Councillor lashes out at district heads

Councillor lashes out at district heads

MEDAN, North Sumatra: A Medan councillor condemned on Wednesday
seven district heads in Medan for traveling to Malaysia.

"Suspected bird flu has been discovered in their areas, and
they're traveling to Malaysia," Ikrimah Hamidy, chief of the
Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction at the Medan council, said
incredulously.

The seven district heads in question are from Medan Selayang,
Medan Tuntungan, Medan Baru, Medan Kota, Medan Polonia, Medan
Johor and Medan Denai. Fears of bird flu surfaced recently after
reports that 2,000 quail and hundreds of chickens in the areas
had died mysteriously.

Medan municipal government spokesman Arlan Harahap confirmed
that the district heads had gone to Malaysia to attend a seminar
on the environment. However, Arlan denied reports that the trip
had anything to do with the reelection of Medan Mayor Abdillah.
-- JP