Indonesia's democracy and political system are considered expensive and peculate the state funds. This judgment is certainly not wrong because the state budget is still the only source of political funding to date.
This was stated by Prof. Dr. Mohammad Mohtar Mas’oed at the Commemoration of the 35th Anniversary of UGM Graduate School, Friday (9/7). The professor of UGM Faculty of Social and Political Sciences delivered a scientific oration entitled Maintaining Public Trust in Democracy in Post-Truth Era.
“In Indonesia, there is no other source of political funds besides the State Budget.”
Answering the country’s political condition, Mohtar Mas’oed pointed out that most political parties depend on state budget. Slightly joking, he stated that there are no political parties that have made a contribution, as is the case with neighborhood association-level institutions.
In Mohtar’s opinion, there are three qualities of politicians in general. First, passion, which encourages service for a purpose. Second, a feeling of responsibility, which pursues a goal guided by responsibility. Whereas the third, a sense of proportion, which is the ability to deal with reality in concentration and calm mind, also the ability to “keep distance” from objects.
He further stressed when the public believes the politicians are not telling the truth, they will not listen or respond to it. This means the public loses faith in the value of democratic citizenship.
Aside from scientific orations, the anniversary commemoration also awarded the competition winners and yellow rice as a form of gratitude. On this occasion, Graduate School Dean, Prof. Ir. Siti Maikhamah, M.Sc., Ph.D., described the programs that have been implemented so far.