Controversy Over Rp 25 Billion Official Residence Renovation, East Kalimantan Governor Apologises

The figure of East Kalimantan Governor Rudy Mas’ud is once again in the public spotlight. After going viral over the procurement of his operational official vehicle, he is now under scrutiny for the renovation of his official residence.

Reports indicate that the renovation of the East Kalimantan Governor’s Official Residence is budgeted at Rp 25 billion. This has sparked criticism amid the government’s widespread efficiency programmes.

Rudy confirmed that the official residence renovation budget amounts to Rp 25 billion. However, he explained that the funds are not solely for the governor’s residence but also cover the deputy governor’s residence and supporting facilities such as the pendopo.

He also never requested the renovation budget from the East Kalimantan Regional Budget (APBD). This Golkar Party politician stated that the renovation budgeting process was managed by the Regional Government Budgeting Team (TAPD).

Following intense criticism and even demonstrations by East Kalimantan residents over his policies and lifestyle, Rudy issued a public apology via his Instagram account.

He consciously acknowledged that the residents’ anger was triggered by the large renovation budget for the official residence and the procurement of a new official vehicle with a substantial allocation.

For instance, in the APBD allocation for the official residence renovation, many items are considered unnecessary.

“Among them, several items that have come under scrutiny, such as the massage chair and seawater aquarium, are understandably causing discomfort and questions among the public,” Rudy stated.

Nevertheless, according to him, if investigated further, all plans for the official residence procurement up to the new vehicle were budgeted before he took office.

Rudy also emphasised that he will personally bear part of the official residence renovation funds, particularly for items deemed inappropriate for official functions.

“Including the massage chair and seawater aquarium. All items in the renovation package will be evaluated and re-audited transparently so that the public can see clearly and participate in monitoring. In the future, we will also make adjustments to ensure that the use of leadership facility budgets is more modest,” Rudy explained.