt.
Interviewed on television, he said: "If there is no strong indicator of corruption, then I shouldn't be treated like a corruptor." When pressed about how he could flout a law that he himself had passed as a MPR member, he argued that he had never agreed with the law anyway, but was overruled by a majority in the house.
Just this week, one former Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI-P) politician Meilono Suwondo said fellow parliamentarians had accepted bribes of between US$1,000 to US$15,000 from the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency for approving the sale of Bank Niaga.
Parliament Chairman Amien Rais has called for an investigation into the scandal, while senior PDI-P leader Sutjipto has called for the establishment of a disciplinary council to apply sanctions against legislators involved in such cases.