Asymmetric Decentralization

in Coastal Areas Strategic Boundary of Indonesia:

Law-Political-Decentralization Perspective

Muchid Albintani

, Mayarni

dan Mimin Sundari

Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Universitas Riau, Pekanbaru, Indonesia

Keywords: asymmetric decentralisation, strategic border coastal area, Indonesia

Abstract: In the era of globalisation, the problems of policy overlap, poor inter-agency coordination among central

agencies and minimal budget support are the main obstacles to the implementation of Asymmetric

Decentralisation in strategic border coastal areas such as Pasir Limau Kapas [henceforth Palika], Rokan

Hilir District and Riau Province [Provinsi Riau]. The study aims, first of all, to explain the implementation

of Asymmetric Decentralisation in Palika as a strategic coastal area on the border. Second, this study will

explain the major obstacles to the implementation of Asymmetric Decentralisation as a strategic coastal area

on the border. Law Political and Political Decentralisation have been used as an analytical framework. This

study used a qualitative approach through a descriptive analysis method. The data was collected based on

documents supported by interviews. The results of the study conclude that, firstly, central government

inconsistencies implementing Asymmetric Decentralisation as a strategic policy to develop border coastal

areas involves the practice of Decentralised Politics. Second, the main obstacle to the implementation of

Asymmetric Decentralisation is the overlapping regulations between regions and centres showing an

inconsistent (central-regional) government. This reality has negative implications for development in Palika

as a strategic border coastal area.

1 INTRODUCTION

The theme of the conference, "Empowerment &

Impairment in The Global Age", is a reminder of the

border issues related to the Asymmetric

Decentralisation policy. Pasir Limau Kapas

[henceforth Palika] sub-district, one of the study

areas, has several reasons to support it. [1]

Panipahan is the only capital city in Palika, Rokan

Hilir District [Rohil], Riau Province which is not

accessible by road while still being on the island of

Sumatra. [2] The sub-districts have direct border

conflicts with neighbouring countries; Malaysia, and

North Sumatra Province. [3] The Border

Management Board was liquidated in 2016, having

been established 2014, as a result of government

regulations on regional apparatus.

These three reasons are academically supportive

if this study can contribute by: [a] creating an

equitable distribution of coastal the border area

studies that have been concentrated around the

Kalimantan and Riau Islands [Batam-Bintan-

Karimun]; [b] the regulations leading to the

management of Batam Island [Pulau Batam] in

terms of an overlapping authority between regional

centres (Albintani, 2016). Based on the

aforementioned explanation, the paper aims to first

explain the implementation of Decentralisation in an

asymmetric manner in Palika as a strategic coastal

area on the border. Secondly, this paper aims to

explain the major obstacles to the implementation of

Asymmetric Decentralisation in Palika.

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

The study of the existing literature seeks to explain,

first of all, the earlier studies that became the

comparison reference to the significance of this

study. Second, it seeks to explain the use of law-

political-decentralisation in order to understand the

Albintani, M., Mayarni, . and Sundari, M.

Asymmetric Decentralization in Coastal Areas Strategic Boundary of Indonesia.

DOI: 10.5220/0008817200910095

In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Contemporary Social and Political Affairs (ICoCSPA 2018), pages 91-95

ISBN: 978-989-758-393-3

phenomena associated with Asymmetric

Decentralisation in the strategic coastal border

region of Palika.

2.1 Previous Study

In the implementation of various studies on border

areas, especially areas that are considered to be

strategic, there needs to be serious attention that is

both focused and integrated. Related to this study is

[1] JPP-UGM (2010), "Asymmetric Decentralisation

in Indonesia: Practice and Projection." and [2]. The

study by Bappenas [2016]; "Study of Asymmetric

Policy Development in the Boundary Areas."

Based on these two studies, this paper focuses on

the implementation of Asymmetric Decentralisation

in the Strategic Coastal Border Area of Indonesia.

This study examines the perspective of the Law

Political and Political Decentralisation through to

Law-Political-Decentralisation.

What distinguishes this study is [1]. Very limited

studies have been conducted on coastal border area

development [especially in international trade areas],

especially focused on the coast of Sumatera. Most

areas of study are focused on strategic border areas,

such as Riau Islands and Batam Island. [2] There is a

dichotomy between the decentralisation policy

[regional autonomy, symmetrical] and Asymmetric

Decentralisation [soft decentralisation, ‘intervensi

lunak’ term in Indonesia]. As a strategic border

coastal zone, Palika seems to be ignored by both the

central government and local government. [3].

