PrGovernment yet to deal with poverty seriously, says PKS

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, on Sunday at about 16:00 local time, reported Zaenal Ma`arif, former deputy house speaker who has just been recalled by his party (the Reform Star Party), to the Metropolitan police of Jakarta for slander.

The remark was conveyed by a presidential spokesman, Andi Malarangeng, on the sidelines of a plenary cabinet meeting here on Sunday.

"This is the president`s right as a citizen, who has been the victim of Ma`arif`s slander, to report the case through legal mechanism," he said, adding that the president had to do this in the hope the case could be brought to court.

Asked about the measure the president would take on this case, Andi said the legal mechanism was the solution.

Earlier, the president in a limited meeting at the Westin Nusa Dua Hotel in Bali on Friday said he would sue Zaenal Ma`arif through the legal mechanism.

Zaenal Ma`arif, on Thursday (July 26) said President Yudhoyono had already got married before joining Indonesia`s military academy in the past.

The president denied the report on Ma`arif`s statement as a big lie and groundless slander. What exactly Ma`arif had done was an act to tarnish the president`s image and dignity.

"The report he has made was irrational, as Yudhoyono was reported to have already had two children with his secret marriage before joining the military academy. This is a kind of black cThe stagnant real sector which has constricted the people`s economy is proof that the government has yet to deal seriously with poverty, Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) chairman Tifatul Sembiring said here on Saturday.

"The real sector has remained stagnant so far and as a result small businesses find it difficult to get capital and market their products," Tifatul Sembiring said, adding that if the real sector was ignored, the poverty rate would keep increasing.

He said the central government as well as provincial and district administrations should pay serious attention to the real sector in order to reduce the poverty rate.

To that end, Tifatul said, the government must improve infrastructure and transportation development to facilitate the marketing of the products of farmers in remote areas.

"Adequate infrastructure and transportation facilities will enable farmers in remote areas to market their agriculture products in other areas," he said.

He said the government should also pay attention to human resources development through education because one of the causes of poverty was lack of education and knowledge.

"If the educatin system is not improved immediately, poverty will never be eradicated," he said, adding that education for children of poor people must be free. (*)