House members want councillors released

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

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Across-Riau-fund
Riau council attacked over clothing fund
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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

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Across-NorthSulawesi-WB
WB gives Rp 3b aid to Minahasa
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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

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Across-Mataram-unemployment
2,203 civil servants in NTB to lose jobs
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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

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Across-Banjarmasin-Inul
Cleric adopts Inul as 'foster daughter'
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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