Appreciate OAP Recruitment as ASN Priority in Papua New Guinea

By: Viktor Awoitauw )*

Papua has 4 new autonomous regions (DOBs), namely Central Papua, South Papua, Highlands Papua and Southwest Papua. In the 4 new autonomous regions, it is certain that they need ASN (State Civil Apparatus). The community supports the recruitment of ASN in a fair way and prioritizes indigenous Papuans, because it is in accordance with the Special Autonomy Law.

Papua is an area that has great potential. Not only natural resources but also human resources (HR). Many native Papuans have high intelligence, and have even become ministers and officials in Jakarta. Papuans are getting smarter and more accomplished, and can work in all fields.

The Papuan people do not only work as farmers, traders or fishermen. However, they also have careers as civil servants, aka ASN. When they become civil servants, they are happy because they can serve the people and at the same time become servants of the state. A job as an ASN is seen as very good and is coveted by young Papuans.

Puncak Regent Willem Wandik stated that he encouraged the acceptance of CPNS, especially in 4 new autonomous regions, to pay attention to native Papuan children with a percentage of 80:20 percent. This means that 80 percent are for indigenous Papuans (OAP) and 20 percent are for people from the archipelago whose skills are not owned by Papuans and those who were born and raised in Papua or whose parents have served in Papua for decades.

In a sense, the majority of ASN in Papua are native Papuans. This is very reasonable because if the employees are Papuans, they understand the character and nature of OAP (Original Papuans) better. That way, the service to OAP will be better, because they have the same language and ethnicity, or understand how to approach and communicate with them.

It is only natural that civil servants in Papua are Papuans. First, they are getting smarter and many have university degrees. When you have graduated from college, you will take the CPNS exam with the aim of serving the country and the people of Papua. They become civil servants because they want to serve the community, not to enrich themselves.

Second, there is the Special Autonomy scholarship program for outstanding Papuan children. They can go to high school, even college. The average chooses to study in Java and the costs are borne by the government through the Special Autonomy Fund. After becoming graduates they return to Papua and are obliged to serve by becoming civil servants.

Therefore it is very natural that the majority of ASN in the 4 new autonomous regions of Papua are OAP. The reason is because they are carrying out community service and serving the people, and repaying government services by becoming civil servants. 

Meanwhile, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD said that HR in the Papua New Guinea area would be prioritized to be filled with native Papuans, namely 80 percent. Meanwhile, the other 20 percent are filled with non-native Papuans.

Mahfud added, the fulfillment of the Papua New Guinea was carried out through position mapping carried out by the respective Regional Governments according to the quota for native Papuans who were spread across ministries or institutions and the regional government. Then the transfer of ASN from the main area to the expansion area and fulfilling the allocation of new formations if needed.

Thus, the government decided that the needs for ASN in the New Guinea Province of Papua could later be met from honorary workers and the 2021 formation of CPNS from the main province. There were 434 Papua Masters scholarship recipients and 487 IPDN graduates for the 2017-2021 period. 

This was carried out by calculating the autonomous province of Papua as many as 46 thousand ASNs and taking into account Papuan local wisdom with a composition of 80 percent OAP and 20 percent non OAP.

Mahfud said there were three points made for human resource selection in the New Autonomous Region of Papua. The following are the points: first, confirmation of position for those who have occupied a position equivalent to a position that is still in the same group of positions, especially those from the parent province. Second, the job fit test, for employees who have held positions equivalent to different job families.

Meanwhile, the third is an open and competitive selection based on laws and regulations, if there is no suitability for civil servants with the required positions, both from within the Province of Papua and outside the Province of Papua.

When many ASNs are OAP, it doesn’t mean they are racist or favoritism. But this is a privilege given to all Papuan people. It is only natural that the Special Autonomy Law states that leaders in Papua (governors, mayors and their deputies) must be native Papuans. Therefore the ASN that is accepted must also be OAP.

The community supports the recruitment of ASN in Papua, where the majority are filled by OAP. They have the right to be given the convenience to become servants of the state as well as protecting and serving the people. When OAP becomes ASN, they will understand better how to communicate and address the various needs of the Papuan people, because they understand the language and its characteristics.

)* The author is a Papuan student living in Bandung

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