When our government is captured…

There are two things in this week which frustrate me about our government.

First, the president protected 13 mining companies by his decree (PP 2/2008) to extract resources in the supposedly-preserved forest areas.

The forest-plundering decree originated in the previous government. It was very obvious then that Megawati government was forced by the thirteen mining companies to allow mining in the restricted area. It was highly resisted by people, activists. But it just went dry.

Now, Yudhoyono seems to just copy his predecessor’s plundering behaviour whom he always criticized. He said innocently that “the decree is not my product. It is just a continuation from the previous administration”. Imagine that!

Second, the seemingly heroic health minister, Siti Fadillah Supari, who just published a book disclosing WHO conspiracy on avian flu, made a very low comment in order to protecting milk industry.

Mothers and their children in West Java and other parts in Java have been threatened by the carelessness (or perhaps deliberation to be precise) of milk industry. It has produced dangerous milk products for babies and kids since they contained ’Enterobacter Sakazakii’ – a life-threatening bacteria.

The minister just commented that “do not worry, it is just part of business wars”.

I should expect to see such things more from this present government. When it comes to businesses, industries (mention it – from mining to milk for babies) interests, our government just surrenders its head and heart to them and putting its “innocent” face to the people.

Government of Indonesia lives (or loves) being captured by the businesses while it should actually regulate them, not captured. If that is the case, “Government is the biggest corruptor”, as once Koran Tempo mentioned a month ago – no wonder that fighting corruption in the country is going nowhere since”the broom to sweep the dirty floor itself is dirty”. What can you expect?