'Something untoward is going on'

Critics have called the policy to disburse between Rp 15 million and Rp 20 million a month each to Jakarta city councillors' in housing allowances a glaring extravagance. The Jakarta Post asked residents for their opinions about the issue.

Syaifulloh, 50, is a taxi driver. He lives with his family at a rented home in Cililitan, East Jakarta, nearby his taxi station:

Such an extravagance must be ended in this reform era. There is no point to giving politicians lots of money. I don't think they are too poor to afford a home and that they deserve to obtain a hefty housing allowance from the city budget.

It would be much better if the allotted money was channeled to the needy.

For me, such policy is simply a legacy of the New Order regime who used hefty allowances as a common instrument to tame critical and outspoken city councillors.

I observe that Sutiyoso's administration continues to give out various generous allowances to the councillors to effectively silence them. No wonder corruption among the administration remains rampant.

Antonio, 26, is a dentist with a private company in Grogol, West Jakarta. He lives in an apartment in Cengkareng, West Jakarta:

I think councillors deserve neither housing allowance nor other allowances from taxpayers' money.

This is because their performance is poor. The councillors' role, what they actually do to help tackle the manifold problems in the city remains unclear to me until now. The public still witnesses a range of urban problems -- from traffic jams, damaged roads, to the mounds of unprocessed garbage in the city. Coucillors should show off their achievements first after dealing with such problems before asking for allowances.

Executives must end the tradition of giving out allowances to legislators. Taxpayers' money should be used for other purposes, which have greater benefit to the residents in general.

It looks like something untoward is going on if the administration takes out funds from the city coffers in order to give the councillors allowances.

--The Jakarta Post