City councillors take brain course

JAKARTA: Taking part in comparative studies overseas and studying under a postgraduate program here were not enough for city councillors, as some 60 of them took part in a short course known as "Brainware Management Training" on Thursday to improve their "brain power".

Council chairman Edy Waluyo told reporters the councillors were expected to improve their emotional intelligence and adopt productive and efficient habits.

The training program's consultant Taufik Baharudin refused to say what was the cost of the training, which took place at 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the council building.

"But I'm not a cheap consultant. People say that I'm an expensive one," Taufik, who is also a lecturer at the University of Indonesia's school of economics, said.

The city councillors had previously been criticized for spending billions of rupiah in taking comparative studies courses overseas and enrolling in local postgraduate education, financed by the city. --JP