Under Indonesia's Constitution, the division of labor between the executive and legislative branches of governments when it comes to spending public funds is clear-cut: the administration allocates the money for various needs, and the House of Representatives monitors the flow and use of the funds.

The House, of course, has long tried to overreach itself on this regard by calling for funding to be channeled directly to each electoral district by way of individual legislators.

The last time it tried to pull this pork-barrel stunt, it was shot down – and rightly so – by the public and by the administration of then-president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

With a new president in place, though, the House is acting up again, this time demanding Rp 11.2 trillion ($840 million) in funds from the 2016 state budget – spending for which there will be no accountancy whatsoever.

Let's call this what it really is: daylight robbery. The government already lavishes hundreds of trillions of rupiah on development, social welfare and economic empowerment programs all across the nation, and if the money isn't getting through that's largely because of the bureaucracy and the skimming at all levels.

Why does the House, whose track record on sound financial stewardship is woeful at best, think it can do any better – especially given that its members will not be answerable for the money to be spent?

The Indonesian public should not allow its elected representatives to pull off such a brazen and blatant scam. If they do get away with it, it will herald yet another low point in Indonesia's continuing descent into the quicksand of corruption out of which we worked so hard to pull ourselves this past decade. This shameful proclivity on the House's part must be trod down.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/opinion/editorial-end-houses-feeding-trough/