Commission I of the House of Representatives (DPR) has finally canceled its plan to conduct a working visit to Qatar in late February to early March 2021, following public criticism.
By
KOMPAS EDITOR
·3 minutes read
Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo
Several members of the Indonesian House of Representatives chat while waiting for the Plenary Session to start at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Wednesday (10/2/2021).
Commission I of the House of Representatives (DPR) has finally canceled its plan to conduct a working visit to Qatar in late February to early March 2021, following public criticism.
This decision should be appreciated, given the relatively low level of public trust in the DPR compared to other state institutions. This reflects, for one, in the results of a surveys conducted by the Indonesian Survey Institute from 25-31 January, 2021. In the survey, 71 percent of the respondents said they trusted in the DPR. However, that compares unfavorably to other public institutions, such as the Indonesian Military TNI (95 percent), governors (91 percent), regents/mayors (90 percent), the president (88 percent), and other government institutions (85 percent).
A survey conducted by Indikator Politik Indonesia showed similar results. In that survey, conducted from 1-3 February, 2021, TNI was the most trusted institution as 89.9 percent of the respondents said they trusted in the military, followed by the president (82 percent), governors (80 percent), the Corruption Eradication Commission (73.2 percent), the National Police (74.4 percent) and the DPR (52.6 percent).
Due to the low level of public trust, initiatives by DPR members often receive a negative response from the public. Working visits abroad, for example, are often criticized in public because they are considered ineffective and wasteful. The public perceive the working visit as a cover for travel at the expense of the state.
In 2016, the DPR issued a moratorium on working visits abroad for comparative studies related to the deliberation of draft laws. Instead of going abroad, the DPR members were asked to take advantage of information technology to find related information. The speaker of the DPR at that time, Ade Komarudin, said such as a policy could boost productivity in the lawmaking process. With the moratorium, the DPR was also able to save Rp 139 billion (Kompas, 9/11/2016).
Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo
Members of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) sing the national anthem of Indonesia Raya at the 13th Plenary Session of the III Session Year 2020-2021 at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Wednesday (10/2/2021).
Until now, it is not clear when the moratorium on working visits abroad will be lifted. However, given that the Covid-19 pandemic has yet to subside, the 2016 policy needs to be maintained. As the people\'s representatives, the DPR members should empathize with the people who are still struggling in coping with the pandemic.
The use of the technology can be more effective for obtaining the required information than conducting working visits abroad. The DPR members still have a lot of work to do at home. The 2021 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas), for example, has yet to be approved by the DPR. In fact, the annual Prolegnas should have been passed before 2020 ended.
Some of the 33 draft laws declared by the DPR Legislative Body to be part of the priority bills in the Prolegnas are urgent and needed by the public, such as the Personal Data Protection Bill and the Bill relating to special autonomy for Papua. The public is also waiting for the DPR\'s response to the President’s suggestion on the need to revise the Electronic Information and Transactions Law.
A representative institution that is credible and trusted by the people is an important factor in promoting democratic qualities. After canceling the working visit to Qatar, it is time for the DPR to take other concrete steps to safeguard and improve its dignity.
This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.