Concerns over the experience of Simpadan and

Ligitan island clarifies the ignorance of the [central

government] state at managing and taking care of

the outer islands at the border.

2.2 Strategic Border Areas and

Asymmetric Decentralization

Facilitating the concept of a strategic coastal border

area with the concept of asymmetric decentralisation

and the relationship of both requires an academic

explanation. It is important to point out that this

explanatory context is an early attempt to understand

the importance of the relationship of strategic border

region development and Asymmetrical

Decentralisation. Various items of literature

(Prescott, 1987; Albintani, 2016; Bappenas, 2016)

have mentioned if the border area of the country is a

region that has a strategic position. This position is

attributed to the existence of a neighbouring country

which is [adjacent] to the Melaka Strait. Sovereignty

and security become a strategic issue of the border

area, as it is the front porch of the country.

Law Political, in this context, is interpreted as an

approach to tackling the phenomenon of the

interaction between the power actors in parliament,

government and justice in producing various policy

products such as the constitution, MPR decree,

Law/Perpu, PP [government regulation], Perpres

[President Regulation], Perda [Local Regulation]

and others within the arena of contestation between

the political actors in various political institutions

(Mahfud, 2001). Meanwhile, Political

Decentralisation is the transfer of planning, decision-

making or the division of authority from the central

government to its branches of organisation, local

administrative management units, local government

or non-governmental organisations (Prasojo, 2016).

In this context, Asymmetric Decentralisation is a

central or regional government strategy to fighting

for the right and authority to carry out autonomous

regional obligations to regulate and manage its own

governmental affairs in the interests of the local

communities. Law-Political-Decentralisation is a

perspective used to understand the phenomenon of

Asymmetric Decentralisation in the strategic border

coastal area of Palika. This perspective clarifies the

struggle between contradictory central and local

governments in certain contexts.

3 METHOD

This study used a qualitative approach through a

descriptive analysis method. The data was collected

based on documents supported by interviews. Once

collected, the data was analysed qualitatively. In

order to explain if Palika is a strategic border coastal

area, please refer to Figure 1.

ICoCSPA 2018 - International Conference on Contemporary Social and Political Affairs

Figure 1:

[a] Regency of Rokan Hilir,

[b] China's Strategy Master the World

[c] Palika Position,

[d] The Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Cooperation,

[e] Kra Canal Thailand Channel Development Plan.

Source: Google Map and Prepared 2018.

4 ‘AUTONOMY CENTER’ IN

THE LOCAL AUTONOMY

4.1 Recentralisation in the Era of

Regional Autonomy

4.1.1 Institutional Decentralisation:

Variety Policy

The findings of this study indicate that the various

regulations related to the implementation of

Asymmetric Decentralisation in coastal border areas

have created opposing policies. As a result, local

governments have set ambiguous policies. This can

be observed after the establishment of the Border

Management Agency [Perda (Local Regulation)

No.10/2013]. Based on Perda No.11/2016, the

Border Management Agency was abolished. The

reality of the study findings can be observed based

on the chronology of various policies.

Regulation begins with the establishment of the

Border Management National Agency [BNPP]

through:

§ President Regulation No.12/2010 [drafting of

the Grand Design] and the Master Plan for the

Management of State and Boundary Areas and

the boundary of Nawa Cita,

§ Presidential Regulation No.2/2015 on the

"National Medium-Term Development Plan

(RPJMN) 2015-2019" [this policy laying the

groundwork for the start of Asymmetric

Decentralisation,

§ Regulations of the Minister of Home Affairs

No.2/2011 on "Guidelines for the

Establishment of Border Management Bodies

in the Regions",

§ Head of BNPP Regulation No.1/2015 on the

"Master Plan for State Border Management

2015-2019",

§ Provincial Regulation No.3/2014 on the

"Organisation of the Inspectorate, Regional

Development Planning Board and the

Regional Technical Institute of Riau

Province",

§ Riau Governor Regulation No.21/2015 on

"Details of the Duties, Functions and Work

Procedures of the Border Management

Agency of Riau Province Conducting Renduk

PBWNKP",

§ Local Regulation No.10/2013 on the "Rokan

Hilir District Border Management Agency",

§ Government Regulation No.18/2016 on

"Local Devices" and

§ Local Regulation No. 11/2016 on "The Device

Formation of Rokan Hilir District".

Based on the policy chronologies that have been

submitted, this study found that inter-policy conflicts

can eliminate the institution that manages the border.

