Studying or sightseeing?

Studying or sightseeing?

It is not only the age of multi-dimensional crisis but also
the age of indifference. While continuing to witness the
hardships faced by the majority of Indonesian people, we still
observe the indifference demonstrated by a number of thoughtless
politicians. The persons in case are members of the Jakarta City
Council, who have been shamelessly enjoying themselves abroad
using taxpayers' money. They call their trips "comparative
studies", which the populace are expected to condone.

However, recent reports revealing that their trips have
nothing to do with the people's interests have provoked angry
reactions from many parties, including the City and Urban Society
Division of the Legal Aid Institute, and Indonesian Corruption
Watch. They protested against what they called the councillors'
thoughtlessness and arrogance, saying that the money wasted on
overseas travel could have been much better spent on the people's
welfare.

Some legislators have denied the futility of their trips,
while City Council chairman Edy Waluyo said last week that he had
received copies of letters from Indonesian consulates saying that
the city councillors' trips were not effective due to a lack of
preparation. The original copies of the letters were sent to the
minister of home affairs.

A councillor, after reading a copy of the letter, admitted
that inadequate preparations had resulted in councillors only
enjoying themselves on a Los Angeles excursion. Itineraries from
the travel agency which coordinated the tour schedule for
legislators on a trip to China revealed visits to the Great Wall
and Ming Tomb, while they were also assured the chance to enjoy
peking duck and an acrobatic show.

Meanwhile, in all countries, the honorable councillors were
accommodated in five-star hotels. Maybe they are trying to appear
as if they come from an advanced country, which has no foreign
debts, much less the necessity to beg for increased loans from
international agencies. But for what?

The excitement must have been so precious to them, especially
those who had never been abroad, that the mounting criticism at
home failed to deter them from traveling on to Tokyo "to study
disaster management". (Besides those cities, other groups of
councillors also visited San Francisco, Mexico City, Buenos
Aires, Madrid, Vancouver). The legislators were obviously so
happy on their picnic that they decided to adopt the old adage --
imported from Arab countries -- "let the dogs bark, the passing
caravan will continue its journey".

Although the City Council has sent many groups abroad over the
past two decades, it is still inexperienced at making appropriate
arrangements to ensure that the trips are worthwhile. The most
important thing to them is that, by hook or by crook, they have
to go.

The current shameful fiasco seems to mean nothing to them
because, when they discussed the city budget for this year, they
were pleased to approve Rp 11.9 billion (US$1.3 million) in
expenditure for their own domestic and foreign trips. To date,
half of the amount has reportedly been spent.

The result of previous trips has never been made public
because the public are never considered as having the right to
know. It is ironic that councillors are willing to reject the New
Order mentality, except when it serves their own interests.

The current dilemma is how to stop this ugly game. Jakarta
Governor Sutiyoso has indicated that he does not want to
intervene in legislative affairs. This is not the noble act of a
true democrat but, more likely, the fear of possible retaliation
from legislators who could cut the huge household or uniform
budgets allocated to him, which have been steadily increased from
year to year.

The only possible way to halt this "lawful" corruption is
through the central executives of major parties with members on
the City Council, such as the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle, Golkar or the United Development Party. They should
censure their members' selfish and irresponsible acts. For
sincere politicians democracy is a noble value, but for others it
can be hypocrisy without limitation. ***