Former legislators illegally lease official residence

Former legislators illegally lease official residence

JAKARTA (JP): Several members of the 1992/1997 House of
Representatives have illegally let their official residence, an
official in charge of legislators' housing complex management
revealed here yesterday.

The 1992/1997 House members ended their term on Sept. 30.

Muslihatna alleged that the new tenants had violated many
rules during their stay in the housing complex, and caused losses
to the state.

"It's outrageous and we've warned the legislators (who rented
out their residence), but there has been no response so far," he
said.

Muslihatna did not explain why he was only revealing the
information now or why the violations occurred.

In his report to Deputy House Speaker Abdul Gafur, who
inspected legislators housing complex in Kalibata, South Jakarta,
yesterday, Muslihatna said this month alone there had been a Rp
154 million (US$44,000) unpaid electricity bill from 151 houses
whereas the unpaid telephone bill had reached Rp 63 million.

"There is even a house which had not paid its electricity and
telephone bill for 18 months," he said, adding that the state
actually provides each legislator with a Rp 125,000 and a Rp
61,000 monthly subsidy for respective bills.

"Therefore, we hope (from now on) only the legislators stay in
the residence," he added.

Responding to the report, Gafur -- who chairs Commission VIII
in the House of Representatives and the House's internal affairs
body -- expressed hope that the new legislators would not follow
in their predecessors' footsteps.

There are still 42 vacant houses for legislators of the Golkar
faction to move into, while those for the United Development
Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party factions have been all
occupied.

Gafur urged legislators who did not want to move into their
official residence to return the facilities to the state instead
of leasing or giving them to somebody else to live in.

"Don't let the house be used by siblings, for instance, let
alone lease them to somebody else," he said.

Gafur said all the legislators who were not reelected for the
1997/2002 office term were urged to leave their official
residence before the end of December.

"Before leaving, it is hoped that they will clean up and
renovate the houses," he said. (aan/amd)