An issue of water right abuse contradicting to article 33 of the 1945 Constitution (UUD 1945) began to be issued by a number of groups. Nevertheless, the other issue also emerges. The number of academicians and groups who cares of environment declared that this state has not been responsible for and not protected in filling people’s water need yet.
It was the topic of Focus Group Discussion (FGD) which the theme was “Trusted and Equitable Water Resource Management”. The event was organized by Environment Assembly (MLH) of Muhammadiyah cooperating with Center of Environment and Disaster (PLHB) of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY). The FGD was conducted on Saturday (18/4) in Stadium General of Engineering Faculty of UMY. It was attended by various environment agencies and academicians from universities in Yogyakarta.
In this FGD, Muhjidin Mawardi, Chief of MLH PP Muhammadiyah, conveyed that water was only considered as economic commodity so that rights of accessing were neglected. “Rights to get water as human right has ignored. Moreover, responsibility of water security and fulfillment for people by the state has not been realized yet,” he uttered.
In fact, if it referred to article 33 of UUD 1945, “Earth, water, and natural resources belong to nation and are used abundantly for people’s prosperity.” However, it did not happen as it stated. Prof. Dr. Ir. Sigit Supadmo Arif, M.Eng. a alumnus coordinator of Agricultural Technology Faculty (FTP) of Gadjah Mada University (UGM) asserted that “water tend to be employed for commercial interest, privatization, and capitalization of water rights against article 33 UUD 1945.”
Sigit inserted that, besides commercialization, privatization, and capitalization of water rights, the other issue was monopoly of water sources by private parties. Indeed, the water was governed by this state as manager, but it was controlled by private parties. As the result, people lost their access of water resources which could be employed for their prosperity.
Furthermore, Ir. Gatot Supangkat, M.P., a secretary of MLP PP Muhammadiyah said that the FGD aimed as the response of Muhammadiyah toward cancellation of Law No. 7/2004. The results of FGD would be a reference and consideration for government to arrange law of water resources as the substitution of the cancellation of Law No, 7/2004 by constitutional court. “Law No, 7/2004 on water resources has been cancelled by MK. Hence, we carried out this FGD to construct a formula to substitute Law No. 7/2004. The result of FGD would be proposed to government,” he told.
