Taufik Kiemas donates Rp 250m for the disabled in North Sumatra<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post , Medan<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri's husband Taufik Kiemas donated
\nRp 250 million on Saturday to a fund for a disabled children's
\nfoundation in Medan, North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Taufik, when presenting the donation, said the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) would also provide
\nRp 100 million more as well as musical instruments to the
\nFoundation for Handicapped Children (YPAC).<\/p>\n
He was accompanied by Minister of State Enterprises Laksamana
\nSukardi and other PDI Perjuangan leaders during his brief visit
\nto Medan to present the donation to YPAC chairperson Linda Adi.<\/p>\n
North Sumatra Governor T. Rizal Nurdin and Medan Mayor
\nAbdillah were present at the function held at the foundation's
\noffice.<\/p>\n
The fund would be used to finance the planned renovation of
\nthe YPAC building located on Jl. Adinegoro, Medan, which is
\nexpected to cost Rp 140 million.<\/p>\n
Linda said the foundation had so far collected around Rp 100
\nmillion from individuals and organizations to renovate the
\nbuilding.<\/p>\n
The donation came several days after Governor Rizal urged the
\nprovincial police last week to thoroughly investigate the
\nmisappropriation of food and clothing assistance for the
\ndisabled, including that for YPAC.<\/p>\n
Around 30 percent of the 510 aid packages provided by Japan's
\nOrganization for Industrial Spiritual and Cultural Advancement
\n(OISCA) reportedly went missing on Nov. 14.<\/p>\n
"This act is not only a common case of theft, but it has also
\nbrought shame to the nation. Therefore, I ask the police to
\nthoroughly investigate the case," Rizal said.<\/p>\n
He expressed concern over the misappropriation as he was one
\nof those who directly witnessed how the aid packages were
\ntampered with.<\/p>\n
Rizal was leading a ceremony on Nov. 14 to hand over the
\nOISCA's aid packages to the YPAC office. But when he tried to
\nsymbolically open some of the packages, surprisingly they were
\nall empty.<\/p>\n
He said he was embarrassed by what happened during the
\nceremony, where OISCA managing director Michiyasu Arayashiki and
\nits North Sumatra representative Yopie Batubara were present.<\/p>\n
Yopie admitted that he had detected that the packages had been
\ntampered with when they were delivered on Nov. 9.<\/p>\n
"We suspect the theft was committed by certain persons at the
\ncustoms office or the cargo shipping company in Belawan district
\n(North Sumatra)," Yopie told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
In a response to Rizal's call, the North Sumatra Police have
\nquestioned at least nine people from the local customs office and
\nthe shipping firm as well as other relevant agencies.<\/p>\n
However, they said no suspects had been named in the case.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/taufik-kiemas-donates-rp-250m-for-the-disabled-in-north-sumatra-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }