JAKARTA: Indonesia President-Elect Prabowo Subianto has promised to address the long-standing issues of judges' stagnant salaries and welfare amid a nationwide strike pushing for higher wages. bitstarz
Mr Prabowo has pledged improvements to their pay and benefits, in a bid to curb corruption in the country.
“The judges must be honourable and the state must provide them with sufficient income so that they are able to maintain their dignity. They shouldn’t need to seek additional income, that is my commitment,” Mr Prabowo said, as quoted by local media.
The 72-year-old was speaking via phone with Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR), Sufmi Dasco Ahmad on Tuesday (Oct 8).
The current defence minister stressed that ensuring judges are immune to bribery is key to eradicating corruption in the country.
“The key to a prosperous country that is free from corruption is judges that cannot be bribed. They must be strong, and we must give them the best possible conditions, that’s my promise” he insisted.
Mr Prabowo’s phone call with Mr Dasco came during a meeting between the House of Representatives and the Indonesian Judges Union (SHI) at the parliament complex in Senayan, Jakarta.
The House of Representatives is tasked with drafting new laws, approving national budgets and overseeing the executive branch.
During the meeting, various judges voiced their unhappiness over the lack of attention to their welfare.
SHI Coordinator Rangga Lukita Desnata for instance, highlighted that judges’ pay has been stagnant since 2012, calling it unjust.
“We are asking for fair and decent wages because judges carry great responsibility,” he added.
Mr Rangga also highlighted that the judges' salaries are in factbitstarz, lower than those in other civil service roles, creating dissatisfaction within the judiciary.
The base monthly salary for a first-year judge is 2 million rupiah (US$128.20), with significant allowances, bringing their total earnings to about 16.6 million rupiah per month. (AP Photo/Arie Firdaus)