TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia Corruption Watch Coordinator (ICW) Ade Irawan considered that the Health Commission Chairman at the House of Representatives (DPR), Ribka Tjiptaning, did not qualify to be appointed as the health minister in Jokowi-JK cabinet. According to Ade, the politician from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has a bad record for removing a paragraph related to tobacco in the law regarding health.
“We suspect her of being related to tobacco industries,” Ade told Tempo on July 30, 2014, adding that Ribka has bad relationship with public for being rejected by many doctors.
The ICW, under people’s coalition protesting against cigarette bill removal (KAKAR), had filed reports to the House of Representatives’ Honorary Council and to the National Police Criminal Investigation Directorate (Bareskrim) in 2010. KAKAR accused Ribka, along with a number of Health Bill Draft Special Committee, of removing a paragraph 2 under Article 11 of the Health Law regarding tobacco establishment as an addictive substance, when the draft was about to be sent to the State Secretariat.
Ade Irawan believes that Jokowi and JK are committed to appoint professional and integrated people in the cabinet.
“Those who have bad track record should not be considered to be appointed as ministers,” Ade said.
Earlier, Ribka said on July 29, 2014, that she was ready to be appointed as a health minister or a manpower and transmigration minister. Ribka claimed to have experiences in addressing problems in public, particularly related to health.
LINDA TRIANITA