50 councillors take family holiday in Australia

Haidir Anwar Tanjung, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru, Riau

At least 50 wives of councillors in Riau province left for Australia on Wednesday for a one-week trip before their husbands end their five-year terms of office in April.

MT Sihombing, a senior member of the Riau legislative council, confirmed their departure via Jakarta and said councillors and their children accompanied their wives on the trip.

The holiday was planned as a social farewell for the wives whose husbands may not be reelected as councillors in this year's general elections.

He denied widespread rumors the vacation was funded by the province's budget.

However, many councillors were reluctant to give details about the vacation in Australia.

Nurbay Juss, who chairs the council's budget committee denied the trip used money from Riau's provincial budget.

"I have heard about the departure of council members' wives to Australia. But so far we have not allocated funds for that purpose," he said, adding that his wife did not join the overseas trip.

It was likely visit was funded from the council's household affairs committee (PURT), he said. "But I don't know about the amount. Please ask Pak MT Sihombing," he told The Jakarta Post.

However, Sihombing, who is a deputy chairman of the committee, denied the holiday trip used money from the PURT.

"It's not true. The funds for the trip to Australia come from the personal expenses of council members," he said.

He said the plan to go to Australia for a vacation was agreed by the wives of councillors during a meeting three days ago.

He said the wives of councillors were charged Rp 30 million (US$3,614) each to join the Australian trip. "If their husbands take part in the visit, they have to pay more," he said without giving details.

The visit has drawn criticism in Riau, with the families of the councillors accused of wasting money.

Sihombing dismissed the charges.

"Let people say what they want. But it's clear that we have no intention to waste money because the funds for the trip are not taken from the budget," he said.

He asked the media not to blow the visit out of proportion.