Pangeran Siahaan – As you line up at the cashier at the supermarket, take a look at the shelf on your side, which is likely to contain an array of candies and chocolate bars.
You may find a chocolate bar with a catchy suggestion to grab something sweet when you are hungry written on its wrapping. I know things in advertising don't have to make sense, but telling people to have a candy bar when their body is urging them to eat actual food is nonsense. A candy bar is not the healthiest option, and it will not necessarily satisfy your hunger.
Earlier this month we heard the ever-charming House speaker Marzuki Alie making a statement about the prohibition on miniskirts and last week, out of nowhere, the people of Indonesia are being presented with the latest edition of the satgas (task force) saga that focuses on eradicating pornography. The government may have good intentions, but I'm confused with the "Indonistan" dream of making this country the most pious state in the world.
Like suggesting a hungry man eat candy bars, I'm not sure whether creating another satgas is what Indonesians truly need at the moment. Corruption is still the biggest problem in this country with members of the ruling Democratic Party being in the spotlight for their alleged unlawful actions. Most people are also unsettled by the government's plan cut the subsidy on gasoline, which will be followed by price rises in other sectors. But the president thought, "Hey, let's sweep the porno things away first. We can talk about corruption and gas later."
Priorities aside, I can hardly see the urgency of establishing another ad hoc institution to handle pornography. This porn-bashing posse will control the activities of local anti-porno teams and will annually report directly to the president. This satgas doesn't have the mandate to sanction new policy, but it will be able to make recommendations to the president. Basically this newly-established task force is like a bunch of whispering advisors.
On the task force, Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali will serve as executive chairman and Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare Agung Laksono will act as chair. Look at the rest of the squad: Communication and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring, Women's Empowerment and Children's Protection Minister Linda Gumelar, Justice and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsudin, Education and Culture Minister Muhammad Nuh, Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi, Industry Minister M.S. Hidayat, Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Mari Elka Pangestu, Health Minister Endang Rahayu Ningsih, Social Minister Salim Segaf Al Jufri, State Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs Andi Malarangeng, National Police Chief Timur Pradopo, Attorney General Basrief Arief, Indonesian Broadcasting Commission director Dadang Rahmat, and Film Censorship Institution director Mukhlis Paeni.
With such an ensemble cast, the satgas actually looks like the Indonesian version of "The Avengers," whose superhero abilities are going to save the damsel in distress from the evil villain, that is, pornography. The question is about effectiveness. All but two of these people are members of the cabinet. Does the president really need to create a new institution? The satgas dream-team is meant to look luxurious like Manchester City, when in fact it doesn't even look like Malaga.
Most of us know about the president's love for singing and music, but what sometimes goes unnoticed is his love of "Satgas This" and "Committee That." Prior to creating the porn-bashing task force, he had also formed the Judicial Mafia Eradication task force, the Indonesian Migrant Workers task force, Avian Influenza task force, Infrastructure Investigation task force, and also the National Economic Committee, to name a few. Establishing a new satgas is to the president what sacking managers is to Roman Abramovich. Both are trigger-happy.
Instead of being presented with actual answers to their problems, people are continuously fed the sugar-coated and caramelized satgas that nobody really wants but the government forces on them. Sugar makes you fat, and so does the satgas. It's like Forrest Gump: you never know what kind of satgas you are going to get. The only thing you can do is run away from the issues.