Civil servants told to stay neutral

JAKARTA: Civil servants are to remain neutral and not support any specific presidential and vice presidential candidate despite the disbursement of a 13th month salary this June, a government official says.

State Minister of Administrative Reforms Feisal Tamim said on Friday that the policy had been proposed in 2002 and he hoped it would not become a political commodity.

He explained that the 13th salary would be paid in June as it was school enrollment month and most civil servants needed the money to pay for their children's education.

Some presidential aspirants for the July 5 election have suggested that the disbursement of the 13th month salary this month was intended to influence voters in the upcoming election. -- Antara