Official angry over firm's discipline misconduct

Official angry over firm's discipline misconduct

JAKARTA (JP): A city official expressed his anger yesterday
over the alleged misconduct of Multi Prabu Production, a private
company planning to give awards to 150 companies in connection
with the National Discipline Movement.

Bambang Sungkono, an assistant to the deputy governor of
administration on the supervision of city officials, said
that based on a municipality investigation, it appeared the
company had used the movement to gain money for its own
advantage.

Bambang said that the investigation team, consisting of
representatives of the city's sociopolitical affairs office,
started working on the issue last month following complaints from
several companies. Each had been asked to pay Rp 200,000
(US$66.6) to attend the awards presentation ceremony.

"The investigation uncovered that Multi Prabu had sent
invitations to 60 of the companies winning the awards," Bambang
said.

Bambang said that Multi Prabu, whose address is Jl. Kayu Manis
Timur, in East Jakarta, claimed to have received approval from
the Office of the Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and
Security.

However, a letter, signed by the minister's secretary, said
that the national discipline movement's committee never assigned
a private company to evaluate the movement here, he said.

The letter, Bambang said, also said that the plan to use the
award presentation ceremony to raise money from the public was
against the committee's spirit and policy.

Bambang urged the public not to be fooled by the invitation
letters, even though they bore stamps from the coordinating
minister's office and the city administration.

Bambang said that the organizing committee's headquarters, as
stated in the letters, was only a temporary office with a
telephone line being borrowed from a housewife in the
neighborhood.

"Moreover, the invitations were not reported to the city's
revenue office," he said.

However, an executive of Multi Prabu who asked not to be
named, said last night that his company was not as deceitful as
Bambang had said.

"Our activities have been approved by deputy governor of
administrative affairs Idroes," he said.

According to the invitation, Multi Prabu is scheduled to give
awards to the 150 companies at the President Hotel on Aug. 24.

"Due to differences with some municipality officials, we have
agreed to postpone the event to Sept. 21, until after we have
settled the problems," the executive said.

"We are ready to meet with the city officials who question the
existence of my company any time," he said, adding that his
activities in connection with the award presentation were
financed mostly by the company itself.

The invitees were not forced to pay for the invitations, he
said. "If they give us money voluntarily, however, we will accept
it to compensate the funds used to finance the event," he added.
(ste/hhr)