REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, Chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Honorary Council, Amien Rais, criticized the ruling government by accusing there was a deception in the land certification program. Amien said President Joko Widodo's effort to intensify the distribution of land certificate was resorted to trickery.
In fact, he added, 74 percent of Indonesian land owned by certain groups and the government remained silent. Extraordinary land tenure seemed to be allowed. He expressed his furious statement during a discussion "Bandung Informal Meeting" in Bandung, Sunday (March 18).
Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut B Panjaitan denied the allegation. He explained the land certification was a long and time consuming process. "The seniors should not talk haphazardly. He's 70-years old right? Well, I'm 71," he said.
Luhut said the government was not anti-critic. The government demanded constructive critics.
Luhut claimed to have the track record of the figure whom he said a senior and 70-years old. In an online media, he strongly denied Amien's critic. "Do not criticize carelessly. I know your track record. If you feel the most clean, you may talk. You have a lot of sins, so be quiet. Do not play games. If you did, we could seek your sin. Who are you anyway?"
Vice chairman of PAN Taufik Kurniawan responded to Luhut's statement against the senior figure. He asked politicians of government supporting parties not to take Amien's critic to heart.
"Amien's statement was to remind that the government. Do not be reactive. Government supporting parties should not take it to heart," he said on Monday (March 19).
Taufik explained the context of Amien's critics. He said Amien criticized the government target that has not been achieved yet, including the land certification target.
"He reminded the government still has a lot of homework to be done considering the tenure is almost over," he said.
According to Taufik, Amien has been consistent in criticizing the government since New Order era. Amien who once served chairman of as People's Consultative Assembly is a brave figure, he added.
"He belongs to the nation, so take his words as a whip to pursue the government target, for introspection," he said.
Taufik said 74 percent of land mentioned by Amien was not about its land certificate. "It was about the ownership. About 74 percent of our land owned by foreigners," he said.
PAN Honorary Board member Dradjad Wibowo considered Luhut was overreacting. He said it showed key personnels in Jokowi's government are anti-critic. "It became a bad advertisement for Jokowi's Government. Why? Because it can be used as a justification that the government seemed pleased to find fault from different parties views or poles," he said.
In addition, it gave the impression that the government also likes to threat and not hesitate to use any means to take revenge, Dradjad said.
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