Sultan Bolkiah questions furor over his donation

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab said Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah questioned the public furor here over his US$2 million donation to President Abdurrahman Wahid, saying the monarch conferred the money in a personal capacity.

Alwi told journalists on Monday that he had spoken to the sultan who maintained that it was a personal donation from one person to another in a bid to help Abdurrahman resolve some of Indonesia's many problems, especially the Aceh issue.

"According to the sultan, the fund was a personal contribution so there is no reason for the public to know or ask about it. As the head of state, the sultan understands the presence of such a fund is acceptable," Alwi said.

The minister said he spoke to the Brunei sultan during a visit to Bandar Sri Begawan on Saturday to attend's Bolkiah's birthday celebration.

Alwi also quoted the sultan as saying that such a tactical fund during an emergency condition does not need public accountability.

The issue of the US$2 million donation caused an uproar among some members of the legislature, especially since the President also maintained that it was personal and did not report it in the state budget.

But several legal experts have also pointed out that if it is a personal donation, Abdurrahman must declare it and pay tax on it like a regular citizen.

According to Alwi, the sultan also gave the money because he realized that the Acehnese often refused to accept money and assistance from the Indonesian government and that is why he gave the money as a personal gift.

"The Sultan said it was such a small amount of money and it does not have to be a big deal and he trusts the President to use the money as needed," Alwi said quoting the Sultan. (dja)