Megawati, husband off to Bali for New Year's

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri and her husband Taufik Kiemas flew to the resort island of Bali on Saturday to celebrate the New Year holidays, while her government implements its drive for more modest lifestyles and introduces austerity measures to cut unnecessary state expenditure.

Her 44-member entourage, comprising family members and close friends as well as officials, including Minister for State Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi, left for Denpasar from Jakarta's Halim Perdanakusuma airport at noon aboard a presidential plane.

Before her departure Megawati presided over an Army ceremony in Senayan, Central Jakarta in the morning and recorded her year- end television address for transmission on Monday night.

Megawati is scheduled to stay in Bali for five days, spending most of the time in the Tapak Siring Palace, where she will also host a special party to mark her husband's birthday and welcome in the New Year on Monday. She will return to Jakarta on Wednesday.

A source close to the First Family told The Jakarta Post that Megawati had initially wanted to hold the party at one of the five-star hotels in Bali, but the venue was changed to the palace for reasons that remain unclear.

Tapak Siring Palace, built by Megawati's father and the country's first president, Sukarno, was often used to house important guests during his tenure, which ended in 1965.

The President's leisure trip to Bali has also raised a public debate as it comes just a few days after she endorsed a series of savings initiatives announced by State Minister of Administrative Reforms Feisal Tamin last Wednesday.

The austerity measures encourage the efficient use of state assets and the adoption of a modest life-style by government officials. They also frown on the hosting of luxury parties, ban office anniversary celebrations and restrict the use of formal attire to special occasions only.

The measures are also aimed at inspiring state officials to work much harder to combat widespread corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN).

Megawati could perhaps argue that the new austerity measures do not apply in this case, as her trip to Bali is personal in nature. But the people might question the logic of this argument since the visit involves the use of state assets.

A modest lifestyle is not her way, even though she was the nation's most clearly populist leader during former dictator Soeharto's rule. Long before she took power in July, Megawati frequently embarked on overseas shopping trips.

A more recent example was her two-day stopover in Hong Kong for shopping before the daughter of the founding president and her husband continued on to Shangai, China to take part in this year's APEC meeting.

Last year, Megawati spent New Year's eve and celebrated Taufik's birthday in Hong Kong when she was still serving as vice president. The visit sparked a public outcry given that it took place amid the country's prolonged economic crisis.

It is common practice in Indonesia for senior leaders to fail to set a good example for their subordinates, and their actions often contradict their noble statements.

Megawati has also been under fire for appointing her husband, who is still serving as a legislator, to lead a special government delegation to China from Dec. 18 to 20.

Critics say the selection of Taufik represented a classic conflict of interest, given his role as Megawati's husband, a legislator and businessman, and have demanded that the President clarify her decision.