In the Asymmetric Decentralisation Assessment

[2016], the second conclusion confirms that

developing policies of institutional and

administrative structuring in government

administration in border areas is a strategy focused

on strengthening the authority and institutional

districts at the border. It can be further explained

that the importance of sub-district [kecamatan]

strengthening is in line with the mandate of Law

No.43/2008 on "State Territories" and Law No.23

/2014 on "Local Government", in which the roles of

the authority and institutions in governance in the

region’s state borders are to be found in the sub-

district.

4.2 Asymmetric Decentralization in

Constrain

4.2.1 Policy Construction:

Position Strategy and Security Issues

An important aspect is that a strategic area has major

potential as an important part of the implementation

of decentralization. Strategic understanding should

also come into the context of areas related to the

shoreline. The existence of various forms of special

economic zones, for example, should interplay with

the variants to be found in the decentralisation era

[the implementation of regional autonomy]. In this

case, the palika [in the agricultural area] is not much

different from the island of Batam [in the

archipelago], which is discarded because it is

adjacent to Singapore. Meanwhile in Palika,

Panipahan is the capital and Pulau Jemur [Jemur

Island] is directly in the Melaka Strait. Based on

Figure 1:

§ Palika's position as part of Rokan Hilir

regency means that it is adjacent to Rupat

Island [Pulau Rupat];

Asymmetric Decentralization in Coastal Areas Strategic Boundary of Indonesia

§ The Obor Policy means that there is one belt,

and one road: 60 countries show China's 'plan

of dominance' in the wider world [the glory of

the world trade coming from the silk road];

Palika's strategic position;

§ Planning cooperation between Indonesia,

Malaysia and Thailand and

§ The opening plan of the Kra Canal in

Thailand. The aforementioned help to clarify

Palika's position as a strategic border coastal

area.

Instrumentation in government management

comes with costs and maintenance. Rhi’s study also

has a tangible context, as the [central and regional]

governments are in a position that cannot be

developed due to the various projects being made

that are 'incapable' of being done.

4.2.2 Ambiguous Policy:

Resentralization Budget and

Dissolution of Institutions

With regard to the constraints related to

implementing Asymmetric Decentralisation, if

observed on the basis of the role of local

governments in trying to develop border areas in

Palika, then the findings show something that is

ambiguous and seemingly unresponsive. This

dilemma is related to the condition of the regional

budget that continues to decline. This was, for

example, in 2015, Rp 2.27 trillion. In 2016, it was

Rp 2.6 trillion more.

In 2017, there was a significant decrease from

Rp 2.6 trillion to Rp 1.5 trillion. This decrease in

budget has become a dilemma and has an impact on

ambiguous policy decisions. The sincerity to

develop border areas based on Asymmetric

Decentralisation becomes delayed.

Meanwhile, related to the existence of the Border

Management Agency, it was liquidated. The reason

for this was crucial, as it was because of the

limitations and the decrease of the budget. Budget

efficiency becomes the cause argument. This is

complemented by the reason behind the issuance of

government regulations on the regional apparatus.

Walaupaun is still under debate. The question is

related to how seriously can the border management

agency join with other work units.

Based on this argument, the seriousness of the

Rokan Hilir regional government becomes

questionable. This is the background of the

government; through its officials on many occasions,

it has always declared seriously that it seeks to build

a strategic coastal border region. The government

regent of Rokan Hilir appealed for the central

government's help to develop the potential tourist

area of Pulau Jemur, which is located besides the

Melaka Strait in contact with international trade

route. On the other hand, local governments are

reluctant to maintain border management bodies.

5. CONCLUSIONS

This study concludes that, firstly, the inconsistency

of the central government when it comes to

implementing Asymmetric Decentralisation as a

national strategic policy of building border areas in

Palika is part of the practice of Political

Decentralisation. Political practice is a subtle part of

central intervention in the region. Second, these

interventions have an impact on the overlapping

regulations between regions and centres, indicating

that central-regional inconsistency appears to be

prominent. Practically, this study suggests that

Asymmetrical Decentralisation is a manifestation of

the will of the state governmental condition dictating

that there should be regional dependence on the

centre.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author would like to thank Prof. Sujianto from

the Universitas Riau. Further thanks to the Rector of

the Universitas Riau, and Chairman of the Institute

for Research and Community Service [LPPM],

Universitas Riau who has provided funding of this

research with the contract number:

664/UN.19.5.1/PP/2018.

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