Councillors lambasted for 'wasteful' trip

PALU, Central Sulawesi: An activist with a governance watchdog lashed out on Monday against a plan by 11 councillors to visit Jakarta, saying the trip was a waste of money.

According to the itinerary of the Rp 99 million (US$10,532) official trip, the councillors will fly to Jakarta on Tuesday. The are to visit officials at the Ministry of Home Affairs to inquire into a government decree on the election of council leaders.

Sudirman Zuhdi, coordinator of the Parliament and Government Watch, said instead of taking a costly trip to Jakarta, it would be more efficient if the councillors invited an official or two from the home ministry to visit Palu to shed light over the matter. -- JP