Hats off to DPR members

Hats off to DPR members

From Jayakarta

The Indonesian community is excited over the pluck shown by Commission VI of the House of Representatives (DPR), with South Sulawesi senior politician Soenarjo Hadade as spokesman, to bring to light the Rp 50 billion collected from the Bukit Asam Coal Mines cooperation contracts and deposited in the personal account of Minister of Mines and Energy I.B. Sudjana. The reason for the collection was the wastefulness of PT Tambang Batubara Bukit Asam in its operations.

Rightfully, President Soeharto should take steps to channel the funds into the state treasury. They are still in the name of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, but no longer in Sudjana's personal account.

Hats off to Soenarjo Hadede, and my respect to I.B. Sudjana, who two years ago took action in the collection of the funds from Bukit Asam.

If former ministers of mines and energy Sadli, Subroto and Ginanjar Kartasasmita had done the same as Sudjana, the amount of state money misappropriated would not have been so huge. This money went into the personal accounts of some members of the board of directors in state-owned companies, like Pertamina and Timah.

The hefty manipulations allowed them to amass enormous wealth, which later on led to ownership of hotels, banks and automotive industries. The state's profit only went to a number of facilities like Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, the Harapan Kita Hospital, the veterans' building and the Jakarta Convention Center.

There was a delay of two years in bringing up the matter of the Bukit Asam funds. We appreciate it nonetheless.

H.G. MALIKMASS

Ciputat, West Java