Criticised Over Rp 125 Million Massage Chair, East Kalimantan Governor: 'I Drive Alone'
East Kalimantan Governor Rudy Mas’ud has once again drawn sharp criticism from the public. Previously, he faced backlash over the renovation of his official residence costing Rp 25 billion and the procurement of an official vehicle worth Rp 8.5 billion.
This time, the criticism centres on a massage chair priced at Rp 125 million. He explained that while carrying out his duties, he often drives the official vehicle himself over considerable distances. Therefore, in his view, the massage chair is indeed needed to support his fatigued physical condition.
“The massage chair is there; the massage chair is indeed provided in that spot. It’s pitiful for the governor to travel driving the car alone with journeys spanning thousands of kilometres. When we travel, we actually never publicise it; we set off before the sun rises. The sun has already set, and we still haven’t arrived. And I drive the car myself,” he said, quoted from a YouTube channel on Sunday, 26 April 2026.
Furthermore, Rudy Mas’ud revealed that due to his situation, his staff felt sorry for him.
“Perhaps my colleagues felt sorry for us. Secondly, sometimes I’m alone at home with no one to accompany me,” he clarified.
He also stressed that this massage chair facility did not appear out of nowhere. He stated that the budget for the massage chair was included in the official planning of the East Kalimantan Provincial Government for the 2024/2025 fiscal period.
“That is the 2024-2025 budget,” he said.
He also hoped that the public could understand his situation and pray for him rather than hurling harsh sarcasm.
“Now, so that the public—shouldn’t the leader be prayed for instead of bullied? How? Well, this is the task of fellow journalists; whatever it is, convey it even if it’s bitter, just convey it,” he explained.
Public Demonstration in East Kalimantan
As previously reported, on Monday, 21 April, a large-scale demonstration took place in East Kalimantan related to the inflation of regional spending.
Following that demonstration, Rudy Mas’ud provided his official statement. In his remarks, he did not express an apology but instead appreciated the public aspirations and touched on the direction of the future or ‘fate’ of East Kalimantan.
Rudy expressed thanks to students, the public, and security apparatus who were deemed to have kept the situation conducive until the action concluded. He also viewed public input as an important part of evaluating local government performance.