Jakarta – Legislators have once again raised some issues regarding President Megawati Soekarnoputri's overseas trips.

In a hearing with State Secretary Bambang Kesowo here on Wednesday, legislators from the House of Representatives Commission on defense and foreign affairs questioned, among other things, the inclusion of "outsiders" in the presidential entourage in these overseas visits.

Djoko Susilo of the Reform faction pointed out that he could not approve the inclusion of such political observers as Rizal Mallarangeng and Denny J.A. in the presidential entourage.

"I think there are many knowledgeable people in the State Secretariat. Why then should the entourage include outsiders?" Djoko said as quoted by Antara. He also questioned the benefit of including them in the presidential entourage.

Happy Bone Zulkarnain of the Golkar Party faction asked the state secretary to openly disclose the reasons behind the inclusion of the outsiders.

Yasril Ananta Baharuddin, another Golkar legislator, asked the state secretary to be more matter-of-fact in dealing with the issue.

Yasril also warned the state secretary to avoid making the same mistake in the upcoming presidential visits to Mexico, the meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)and the ASEAN Summit.

He said there was nothing amiss about the President's recent trip to South Africa to attend the Earth Summit, except that it was made amid a pressing problem at home – the handling of illegal Indonesian workers deported from Malaysia. "The President should have cut the trip short," he said.