Indonesian governor's vasectomy-for-welfare proposal sparks intense debate
JAKARTA, May 8 — A proposal by a regional governor in Indonesia to make vasectomy a condition for men to receive welfare benefits has sparked widespread criticism in Indonesia, according to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi reportedly suggested sterilisation in exchange for access to social welfare, electricity connections, food aid, scholarships and public housing.
In an April 28 speech, Dedi questioned why poor families often have many children, saying, 'Stop having children if you can't provide for them well,' the SCMP reported.
'I don't know why poor families generally have many children, while rich people have difficulty having children, even after paying two billion rupiah (RM517,900) for IVF,' he was quoted as saying.
Religious leaders swiftly condemned the idea, with Cholil Nafis of the Indonesian Ulema Council reportedly saying Islam forbids permanent sterilisation and that poverty should be addressed through employment opportunities.
Indonesia's Social Minister Saifullah Yusuf also rejected the proposal, calling it 'not relevant' and impractical, according to the report.
Rights advocates and academics reportedly described the plan as coercive and discriminatory, with Singapore-based scholar Sulfikar Amir calling it a 'blatant form of body politics' and warning that it wrongly assumes poverty results from large families rather than structural economic inequality.
Public reactions online were mixed, with some supporting the proposal and others labelling it 'fascist,' the SCMP noted.
The debate comes amid new World Bank data showing that 60.3 per cent of Indonesians — or roughly 171 million people — live below the updated poverty threshold of US$6.85 (RM29.23) per person per day.
This figure contrasts sharply with Indonesia's official poverty rate of 8.57 per cent, based on older national standards.
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