Surabaya – The Surabaya Council may reject allocating funds in the 2015 draft city budget to pawang hujan (rain shamans), a service often used by local residents in their attempt to prevent rain during important outdoor events.

Council member Baktiono said the education agency had proposed an allocation of Rp 5 million (about US$435). Meanwhile, the city's youth and sports agency and protocol and general affairs division had also allocated Rp 70 million for 14 of their outdoor activities.

"Education should teach reasonable, scientific things, not things that are not real, as the budget must be accountable to the public," Baktiono told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Surabaya Education Office head Mohammad Ikhsan said the presence of rain shamans was important, as every outdoor event would be successful.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/08/councilors-question-budget-rain-shamans.html