Whose welfare?: Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare Agung Laksono gets into his new Toyota Crown Royal Saloon after a limited Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Office on Wednesday. These luxury cars, allocated to Cabinet ministers and state officials, believed to cost about Rp 1 billion each, have sparked criticism. JP/Ricky Yudhistira
A number of senior state officials have rejected the new Rp 1.3 billion (US$138,000) Toyota Crown Royal Saloon cars given to them, saying that the cars are either too luxurious or not as comfortable as their current vehicles.
Regional Representative Council Deputy Speaker Laode Ida said he would soon return the car, reportedly distributed to about 150 senior state officials, including the 39 Cabinet ministers, Sunday.
He said the 3,000-cubic-centimeter car was “too luxurious”, and felt it was not right to use it while many people lived in poverty in Indonesia.
“Rp 1.3 billion is three times the price of the Camry [official Toyota car used in the former Cabinet]. If they want to change the cars, why not other Camrys?” Laode said.
“Or, if we want to save, we can repair the old Camrys,” he added.
Laode warned the government be more careful with its use of state money and be more “sensitive” to the people.
Separately, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Pramono Anung also refused to receive the new car, saying he felt more comfortable using his own Lexus LS 4606.
“I feel more comfortable using my personal car. I’ve not used the Camry either,” said Pramono, who is a senior Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician.
“Until today I have never used the new car … it’s better than being involved in a polemic. I feel more comfortable using my own car.”
PDI-P chief at the House Tjahjo Kumolo called the legislative body’s executives to return the new cars and not feel ashamed using second-hand cars.
“The House is the people’s representative; it should acknowledge the communities who are far from prosperous. The House should display a good example,” he said.
Contradictory to Tjahjo’s statement, however, PDI-P chief patron and People’s Consultative Assembly speaker Taufieq Kiemas earlier said he would use the car as it was a “gift from the people”.
Among Cabinet ministers reportedly refusing the new car is State Cooperatives and SME Minister Syarifuddin Hasan, who says he prefers to use his Mercedes-Benz.
Constitutional Court chief Mahfud M.D., meanwhile, said he had not received the new car and was using his Camry, but did not make it clear whether he would use it when the new Crown was distributed.
State Secretary Sudi Silalahi said earlier that 39 Cabinet ministers and state institution chiefs were entitled to 150 units of the new Toyota Crown Royal Saloon.
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chiefs, however, are not among those entitled to the cars.
KPK spokesman Johan Budi said leaders of the antigraft body had been using the same old Toyota Innova minivans since 2004.
“We don’t receive the Toyota Crown and even if we did, we would refuse it. We have no plan to ask for new official cars,” Johan said.
It is not clear yet whether the new cars were procured through an earlier bidding process; Sudi
only said that the procurement had been budgeted in the 2009 state budget.
According to the regulation, any procurement above Rp 50 million should be undertaken through an open tender process.
Sudi said that the old Camrys used in the former Cabinet would be auctioned.
