Prabowo can’t beat Susi: Addressing graft in Indonesian politics

The job of the Indonesian Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries is not easy. An individual trusted in this position may face at least two challenges. First challenge is to be up to his boss’s expectations, which is not a simple task. Jokowi’s ambition for Global Maritime Fulcrum is something akin to a frog who wants to leap onto the moon.

Yet, Susi was on the right track. According to FAO data, from 2015-2017, during Susi's management, Indonesia’s share in the world’s fish and fishery product increased. Indonesia became the second largest country which produced fish and fishery products after China. During her management, the number of motorized and non motorized vessels increased, only second largest in quantity after China. In 2016, Indonesia was the 4^th top largest exporting country in shrimp trade after India, Vietnam, and Ecuador, according to Business Standard. Indonesia surpassed Thailand during that time. In 2017, Indonesia mainly exported fish and fishery products to US, Japan, China, Vietnam, and Thailand. Other than Japan, the mentioned countries are exporting fish and fish products as well. Captured fish production increase to 7.3 million tons worth IDR 210 trillion. The ministry also supervised production of Fish Processing Unit which led to an export increase in fish and fishery product.

Susi was able to do her task while also garnering public support, along the way, she still needed to face the second challenge, namely, international criticism, and she failed address it. Sinking ships appeared to be her downfall. Since 2014, Susi sank 516 illegal fishing vessels. Kompas reported, this put stop to transnational organized crime to steal from Indonesian zone of economic exclusive (ZEE). Those ships wore flags from Vietnam (312 vessels), the Philippines (91 vessels), Malaysia (87 vessels), Thailand (24 vessels), Indonesia (26 vessels), and China (3 vessels). Smaller numbers from Papua New Guinea (2 vessels), and Nigeria (1 vessel) were also reported. Actually, 9 Chinese vessels were captured in Timika, about to be sunk, but in a bizarre manner 39 Chinese seamen were able to run away with it. This sinking policy became a very contentious issue. The then Indonesian vice president Jusuf Kalla and coordination ministry for maritime Luhut Binsar Panjaitan told Susi to Stop. Both have faced high criticism, mainly from Malaysia and others. It seems both were wary of Malaysia's prowess in the international adjudication process, as proven by the later winning in Sipadan and Ligitan case.

Jakarta Post reported, that during her era, in coordination with Interpol and likeminded countries Indonesia captured FV Viking, MV Andrey Dolgov and MV NIKA. FV viking belonged to the Spanish which were affiliated with an Australian firm and Singaporean financier and had been related to forged documents to support illegal fishing in Southern Atlantic waters.

Susi’s policy, despite benefiting the country, put Indonesia in a difficult spot by international standards. Jusuf Kalla and Luhut seemed to decide that Indonesia could not afford international criticism at that time. Susi’s pleas to those critics to differentiate between maintaining bilateral or regional ties with tackling thievery fell on deaf ears.

Edhy Prabowo came at the right moment to replace Susi. His appointment may have served as a political move to appease Prabowo Subianto from losing the presidential election, therefore, representing the Gerindra political party in the ruling coalition. Edhy’s appointment may have saved Jokowi’s presidency from a bad disturbance, both on domestic and international levels. It was the public who don’t find it easy to forgive the disappointment of him ousting Susi.

He put a stop to Susi’s policy for sinking ships. Unfortunately, Edhy didn’t stop at that. He wanted to reverse all of his predecessor’s policy. Not a smart move on his part, when his predecessor was popular due to those very policies. He was likely to lose popularity over these decisions. His policy on cantrang disregarded local fisherman around Natuna island and posed an environmental hazard. His policy in exporting baby lobster to Vietnam, moreover, further prompted public opinion to go from bad to worse. His policy may have benefitted a few businessmen and himself, but was terribly detrimental to the country. It might have been true that Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelagic state, and that the large and young population might have provided a demographic bonus for the country to prosper, given its endowment with vast natural resources. During Edhy’s management, the statistics were baffling. In 2019, Indonesia was not in the top ten list of largest exporting countries for fish and fishery products. Indonesia is still lagging behind Vietnam, India and Thailand who was the 4^th , 6^th and 7^th leading countries in exporting fish and fishery products. In terms of shrimp exporting countries, Indonesia is no longer in the top ten list either.

Susi went to Colombia and New York University to deliver a public lecture on reformation of the fisheries, Prabowo went to buy a Rolex Watch worth about IDR 750 million in Honolulu. Therefore, his arrest is breaking news for the public. Public trust is strengthened for the process of cleaning the government from corruption. There is a window opportunity for Susi to come back. A person with a similar background to Susi would become a boost to Jokowi or any government who aspires to have their country be true to its nature. She is a businesswoman who starts her enterprises from scratch. She knows what went wrong and how to fix it. Susi would learn from her sink ship policy experience to cooperate more with various actors both from domestic as well as the international domain. Or, if not Susi, the public needs the government to put out an independent, professional person whose experience matches the post. It is people like her, whom people trust.

Pic Courtesy- Indonesia’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

(The views expressed are personal.)