Civil servants told to stay neutral

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