Palu councillor honored for refusing mayor's 'gift'

Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu

Non-governmental organizations honored Palu legislative council member Ali Lamu here on Monday for shunning gifts at a time of rampant corruption in local legislatures across Indonesia.

Ali, from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), refused more than Rp 4 million (US$444) from the city's mayor to buy a jacket.

The remaining 29 councillors, voted into office in the April 5 legislative election in Central Sulawesi, reportedly accepted similar gifts valued at Rp 4 million each from Mayor Suwardin Suebo.

It is unclear why Suwardin provided these gifts to the council members.

For his refusal to accept the gift, Ali received the Daeng Maraja Lamakarate Award from the Coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations and Coffee Shop Community.

Coalition coordinator Sapri Laupa, speaking during an award ceremony, said the award was aimed at motivating local councillors to reject gifts or money to which they were not entitled.

The award is named for former Donggala regent Daeng Maraja Lamakarate. Sapri said that when serving in the 1960s, Lamakarate always refused to accept money he was not entitled to.

When taking official trips, the late Lamakarate always returned to the administration's coffers any money he did not spend during his trip.

"At the time, Lamakarate made an official trip to Parigi (in Central Sulawesi), and when he returned to Palu the leftover money for the trip was returned to the administration," Sapri said.

He said that Lamakarate told officials he had no right to keep the money, which he saved by staying overnight in his son's house rather than in a hotel.

The regent returned to Palu using his official car, filled with gasoline purchased by his son, Sapri added.

"So the money allocated for his hotel and gasoline was returned because he (Lamakarate) did not spend it. This is very different from the way state officials today behave. They even make fictitious trips so they can pocket the funds allocated for them," he said.

Sapri said the coalition honored councillor Ali because he had demonstrated his integrity in carrying out the work of the people.

He said that before honoring the councillor, the coalition had researched his background through public questionnaires, a coffee shop discussion and media reports, as well as an interview with the prospective recipient.

Ali Lamu said the award would further encourage him and other councillors to push for clean governance and not to accept bribes or gifts.

"It is already regulated that council members are prohibited from accepting gifts in any form. So I think Rp 4 million to buy a jacket was a gift for me, less than a month after being sworn in as a Palu council member," Ali said.