Febriamy Hutapea – In these trying economic times, their self-allocated reward is sure to elicit public criticism. Lawmakers on Monday struggled to justify a Rp 5 billion ($500,000) expense earmarked to outfit its outgoing and incoming members with gold rings and pins.
Nining Indra Saleh, who chairs the House's general secretariat, confirmed that the money was allocated under the 2009 House budget and that gold rings would be given to outgoing members as a parting gifts.
However, she denied reports that the entire budget was for the provision of the rings for the 550 lawmakers who will end their five-year terms in September.
She said that allocations for the rings only stood at Rp 1.92 billion, meaning that each House member would get one 10-gram ring worth Rp 3.5 million. The remaining Rp 3.5 billion will be used to provide 560 new legislators, elected in April, with a set of one large and one small pin.
She did not specify what the pins would be made of, but said that each small pin cost Rp 2.95 million, while the big pins cost Rp 2.5 million each.
A recent survey from Transparency International Indonesia placed the legislature as being perceived as the country's most corrupt institution, with a grade of 4.4, with 5 being very corrupt.
A dozen members of the House have been arrested on graft charges by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), eight of whom have now already been convicted by the Anti-Corruption Court. The court has also brought many provincial and district legislative councilors to trial for graft, extortion, abuse of power and bribery.
Sebastian Salang, coordinator of the Public Care Forum for Indonesian Parliament (Formappi), said that the legislators did not deserve such parting gifts. "Their image and performance were really poor," he said.
Sebastian said that the House should be aware that the state budget deficit was often covered through by debt and he regretted that the budget was being spent on trivial things. He said that the legislators were not sensitive to those who still lived beneath the poverty line.
Nining defended the allocation, saying it was part of tradition when a member's term ended.
Ganjar Pranowo, of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), confirmed the tradition and asked the public not to politicize the matter. Legislator Alvin Lie from the National Mandate Party (PAN) said the rings were not unusual. "The issue is not the price, but the appreciation [it symbolizes]," he said.
House Speaker Agung Laksono said the budget to procure the rings has already been allocated and that they would be given to the lawmakers at the end of House's period. "The procurement is through a tender. But if many think that it's not necessary, it can be canceled," he said.