House members want councillors released
SURABAYA: A number of House of Representatives' members from Jakarta have demanded the release of two senior councillors, currently being detained in Surabaya on graft charges, saying they would take responsibility should the councillors abscond.
Surabaya legislative council speaker M. Basuki and his deputy, Ali Burhan, were arrested last week for their alleged role in a Rp 2.7 billion corruption case involving the local legislature.
Soetardjo Soejogoeritno and Haryanto Taslam, both senior House members from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), and Muhaimin Iskandar of the National Awakening Party (PKB), visited the detained councillors in Medaeng prison in Surabaya on Tuesday.
The three legislators gave their assurances to local prosecutors that the PDI Perjuangan's Basuki and PKB's Burhan would not flee if they were released.
Haryanto criticized the arrest of the two councillors, saying there was no "significant" cause to hold them during the investigation. --JP
;JP;NFK; ANPAa..r.. Across-Riau-fund Riau council attacked over clothing fund JP/5/more
Riau council attacked over clothing fund
PEKANBARU, Riau: The Riau provincial legislature drew criticism on Tuesday for allocating more than Rp 850 million in clothing allowances to its 55 members.
The money was part of around Rp 58.5 billion in routine funds allotted for the council's operations this year.
Local community figures Tabrani Rab and Abbas Jamil accused the council of trying to corruptly enrich its members by allocating such a huge amount on clothing allowances.
At the same time, Tabrani and Abbas castigated the councillors for failing to show concern over increasing poverty in Riau as the council's budget did not prioritize efforts to improve the welfare of local people.
"What we have in the budget is only superficial projects aimed at benefiting the Riau administration and the council," he added.
Abbas also criticized councillors for their delay in endorsing the province's Rp 1.9 trillion budget, an big increase over last year's Rp 1.7 trillion budget.
The budget should have been approved by the middle of last month. --JP
;Antara;NFK; ANPAa..r.. Across-NorthSulawesi-WB WB gives Rp 3b aid to Minahasa JP/5/more
WB gives Rp 3b aid to Minahasa
MINAHASA, North Sulawesi: The World Bank provided more than Rp 3 billion in aid last year to 40 villages in Minahasa district, North Sulawesi, a local official said on Tuesday.
Minahasa Agricultural Information Center chief Rony Rumintjap said the assistance was intended to improve the living standards of farmers in the villages.
Each village received Rp 38 million, he added.
He said it was hoped that the farmers would use the aid according to their needs as stated in their proposals.
Rony said his organization had been helping farmers draw up proposals based on the prevailing conditions in their resource- rich villages.
"The project is expected to continue this year," he said. --Antara
;Antara;NFK; ANPAa..r.. Across-Mataram-unemployment 2,203 civil servants in NTB to lose jobs JP/5/more
2,203 civil servants in NTB to lose jobs
MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) administration is urging 2,203 civil servants to accept early retirement or functional jobs as part of its efforts to streamline the bureaucracy and boost efficiency.
"This is a solution to overcome problems over plans to cut jobs within the administration," its spokesman, Lalu Gita Aryadi, said on Monday.
Last month, the local government issued Regulation No. 8/2003 on the reorganization and "rationalization" of the bureaucracy in the province. The ruling will see at least 2,203 civil servants lose their jobs.
Lalu said there were at least 5,267 government posts in the provincial administration and, under the new regulation, 3,064 of them would be scrapped, affecting 2,203 civil servants.
The ruling came into effect on Feb. 27 and will last until 2005, he added. --Antara
;Antara;NFK; ANPAa..r.. Across-Banjarmasin-Inul Cleric adopts Inul as 'foster daughter' JP/5/more
Cleric adopts Inul as 'foster daughter'
BANJARMASIN, South Kalimantan: Head of the South Kalimantan religious affairs office Artani Hasbi has supported the ban by the province's Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) on dangdut singer Inul Daratista for her "erotic" dance style.
But in an apparent move to counter the ban and condemnation from other religious leaders in several cities across the country, a charismatic Muslim cleric, Zaini Abdul Ghoni, in Banjarmasin has offered to become Inul's foster father.
Inul accepted the offer and attended Zaini's Islamic class on Saturday at his house in Banjarmasin, where she was staying after a dangdut concert in the town. Dangdut is a popular local music with strong Arab/Indian influences.
Before other Muslim women at the gathering, the cleric prayed for Inul to have the strength to remain strong and patient in facing condemnation.
The ban by the local MUI branch will hamper her plans to perform in four other towns in South Kalimantan in the near future.
A similar ban was also imposed on Inul by the Yogyakarta administration, a move that has sparked criticism from many Muslim leaders.
The ban has otherwise brought her further attention and has seen her popularity skyrocket, thus making her a new national celebrity with hundreds of million of rupiah in monthly income. --Antara