Yogyakarta, May 4 -- Indonesia's Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf said he needs time to ponder West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi's idea on making vasectomy become a requirement for the province's residents to access the government's social aid.

"Yes, we need time to comprehend the idea introduced by Mr. Dedi," he remarked in Yogyakarta on Saturday (May 3).

Yusuf emphasized that this proposal needs to be studied carefully because the various social aid programs currently provided by the government are primarily intended as safety nets for vulnerable citizens.

He cited as an example the Family Hope Program (PKH), explaining that it was designed to help economically disadvantaged people fulfill their basic and ultimately become self-...