Ezra Sihite – Red tape, it turns out, can stick. House Deputy Speaker Priyo Budi Santoso warned State Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan not to get ahead of himself with his decision to bypass the bureaucracy at his ministry, as lawmakers petitioned to formally question the minister about his plan.

"I will say it again, because it can't be overstated: Don't get too creative when it comes to the law," Priyo said at the House on Friday.

Dahlan had wanted to streamline the chain of command at his ministry by ministerial decree, boosting efficiency by allowing his staff to make decisions without having to get his approval for every little thing. Lawmakers, however, called the decree illegal and potentially dangerous if it meant subordinates were given the authority to sell state assets.

House Speaker Marzuki Alie supported the petition to question Dahlan. "The way I look at it, it's a rational thought," he said. "I understand my colleagues' good intention to straighten this out and it's not meant to pester Pak Dahlan."

Marzuki said a minister did not have the authority to cut bureaucracy by delegating his work. "It's dangerous, especially the authority to sell state assets. It turns out many state assets have been sold by the [state enterprises] ministry and that's very dangerous," he said.

Arya Bima, deputy chairman of House Commission VI, which oversees state enterprises, initiated the petition and accused Dahlan of violating state finance laws, state enterprise laws, state treasury laws and more.

He said Dahlan had been reminded to adhere to procedures during a previous hearing with lawmakers, but the call seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.

Priyo said lawmakers respected Dahlan's initiatives to boost efficiency, but that bureaucratic procedures had to be followed. The petition, he said, will be followed up after lawmakers returned from recess.