50 councillors take family holiday in Australia<\/p>\n
Haidir Anwar Tanjung, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru, Riau<\/p>\n
At least 50 wives of councillors in Riau province left for
\nAustralia on Wednesday for a one-week trip before their husbands
\nend their five-year terms of office in April.<\/p>\n
MT Sihombing, a senior member of the Riau legislative council,
\nconfirmed their departure via Jakarta and said councillors and
\ntheir children accompanied their wives on the trip.<\/p>\n
The holiday was planned as a social farewell for the wives
\nwhose husbands may not be reelected as councillors in this year's
\ngeneral elections.<\/p>\n
He denied widespread rumors the vacation was funded by the
\nprovince's budget.<\/p>\n
However, many councillors were reluctant to give details about
\nthe vacation in Australia.<\/p>\n
Nurbay Juss, who chairs the council's budget committee denied
\nthe trip used money from Riau's provincial budget.<\/p>\n
"I have heard about the departure of council members' wives to
\nAustralia. But so far we have not allocated funds for that
\npurpose," he said, adding that his wife did not join the overseas
\ntrip.<\/p>\n
It was likely visit was funded from the council's household
\naffairs committee (PURT), he said. "But I don't know about the
\namount. Please ask Pak MT Sihombing," he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
However, Sihombing, who is a deputy chairman of the committee,
\ndenied the holiday trip used money from the PURT.<\/p>\n
"It's not true. The funds for the trip to Australia come from
\nthe personal expenses of council members," he said.<\/p>\n
He said the plan to go to Australia for a vacation was agreed
\nby the wives of councillors during a meeting three days ago.<\/p>\n
He said the wives of councillors were charged Rp 30 million
\n(US$3,614) each to join the Australian trip. "If their husbands
\ntake part in the visit, they have to pay more," he said without
\ngiving details.<\/p>\n
The visit has drawn criticism in Riau, with the families of
\nthe councillors accused of wasting money.<\/p>\n
Sihombing dismissed the charges.<\/p>\n
"Let people say what they want. But it's clear that we have no
\nintention to waste money because the funds for the trip are not
\ntaken from the budget," he said.<\/p>\n
He asked the media not to blow the visit out of proportion.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/50-councillors-take-family-holiday-in-australia-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }