Students oppose councillors' planned overseas trip

BANDUNG (JP): West Java students oppose the provincial legislative council's plan for an overseas trip to Malaysia, saying that the project was irrelevant to the current people's economy.

"Comparative studies could be made at home by visiting other provinces. While the people are struggling to survive the soaring prices of commodities following the increase in fuel prices, the legislators are going to waste the people's money," Akhmad Zaki Yudin, the coordinator of the West Java Students Committee for Parliament Watch (KMP2JB), said on Tuesday.

Akhmad was responding to the plan made by the Budget Commission at the provincial legislature for 22 of its members to leave for Johor, Malaysia for a comparative study on Oct. 24.

A commission member, who asked for anonymity, said the legislators would learn from Johor its financial managerial system and economy.

Deputy chairman of the commission Mahmoed D. said the plan had been long studied. "Inputs from scholars and economists have been taken into consideration before deciding to go to Johor. The plan will likely be approved by all commission members."

They will be in Johor for five days.

The current commission chairman, Eka Santosa said he was not well informed about the plan, saying that he was only appointed chairman on Oct. 3, two months after the plan was decided.

Eka defended the plan, however, saying that each councilor had the right to go abroad for comparative study as mentioned in the legislature annual budget.

According to the annual budget, each legislator is entitled to Rp 10 million for overseas travel within a fiscal year.

In September, members of Commission C went to Thailand for a similar purpose. Syarif Bastaman, member of the commission, said eight councilors left for Thailand on Sept. 16 and returned on Oct. 21. "They visited agribusiness projects and an agricultural seeding center in the village of Noonoch."

He also said that the West Java councilors had also 'learnt about theater' after watching the famous Alcazar Show in Pattaya, Thailand. "The West Java administration plans to convert the Mayestik movie building on Jl. Braga, Bandung, into a play house."

Just two weeks ago Commission A canceled its plan to go to Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore. (25/sur)