Councillors uncaring of people's welfare

Councillors uncaring of people's welfare

From Warta Kota

Thumbs up to the City Council's regional legislative assembly. After creating controversy with "Ancolgate", allegedly a money scandal involving some members of Ancol Dreamland's management, it has now sparked another, no-less sensational controversy. City Council Speaker Edy Waluyo has urged Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso to immediately provide councillors with vehicles, professed to be used for their official activities.

Any sensible Jakarta resident will be able to see that this request is against common sense, especially considering that the majority of the people that these councillors are supposed to represent live an increasingly poor conditions as a result of an economic crisis caused for the greater part by the previous regime. It is really insensible that these councillors are more interested in their own welfare rather than in the welfare of the people.

One gets the impression that by urging the governor to distribute cars to councillors, Edy Waluyo is fighting for the welfare of his members. This may be more sensible if Edy worked in a cooperative because the goal of a cooperative is to bring about common welfare for its members.

Edy must remember that he works in a council -- the main purpose of which is to worry about the welfare of the community. A Jakarta councillor sits in the City Council because he or she is elected by Jakartans. Or, perhaps, Edy does not know what to do for the people because he belongs to the military and is, therefore, not elected by the people?

Worse, still, the councillors seem pleased to be getting the cars. Warta Kota of Feb. 22 quoted them as saying that the gift was natural because it was included in the regional budget of Jakarta's administration. It has not occurred to them to refuse or return the vehicles and let them be used in the interest of the community.

ALI TJOKROWERDOYO

Jakarta