Truant councillors slammed<\/p>\n
Rusman, The Jakarta Post, Samarinda, East Kalimantan<\/p>\n
Almost all 45 members of the East Kalimantan legislative council
\nhad yet to return to work on Friday, more than a week after the
\nend of the Idul Fitri holidays, a development that sparked
\nprotests from activists.<\/p>\n
Only several councillors appeared at their offices in the
\nprovincial capital of Samarinda. But they stayed there only a few
\nhours and returned home.<\/p>\n
However, activities at the council's secretariat have begun to
\nresume normally with many of the staff having been at work since
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
The government had warned civil servants and other state
\nofficials to cut their salaries should they fail to come to work
\non Monday, the end of the official nine-day holiday.<\/p>\n
But there seems to be no punishment imposed against the truant
\ncouncil members.<\/p>\n
As most of the councillors were lazy coming to the office,
\nlocal people could not voice their grievances and aspirations to
\nthe council.<\/p>\n
The councillors even appeared to be reluctant to work during
\nthe Islamic Ramadhan holy month, but ironically they received a
\nRp 15 million (US$1,764) Idul Fitri bonus each.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post observed that the rooms of the council's
\nfaction and commission offices and its leaders were empty.<\/p>\n
A staff officer at Commission C said many councillors were
\nstill in their hometowns celebrating Idul Fitri.<\/p>\n
Most of the 45 councillors hail from outside Samarinda and
\neach receives a Rp 2 million monthly allowance to stay in the
\nprovince's capital city.<\/p>\n
Deputy council speaker Kasyful Anwar As'ad said many
\ncouncillors still had personal jobs to do, so they could not
\nreturn to work as yet.<\/p>\n
Or, many of them were yet to return to Samarinda from their
\nhometowns, where they were busy preparing for political campaigns
\nof their parties ahead of the 2004 elections, he added.<\/p>\n
Kasyful admitted that during the month of Ramadhan from Oct.
\n26 to Nov. Dec. 24, and one week after Idul Fitri, the
\ncouncillors were generally reluctant to work.<\/p>\n
However, he promised the council would be able to complete
\ntheir unresolved tasks before the 2004 elections.<\/p>\n
Local anticorruption activists protested the absenteeism of
\nthe councillors, saying they failed to set a good example for
\nother state officials, their constituents and other people at
\nlarge.<\/p>\n
"They (the councillors) are paid by the people. Imagine
\nhundreds of billions even trillions of rupiah are being spent for
\nthe activities of the legislative council. But now they are
\nproven of performing poorly," said Achmad Basori, director
\nexecutive of the Concern for State Wealth (PKN).<\/p>\n
He said the move thwarted people from expressing their
\naspirations.<\/p>\n
"If the governor or executive staff officials do not go to
\ntheir offices, the legislative council is the staunchest critic
\nof them," he said.<\/p>\n
Basori threatened to file a class action suit against the
\ncouncillors if they continued skipping work next week.<\/p>\n
"I will make public the names of those too lazy to work, so
\ntheir constituents will not vote for them in the 2004 elections,"
\nhe added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/truant-councillors-slammed-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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