Jakarta – University of Indonesia Student Executive Council (BEM UI) Chairperson Melki Sedek Huang says that State Secretary Ministry Special Staffer Faldo Maldini is trying to divert the main issue away from public criticism of the enactment into law of the government regulation in lieu (Perppu) on the Jobs Law (Ciptaker).
Maldini earlier said that the BEM UI is like a foreign funded non-government organisation (NGO) and an anti-government group. The statement was conveyed by Maldini in response to BEM UI's criticism of the Jobs Law Perppu.
Huang said that Maldini's statement is just an attempt to divert the main issue away from opposition to the Jobs Creation Law.
"For us these are attacks that intentionally [try to] divert us away from the main topic about critic of the Jobs Law Perppu", said Huang speaking in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) building on Sunday March 26.
He also reminded all of the political parties, government officials, the political elite and members of the DPR that they should be able to respond to the substance of criticism.
According to Huang, arguments must be countered with arguments, not insults or even deploying government buzzers on social media.
Earlier, Maldini said that that the BEM UI was like a foreign funded NGO.
"Their narrative resembles foreign funded NGOs, also anti-government groups, which from the start say anyone but Jokowi [President Joko Widodo], so that their merchandise [candidate] sells in the 2024 [elections]", said Maldini in a press release on Thursday March 23.
The former BEM UI Chairperson said he is convinced that the UI students are smart, but believes that the current BEM UI is often naïve.
In Maldini's view many interests are taking advantage of the BEM UI's struggle and because of this, he sees the student institution as being like an NGO.
Maldini furthermore explained that the enactment of the Jobs Law Perppu into law was done in accordance with procedures and questioned why the BEM UI has been so lively in its criticism recently.
Earlier, the BEM UI uploaded an animated meme criticising the enactment of the Jobs Law Perppu that depicted the DPR as a house of rats.
The building was shown as cracked and broken with rats emerging from it. At the end of the video, a rat with the face of DPR Speaker Puan Maharani emerges from the House accompanied with the message "DEWAN PERAMPOK RAKYAT" (THE HOUSE, PLUNDERERS OF THE PEOPLE).
"We need the DPR to be the people's representatives, not a plunderer of its own people", they added.
The Jobs Law Perppu was enacted into law by the DPR on Tuesday March 21, around two months after a presidential letter (Surpres) requesting its deliberation was sent by president Widodo to the DPR on February 7. (ryn/gil)
- See:Student meme depicts parliament as 'house of rats' after Jobs Law decree ratified. Kompas.com – March 23, 2023
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "BEM UI Sentil Balik Faldo Maldini soal LSM Didanai Asing".]
