The party`s secretary general, Edhie "Ibas" Baskoro, said here on Tuesday there was a strong impression that certain interests were waging a "smear campaign" to discredit President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as a state symbol.
"The opinion that is developing now has gone out of context. The substance of the President`s statement is not about salary. It is his way of motivating the military (TNI) and police members to keep improving their performance. The controversy that has developed has deviated," he said in a press statement to ANTARA in Trenggalek, East Java, on Tuesday.
Ibas further said the President did not mean to ask for a raise with his statement (that his salary had never been raised for the past seven years). With it he wished to appreciate the government`s policy of prioritizing the welfare of state employees and the people.
"President SBY (Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono) is consistent in prioritizing low- and middle-level employees. That is the substance," he said.
Ibas, who is also the son of President Yudhoyono, said besides being consistent in prioritizing the salary of state employees in the past five years, namely since 2005 until 2010 the government had also increased the income of teachers, police and TNI members through a remuneration program.
The aim was clear, namely to improve the welfare of the people. particularly state employees. Ibas said now was not the right time to discuss the salary of high-ranking officials but the focus was on improving performance.
Several villagers in Trenggalek seemed skeptical towards recent developments in political opinion in the country.
Although most of them knew about the controversial coins for president campaign they said they did not bother about it.
Some indeed had criticized the President with regard to his speech about salary but many believed it was aimed at motivating the state apparatus to continue to improve their performance.
"The President seems to have been made a political toy. Pity him. But it is alright. It is part of the risk of becoming a state official," Sugino Pudjosemito, a local political observer, said.(*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
