Religious and para-military organizations among those receiving IDR1.6 Trillion in grants in Gov Anies’ draft budget

Laskar Merah Putih, a paramilitary organization seen here protesting at the meeting of victims of Indonesia’s 1965 communist purge, will be receiving Rp 500 million in grant money from the Jakarta government under the proposed 2018 budget. Screenshot: Youtube
Laskar Merah Putih, a paramilitary organization seen here protesting at the meeting of victims of Indonesia’s 1965 communist purge, will be receiving Rp 500 million in grant money from the Jakarta government under the proposed 2018 budget. Screenshot: Youtube

Recently inaugurated Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has been getting hammered with criticism this week after the reveal of his administration’s proposed regional budget for 2018 was found to have numerous questionable allocations, including IDR620 million (US$45,000) for renovations to a koi pond and a massive twelve-fold increase in the budget for his staff of development construction advisors (TGUPP) from the previous administration.

Yet another controversy lies in the line items of the governor’s proposed budget – an astronomical IDR1.6 Trillion (US$118 million)  in cash grants to various non-governmental organization, the majority of which is going to Islamic religious institutions or civil society groups (referred to in Indonesia as mass organizations or ormas), many of which have a less than savory reputation.

You can go to the Jakarta regional budget website to see for yourself the specific amounts granted to various organization. Mosques, such as Masjid Baitul Maqdis Al Rahmah in Kebayron Baru and Masjid Darul Jamaah in Circas have been allocated grants ranging from IDR40 million to IDR100 Million. Musholla (prayer rooms) and majis taklim (Quranic study group) are also getting grants ranging from IDR20 million to IDR100 million.

To be fair, a number of non-Muslim religious organization are also getting grant money, such as the Simalungun Protestant Church in Kebon Jeruk, which is receiving IDR100 million in grant money. But the vast majority of the money going to religious institutions is allocated towards Islamic organizations.

Of course, the vast majority of Jakarta citizens are Muslim, so one could argue that the money is simply being given out proportionately. But the real problem is the huge increase in grants being given to religious organizations and ormas at all.

According to Katadata, the IDR1.6 trillion in grants allocated in Governor Anies’ draft budget is almost three times the IDR Rp 553 billion in grants given under the 2017 budget of his predecessor, Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama.

And much less of Ahok’s grant money was spent on religious organizations. While the 2017 budget did give funds to bodies such as the Board of Directors of the Youth Communication Agency for Indonesian Mosques, no grants were given to individual mosques (or churches, for that matter).

Another glaring problem many have pointed are the grant allocations being allotted to certain ormas such as Komando Resimen Mahasiswa Jakarta Raya (Jakarta Student Regiment Command), which is getting Rp 1 billion and Orgsanisasi Masyarakat Laskar Merah Putih (Red and White People’s Troops), which is being given Rp 500 million.

Both of those groups are para-military organizations that advocate an ultra-right wing nationalist ideology and have gotten up to some seriously questionable activities in the past. For example, Laskar Merah Putih was at the forefront of the violent protests against a meeting of the survivors of the 1965 communist purges at the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation in September, baselessly declaring that it was a meeting to resurrect the long-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).




Vice Governor Sandiaga Uno attempted to justify the funds being given to Laskar Merah Putih by saying they participate in the defense of the nation, although he did not explain what enemies the para-military group was defending Indonesia from. He did assure that any institutions receiving funds from the government would be monitored to make sure that they only do activities that “increase unity”.

At least William Yani, the Vice Chairman of the Jakarta City Council’s Commission A, questioned what mechanism was used to determine which organizations received grant money.

“I ask for the criteria (for these grants) why was the (Jakarta Student Regiment Command) given Rp 1 billion, why was Laskar Merah Putih given Rp 500 million, whereas there are so many mass organizations in Jakarta,” William said, as quoted by Kompas.

We have a pretty good idea of the criteria Governor Anies used to decide who to give grant money to , and it would be shocking if others didn’t see it as a transparent attempt at buying the continued goodwill (or simply paying back) the groups that helped seal his election win.



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