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The week in review: The general is alone again

“A warrior is never afraid to walk alone, when he is walking on the road of truth, the road of honor,” said the founder of the Gerindra party, Lt

The Jakarta Post
Sun, February 7, 2016

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The week in review: The general is alone again

'€œA warrior is never afraid to walk alone, when he is walking on the road of truth, the road of honor,'€ said the founder of the Gerindra party, Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto, on Saturday.

Speaking on the occasion of his party'€™s 8th anniversary, Prabowo pointed out that it was no problem at all for Gerindra to fight alone as the opposition party to the government of President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo, who defeated him in the 2014 presidential election.

The former son-in-law of Soeharto, the country'€™s second president, clearly intended to tease the bosses of other political parties who had once pledged their loyalty to the oppositional Red and White Coalition camp.

Practically all of his former political allies have now abandoned him. The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) is still with the Prabowo coalition, but its new leader has indicated that his party would be open to supporting Jokowi'€™s administration.

Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie has formally offered his party'€™s support to Jokowi. His rival in the conflict-ridden party from the very beginning joined the government'€™s ruling coalition. The government'€™s coalition is led by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). Both leaders of the divided United Development Party (PPP) have also joined the government'€™s coalition. The National Mandate Party (PAN) decided to leave Prabowo'€™s camp after Zulkifli Hasan took over the party'€™s leadership late last year.

Indonesian politics is probably confusing for many people because the opposition camp has at times appeared to be much more supportive of Jokowi than the leaders of the PDI-P.

'€œGerindra never feels afraid. Being together is OK, but to be alone is also no problem,'€ said Prabowo, apparently in an effort to console his party'€™s supporters.

***

President Jokowi probably did not realize that he had upset the Japanese government and the private sector for the third time since he came to power in October 2014.

On Tuesday, Japanese oil and gas company Inpex called on the government to make a quick decision on the future of the Masela gas project in South Maluku. The company wants a firm decision on whether the liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant will be built offshore as originally planned, or onshore as demanded by Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Rizal Ramli.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources decided on a floating LNG plant. The Japanese company agreed with the ministry'€™s decision. The Masela block is located in the Arafura Sea. Inpex controls a 65 percent share, while the remainder is held by Shell. However, the situation changed when Rizal protested against the offshore plan.

He told the President to choose an onshore plant, arguing that this would create greater social and economic benefits for the people of South Maluku. The provincial government, however, rejected Rizal'€™s arguments.

'€œFor now, I am indifferent because we have presented all the technical and economic aspects [to the President]. One thing that remains to be seen is the President'€™s decision,'€ Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said noted in regards to the President'€™s position.

Last year, Jokowi declared China the winner of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project, handing a blow to China'€™s arch-rival Japan. The government made its own explanations to Japan, but the Japanese could not accept the government'€™s version of events, claiming that the decision process lacked transparency. The project, however, was much more complicated that the President might have initially thought.

Previously, the government also cancelled the construction of the Cilamaya Port in Karawang, West Java. Japan failed to secure the project even though it had conducted a feasibility study and the government had given the East Asian nation the green light. Vice President Jusuf Kalla cancelled the port development, citing technical reasons.

***

Health Minister Nila Djuwita Anfasa Moeloek visited National Police detective division chief Comr. Gen. Anang Iskandar on Friday to protest the police'€™s raid on the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta on Thursday.

The police are investigating reports of illegal organ sales, especially of kidneys, in several hospitals. Last week, the police detained three people suspected of harvesting and selling kidneys to hospitals.

'€œKidney transplants are legal and conducted to help people,'€ the minister said, adding that the public hospital had met the standard operating procedures (SOP) that donors must go through before undergoing an organ removal operation.

'€œAs long as it is conducted based on the SOP, then it is legal. Anything beyond that, including the sale [of organs], is illegal,'€ the minister said.

Gen. Anung defended the operation. '€œWe respect the medical profession because it is a legal profession. Our investigators are looking into illegal activitiy,'€ Anang said.

Last week, several regencies, municipalities and provinces, including Tangerang Regency, declared a dengue fever state of emergency in response to the annual outbreak of the deadly disease. In Central Java alone, the virus has claimed the lives of 15 residents and has hospitalized more than 1,000. In Bali, at least 3 people have died after being infected by the virus and at least 370 people had to be hospitalized. In South Sulawesi, more than 530 people have been infected. In North Sulawesi, the disease has killed one person and has infected 144 people.

'€” Kornelius Purba

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