Mar 3
Indonesia in Science Emergency: BRIN For Efficiency or Reference?
My first question is “Why?”
Why…
is it so hard to respect each other? Life is about appreciate and accept where you are or what base you’re standing now. However, I know a system still being very hard aspect even if we try to change everything, include the freedom of sustainable society.
Who’s agree with me? I‘m Indonesian. And being heard the latest news from our President about his decision to change some parts of government system behind the phrase of “efficiency”. Indeed yes I know, everyone could believe it, or maybe if all the things I said next can’t be true, you may not believe as you want, because I’m none at loss.
Before I start, I want you to know that I am a scientist also graduated from science major. I exactly do know the feeling of loses hope despite of contributions. All the scientists brought their contribution to be heard even only in a small part. But it will never been heard, even if we tried screaming out of loud or hardly present the best in timing, though. Nevertheless, I still should be myself, like what I like, write everything I want, or criticize what I won’t like, eventually if it has to do with things I concern about.
In the deepest of my heart, I think Indonesia takes a bad reputation of science emergency. At least, for me. Because this all led to remain you, my colleagues, family, and superiors. Even for you who currently read this while eating, drinking, or relaxing. Let me talk you to be more aware about the most urgent things that going on the country you’ve said “lovely”.
Indonesia’s Science in Urgent, Did You Realize?
It’s been spread widely issues about scientist’s life after working at Eijkman Institute of Molecular Biology. Departing from social media waves, a few parties have been questioned after the real fact appears. Basically, Eijkman, which is a molecular biology research institute should be considered as part of the national agency. They are exists, because in future — as many experts talked — the world will enter an era of biological warfare.
So, Eijkman takes their function to this nation for contributing almost every research based on Biology Molecular sector. Eijkman was born from the Dutch doctor and pathologist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Sir Frederick Hopkins in 1929.
Then, the mission of the Eijkman institution itself is to advance the development of basic and applied research in molecular biology sector in Indonesia. This institution focus on biomedicine, biodiversity, biotechnology and biosecurity, and applies these advances for the welfare of the nation.
I wanna ask you about this: aren’t you aware about the pandemic that we’re facing now? First thing first you should turns out that now we are still experiencing these worst parts. A biological warfare was already seen in front of our eyes. But, did you really know the exact things that could happened beyond this?
Or as simple as this, what does human really want on this earth? Sorry, if I said…..
All is about Money. Scrambling a comfort life. Beating the weak. And the satisfaction of getting ‘successful life’ labels in the name of human.
The merging of Eijkman Institution into BRIN is another level of political issue. How I could say it loud? Because BRIN led by the general chairman of the dominant party on this country. If I may pull you to the red flag back: there is an absolutely no competences of their chairman would showed to the development of this institution. The leader as we know named Megawati has not record in field of any science neither graduated as a group of development science. In speculations, she could be a worried leader to the nation if used to be killing the rest of scientist’s work in this country. Also we have to realize another man who bring men’s power behind this, the ultimately powered, President Joko Widodo.
Whether this coincidentally or not, this situation could be more or less the same as what happened during guided democracy in order early 1980, as many scientists were shackled and marginalized due pressure from political and ideological interests of the nation.
Despite of it, my only question is….
why does this rich matter become the thing they wanting the most in the world, however they’ll end up being eaten by maggots and decomposed as well? What exactly their main point on this situation if it’s not to win the power?
Have You Watched ‘Don’t Look Up’?
The real capture of a scientist’s life is clearly recorded in this beautiful visualisation by Adam McKay, which describes the REAL silliness that happened either experienced by scientists. Including the case in Indonesia which recently still going now.
This film is a satirical comedy that does not only addresses one issue, but contains several aspects of problem in society. Such as climate change, social conditions, capitalism, etc. “What does the world if we really going to face our ending in six months?” and I have ever imagined it and (worsely) hoping it to be really happen.
Honestly, it is all about the feeling of disappointment which covered my reason to think rationally and put moral into forward. This irony is very bad more than I felt facing my grandpa’s death a few years ago. Morality, morality, morality become only word without action. In fact, the problem of life and death is clearly showed by the eye, but yet we still NEED experts who can see many things far ahead, regularly from a scientific data overview.
But turns out, it’s gonna far away to be happen.
Mostly Eijkman researcher’s fate now is not fair enough to be call as humanity. I can say, they are a very humiliated part in this country. At least, they’ve been humanized by a handful of groups who calling themselves state regulators in the name of nation, but a long way behind my back all I can describe was maybe just for personal gain. And still, yes, we never know what exactly their main purpose behind this all.
The problem is, we should ensure to know the determination law of nature: all the living live in this earth are be able to do its task to be survived; they will do whatever it takes for the group just for saving their life and try to not die too soon. And maybe, they did it for the rest of being saved from this cruel world cruel politic’s life to be.
In the end of all, the words I could gave to my colleagues or family who had experience working under the Eijkman, is only this: That they should realize they are very valuable, at least even they shouldn’t allow considered by the authorities behind this,
YOU ARE STILL VERY valuable in the eye of Mother Earth. In the eye of planet earth.
Your persistence of experiment are not in vain. This just about looking up another way to getting a highest level of respect. Let us walk together and let universe be leading you to become fully human, in order to loving the earth with our own beautiful way and just keep those who could give you the real value of being our earth’s superhero!
Politics Matter
Talking about politics, as something I don’t like at all, even it’s just sentence.
