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Muhaimin supports postponement of Bansos distribution
Critics have warned about the misuse of state apparatus, funds and other resources in the 2024 elections since all tickets are part of the government.
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Vice presidential candidate Muhaimin Iskandar visits residents of a fishing village in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, on Jan. 2, 2024. (Antara/Aditya Pradana Putra)
Vice presidential candidate Muhaimin Iskandar said he supported the Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD campaign team’s proposal to postpone the distribution of social assistance (Bansos) until the 2024 election was over.
Muhaimin said the social assistance came from the state budget and was intended to help citizens fulfill their basic needs. However, the distribution activity could be exploited by individuals from any campaign team. He also said that it could disadvantage certain presidential or vice presidential candidates.
“The postponement is not to prohibit [social assistance], it’s just to prevent the involvement of political interests in the distribution,” said Muhaimin during his visits to a fishing village in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, on Tuesday, as quoted by Antara.
The country’s general election, comprising the legislative and presidential, is scheduled for Feb. 14 while a round of concurrent regional elections will be held on Nov. 27.
Muhaimin is running alongside presidential candidate Anies Baswedan in the presidential race against Ganjar-Mahfud and Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
Critics have warned about the misuse of state apparatus, funds and other resources in the 2024 elections since all tickets are part of the government. Mahfud is the sitting coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs while Prabowo is the defense minister. Gibran, who is Surakarta mayor, is President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s eldest son.
Muhaimin himself is a deputy speaker at the People’s Representatives Assembly (MPR).
Prabowo-Gibran campaign team secretary, Nusron Wahid, rejected the social assistance postponement, saying those who proposed it did not care about low-income people.
“Those who asked for a pause in social assistance distribution are indifferent and apathetic about poverty,” said Nusron, as quoted by CNN Indonesia.
Nusron added that the social assistance distribution for poor people must be prioritized above any interests. Grace Natalie, a deputy chair of the Prabowo-Gibran campaign team, also opposed the postponement.
“Many citizens who work in the informal sector with uncertain income and limited savings very much depend on social assistance to sustain their daily lives,” said Grace.
She added that issues related to conflicts of interest in social assistance distribution could be solved via monitoring, instead of pausing it.
