Mr Minister Sir

Man: Mr Minister Sir, with your wage rise and all those facilities, can you still see us clearly from behind the tinted windows of your luxury car?!

Kompas – October 31, 2009

One pot, the pot of Indonesia

One pot, the pot of Indonesia – A play on the October 28, 1928 Youth Pledge: One state, one nation and one language – Indonesia.

Observers say that the Democrat Party-led majority parliamentary coalition was formed with no clear platform, is based on short-term and competing political interests, and unlikely to survive any serious test such as the political battle brewing over the Bank Century bailout investigation.

Kompas – October 28, 2009

New cabinet

Carpet reads: Corruption, poverty, judicial mafia, bribery, education, healthcare, unemployment, migrant workers, natural disasters, Lapindo, human rights, Bank Century.

Hopes that the next cabinet would be more streamlined and professional were dashed by the October 21 announcement of the new 34 member line up, with more than two-thirds being political appointees with little or no experience in their portfolios.

Kompas – October 24, 2009

Baggage

Writing on crate: Bureaucratic reform, law enforcement, human rights, corruption

The new administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Boediono face a myriad of economic, social and political problems, most of which is baggage left over from Yudhoyono's previous term.

Kompas – October 21, 2009

Prosperity test results

Women: Quiet. He's waiting for a call on the results of his prosperity test as minister for humor and jokes in the republic of dreams!

As prospective ministerial candidates anxiously await the results of their wealth reports, the political parties – having now forgotten earlier claims of massive electoral fraud – are tripping over each other trying to curry favour with President Yudhoyono in the hopes of being rewarded with much coveted cabinet seats.

Kompas – October 17, 2009

Health Law

Left: Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari holding Health Law.

Legislators' credibility was further dented when it was discovered that a clause in the newly enacted Health Law identifying tobacco as an addictive substance had mysteriously disappeared. NGO activists argue it was no accident saying tobacco companies had lobbied hard to have the section removed.

Kompas – October 14, 2009

I'm sure it's safe now Mr.

Man: I'm sure it's safe now Mr.

Former People's Welfare Minister and billionaire Aburizal Bakrie, (watering Banyan tree) who has pledged to lift the Golkar Party out of the electoral doldrums, reportedly shelled out around US$500 million to ensure his election as party chairman at Golkar's national congress in early October. Victims of the massive mud flow disaster in East Java caused by his company meanwhile are still waiting for compensation.

Kompas – October 10, 2009

Wait for the 2014 elections

1st man: How come no political party disaster relief coordination posts have appeared?

2nd man: Wait for the 2014 elections.

Thousands of families are still homeless in Padang, West Sumatra, two weeks after a 7.9-magnitude quake hit the province.

Kompas – October 7, 2009

We live in a hotel of a million stars!

Man: So they're staying in five star hotels? Don't be disheartened, we live in a hotel of a million stars!

Newspaper headline: Inauguration of 2009-2014 House of Representative members.

560 new legislators were sworn in on October 1 in a ceremony that cost some US$4.7 million, with a third of this going towards luxury hotel rooms, bus rentals, clothing and bags, plus $200 in pocket money for each legislator.

Kompas – October 3, 2009