The Eijkman Institution was dissolved and merged into the State Agency called BRIN (Badan Riset Inovasi Nasional), and this has filled my brain in the last few weeks. Example, how could the Head of State abandon the rest of Eijkman’s employees who had a great contribution to the research? But then, I tried to tracing the facts, and yes they actually exist.
According to article from CNBC Indonesia, BRIN is to be in control under the government institution of research, they all handled and controlled by gov. It containing Agency for the Assessment of Application of Technology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, National Institute of Aeronautics and Space, and the National Nuclear Energy Agency.
Reading the line above, I’m already scared, could we imagine what exactly the gov want for the rest of our live? They said they were ready to served, or does this actually for determinate us? Trust is easily tarnish when promises are just hopes, until plans only become discourse, isn’t it right?
This merger, said gov, will being a new challenge, because the existence of BRIN could make the institution produce and develope a very basic research. Therefore, the quality of human resources (HR) still the most important thing.
“The human resources will probably stay there and will become analysts and so on. The criteria for ASN to be success (who work in Balitbang) are include doing the research. So, what exactly they were created after on is all the main point, and their research must be could to published and become a journal or it is not preferable at all,” said the government.
Although, there is plenty of evidence that been proven by the truth behind this: experience is the best teacher. But, if there are more compatible and professional people behind this, then why aren’t they just being kept? Instead, they were thrown away, nor given any severance pay as well. They were force to find other way just to be survived. Even though their quality is not arbitrary.
What is you real reason behind this all, government?
Transparency also being very important point consider trust from citizen to gov is now very eroded so massively. Now, if you can see deep among the public. There is a big question that always hanging about the BRIN budget which they (gov) call was so big, normal, and effortless efficiency.
In fact, BRIN’s budget has reached tens of trillions of rupiah, but it has never been showing up to the public, or even among the researchers environment. That’s why public always consuming issues of trust demand goverment, they always think gov has been hiding important things. So, I really thought something is wrong here.
Megawati Soekarnoputri as Chairman Of The BRIN Steering Committee
There is another strange things among this atmosphere by them. They said they will generate all into well-organized way to be.
Since serving as Indonesia’s first female president several years ago, Megawati has always been in the spotlight. Including her shrewdness on playing politics. As if universe certainly knows the great influence of this powerful woman. Politics, politics, politics, and politics, and the names that can never be separated from her.
The point in this case is, everyone know and whose aren’t suspicious why Megawati Soekarnoputri was appointed as the top leader of the common BRIN?
Of course, all the men behind her back couldn’t hold their full support for their woman leader of all time. But, main question is do they really did this all from the bottom of their heart? Or is it just a formal reaction for being her subordinates and make their life in saving area as well.
PDI-P Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto assessed that the ex officio placement of the chairman of the BPIP Steering Committee as the chairman of the BRIN Steering Committee was the right decision. Because, according to Hasto, research and innovation must be driven by the nation’s ideology, Pancasila.
“Research and innovation must be driven by the nation’s ideology so that Indonesia is truly sovereign, independent, and proud of its cultural identity. BRIN is a new chapter for the progress of Greater Indonesia,” said Hasto in his statement, Monday (3/5/2021).
Meeeehhh… Is this make sense?
Tapered Media
In sociological research, there’s the fact about a country could be enter an advanced category when they win the respect to all research and the researchers. In turns out, as we know research and technology arebecome an inseparable unit.
Does Indonesia has achieve this predicate? I dare to say, no, and never will.
To be honest, I’m a journalist, been working for the largest online newspaper company in Indonesia since a few years back. Four years I have passed with dealing to the massive stuff of journalism in this country, which made me think of being honest of thought about all to be really going on now.
In order to my opinion, I give my ‘best appreciation’ for the research and technology in this nation, for never been seems as one of the most important factor, even sees as a high level of urgency sector in the country.
I’ve ever had a bitter experience when I decided to spill things out about one issue, commonly talking about the emergency of climate change on our home. I ever vomited my anxiety to the moment that could happen in the next six months if there’s any meteor falls and destroys our planet.
Turns out, it’s exactly same as the spill by ‘Don’t Look Up’ movie in 2021. In that film, they described about media in silenced because they choose to be need more money rather than urgency facts of earth condition. How can the media be silenced and leaving many questions about the truth facts of what was going on? Same as the case, in the end, I must be excused not to be published my article just because those nonsense principle.
This is ironic, sad, and worrying. I have written my opinion based on the real literacy and scientific fact, but in order to the following article, it never been published even once.
Being a scientist graduate, having a scientific spirit while I’m working as a journalist is made me more and more aware, but all of this stuff is very difficult to be changed. Like this is seems never be happen as I expected.
I ever found my news about the melted ice of arctic and the rise of a deadly virus never been uploaded. All of that sourced from what my editor that think specific to the ‘terrible’ vibe. After I was getting out on that long debate with them, at that time all I can do just let out my long sigh, and have nothing more to say, but only silence and confusion remain in my head. How I get to be silenced behind the rule of not scaring public was the worst thing I ever felt of my entire work-life.
Here’s what I’ve been thinking almost my time after that: Where are their minds when the facts and data are really describe the ‘horrible’ level of the truth? Where does their rationality mind when that specific data arse really SHOWING THE HORRIBLE number indeed?
On the end of the day, I was thought my journalism was silenced, so the public won’t be able to afraid or got panicked, even though it was necessarily true f*ckin hell fact were still going by.
I think that day was the darkest, the first time I ever felt BIGGEST LIE I was made in my life.
Until now, my news never been published anyway. And today’s media still continue following the flow by money earnings, and stay afloat with the business that lies behind them.
As I mentioned earlier, money is still conduct everything.
(Ignatia, 2022)
