Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Anita Rachman & Ronna Nirmala – Two rogue lawmakers – one convicted of breaking the law and the other accused – are still receiving their monthly paychecks from the government.

While the Democratic Party waits for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to officially fire the party's former treasurer, Muhammad Nazaruddin, from the House of Representatives, the notorious graft suspect is still earning a government wage – and he is not alone.

Graft convict Muhammad Misbakhun is apparently also still on the official payroll, despite being found guilty of forging documents to obtain huge loans from Bank Century.

In November, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) lawmaker was sentenced to a year in prison. He was released earlier this month after receiving a two-month remission.

Ali Maschan Moesa, a National Awakening Party (PKB) lawmaker on the House Ethics Council, said Misbakhun's resignation letter was in the council's hands. "We do need time to process that," Ali said.

Mustafa Kamal, the head of PKS in the House, said Misbakhun's case was actually a civil one even though it had been treated as a criminal one. "For us, as long as there's still no substitute for him, he will be considered suspended," he said.

House Speaker Marzuki Alie said the president had a 14-day window to issue a decree dismissing a lawmaker.

Sebastian Salang from the Concerned Citizens for the Indonesian Legislature (Formappi) said that a House member involved in any form of illegal activity should be suspended and their salary automatically cut off. "If that person is suspended, then all the benefits he receives from the House, including his monthly salary, should be stopped," he said.

If convicted lawbreakers were still receiving their salaries, it was unacceptable, he said – particularly as it involved the distribution of state money. "There has to be a mechanism that can automatically stop the transferring of the salary," he said.

Meanwhile, the House Ethics Council was under strong pressure on Thursday to investigate allegations that the chairman of the Great Indonesian Movement (Gerindra), Widjono Hardjanto, had been absent from his job for months without a clear reason.

According to regulations, the ethics council can dismiss a lawmaker found to have been absent without providing a reason for two consecutive months.

"I hope the ethics council checks the report, whether it's true or not," Deputy Speaker of the House Priyo Budi Santoso said on Thursday. "If a lawmaker has been absent for months without a clear reason, it is unacceptable."

The chairman of the House Ethics Council, Muhammad Prakosa, said he had not heard about the salary situation but would immediately look into it.