Councillors' foreign trips put on hold

Councillors' foreign trips put on hold

SURABAYA: Travel plans for 37 East Java councillors ready to tour the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and several European countries have been put on hold after Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno issued a ruling that bans overseas trips involving more than 10 councillors.

"I doubt if we can carry out the trip (after the minister issued the ruling). In the meantime, we also have to finish discussing 12 provincial rulings by Oct. 14," councillor A. Sunaryono said.

The legislature's Commission E was planning to divide the councillors into two groups. The first, consisting of 11 legislators, would visit Malaysia and Singapore, while the second group, consisting of six lawmakers, would fly to France and the Netherlands.

Some 20 members of Commission D are also planning to visit Australia, Japan, Thailand and Singapore. --JP