Indonesian President Jokowi makes power play to bolster Prabowo’s coalition – and wield political influence after stepping down

By:
On:
In: Asia

THWARTING A GRAND OPPOSITION COALITION

The president is clearly concerned about the threat of a parliamentary inquiry, locally known as Hak Angket, into alleged electoral fraud, said political analyst Dr Cecep Hidayat from the University of Indonesia.

Mr Ganjar and the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) have called for an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the election. This inquiry, if pursued, would require the support of at least 25 members of the House of Representatives and more than one group of parties in parliament, as outlined in Law No. 17 of 2015.

A parliamentary inquiry could potentially lead to the impeachment of the president, precipitating political turmoil that might destabilise the outgoing administration and disrupt the smooth transition to Mr Prabowo’s presidency, Dr Cecep explained.

Echoing Dr Cecep, Dr Ujang Komarudin, a political expert from the University of Al Azhar Indonesia, said Mr Widodo cannot afford domestic political turmoil that might weaken the incoming administration.

As tensions remain high with PDIP matriarch Megawati Soekarnoputri, Dr Cecep observed Mr Widodo is lobbying Mr Paloh to prevent the formation of a united opposition front between Nasdem and Ms Megawati’s PDIP against Mr Prabowo.

Mr Widodo’s urgency in meeting with Mr Paloh was to preempt the media tycoon from engaging with Ms Megawati, said Mr Hendri Satrio, a leadership and political expert from Paramadina University.

Otherwise, “things could get messy for the president,” Mr Hendri said.

According to local media reports, Ms Megawati now plans to meet with former vice-president Jusuf Kalla, the political mentor of Mr Anies who also enjoys a close relationship with Mr Paloh.

Mr Widodo likely plans to maintain his political influence after leaving office – whether as kingmaker, by assuming an official role in the presidential advisory council, or within a political party, said Dr Ujang.

“He certainly won’t disappear from the political arena. His meeting with Mr Paloh positions him as a power broker to pave the way for Nasdem to enter Mr Prabowo’s coalition, underscoring his vested interest in ensuring the continuity of his policies and safeguarding his legacies,” noted Dr Ujang.

“Mr Widodo understands well that former presidents who have left the palace would lose their influence if they no longer hold political office or attempt to maintain their political leverage.”  

Mr Prabowo’s coalition – made up of his Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), Golkar, Democratic Party, and National Mandate Party – is likely to command only 43 per cent of parliamentary seats, but the next government coalition would require a broad majority to ensure the political stability desired by Mr Widodo, Dr Ujang reckoned.

Indonesian political parties have a track record of post-election realignments in order to maintain their access to state patronage and resources.

In 2009 and 2014, losing party Golkar joined the winning coalition of PDIP. In 2019, Mr Prabowo’s Gerindra made the surprise move of joining Mr Widodo’s cabinet after its electoral defeat and a bruising presidential contest, showing how ideologically fluid the country’s political landscape is.

Dr Ujang said President Widodo recognises the challenges faced by Indonesian political parties outside the government. “Mr Widodo’s strategy aligns with Mr Prabowo’s desire to embrace all political parties including the losing ones, as articulated in his victory speech,” he added.  

Continue Reading

Tokyo’s Hello Kitty theme park shut after threat

By:
On:
In: Asia

The unspecified threat prompted police to scour Sanrio Puroland for suspicious objects, but none were found, public broadcaster NHK reported. Authorities were trying to identify the sender of the email, NHK added, citing unnamed police sources. Tokyo-based Sanrio created the ubiquitous pink-bowed character Hello Kitty in 1974, and opened theContinue Reading

‘Many are living from meal to meal’: Malaysian government’s claim of hardcore poverty eradication draws scepticism

By:
On:
In: Asia

Mr Kuan gave a scenario of someone earning Malaysia’s minimum wage of RM1,500 but with five children to feed. 

“Let’s just say you must pay rental of RM700 a month and RM100 for utilities. Set aside another RM200 for transportation, and how much do you have left?” he said. If anyone in the household is ill, there could be medical costs incurred, he added.

A Bank Negara Malaysia survey in 2021 found almost half of Malaysians have difficulty raising RM1,000 in emergency funds, he noted.

“This means that many are living from meal to meal,” he said. “Salaries are not high enough to keep up with the rising costs.”

POVERTY IS MULTI-DIMENSIONAL

Mr Anwar has said eradicating hardcore poverty is a key part of his government’s agenda.

At the tabling of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) mid-term review in September last year, he said the government was still struggling to lift nearly 114,000 hardcore poor families across the country out of poverty. 

The government provides cash assistance to low-income earners through various programmes, while Malaysia’s minimum monthly wage of RM1,500 was implemented in May 2022. 

An economist told CNA that the government was not necessarily wrong in its proclamation, but is most likely basing it on income alone. 

In Malaysia, there are two sources of poverty figures – the department of statistics and the e-Kasih database developed by the government in 2007 to monitor poverty in the country, said Dr Madeline Berma of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia.   

“It may be right, but this could be a very narrow interpretation of what hardcore poverty is …The reality on the ground is people are struggling,” she said.

Politicians may prefer to use only income to measure poverty as a single indicator is “easier”, said Dr Madeline, who has done research on poverty and indigenous communities. 

But researchers prefer a multi-dimensional index that includes indicators for health and education, as well as living conditions, even if such data is more difficult to measure and collect, she added.

Some politicians, however, agree with her.

In an episode of the popular podcast Keluar Sekejap that aired on Feb 17, former minister Khairy Jamaluddin said Mr Anwar’s statement could be termed “odd”. 

Even if Mr Anwar is “technically right”, poverty is an issue that goes beyond income, said Mr Khairy, a former health minister and Member of Parliament of Rembau in Negeri Sembilan from 2008 to 2022. 

“In this situation, maybe the PM wants to tick the box … that hardcore poverty in those three states has been solved,” he said in his podcast. “You can still tick the box by saying that in terms of income it has been solved, but we acknowledge that poverty is more than just income. It is multi-dimensional.”     

The government should be careful in defining poverty, said Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) chairperson Dr Jeyakumar Jeyaraj.

Malaysia adopts “low-wage” policies to be competitive, he said, and having a “cut-off point” to define poverty “means that those just above that level are not (considered) poor”.

“This obscures the fact that the incomes being earned are not enough to sustain families, some of whom have parents that are working 14 hours a day,” said the former Sungai Siput parliamentarian whose party fights for workers and wage issues, among other things. 

Meanwhile, social workers like Mr Kuan have their hands full.

“The situation is not as rosy as we might think it is,” he said. “I will definitely be happy when the services of my and other NGOs are not needed. This would mean the government has done the best for them.”

Continue Reading