Taufiq Siddiq, Jakarta – The Jakarta Legislative Council (DPRD DKI) secretariat announced that it will distribute brand new sets of gold pins today for the newly elected councilors which reportedly costs Rp1.3 billion.

However, only members from the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) faction will not receive the gold pins and has instead requested for brass pins.

Jakarta Council secretary Yuliadi explained that each councilor of the DPRD DKI has been allocated a pair of gold pins. "It will be allocated tomorrow," he said to Tempo on Monday.

Yuliadi says the secretariat has adhered to the requests of PSI councilors for pins made out of brass as Party members had strongly refused to accept gold pins.

Previously reported, Jakarta Legislative Council member from the Indonesian Solidarity Party Idris Ahmad strongly challenged the use of pure gold for legislators' pins, as it does not empathize with the general public and how the budget for the gold pins should have been used to tackle real issues among society.

"We will change ours with brass ones. That, we can purchase ourselves," said the PSI politician after the DPRD DKI inauguration.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1240615/gold-pins-for-jakarta-councilors-psi-opts-for-brass-pins