News

Family members join legislators on hajj junket

NU Online  ·  Rabu, 10 November 2010 | 04:31 WIB

Jakarta, NU Online
Sixteen House of Representatives legislators have traveled to Saudi Arabia to ensure a smooth pilgrimage for the more than 211,000 Indonesians joining this year’s hajj.

The legislators, part of a joint government-parliament oversight team, have been accompanied by 39 expert staffers and family members.<<>;br />
According to a source who declined to be named, some legislators asked their grandparents and children to join them on the hajj trip. The trip for the family members is not paid by the government, however some antigraft activists doubted if legislators could oversee the Indonesian pilgrims when surrounded by family members.

Legislator Ahmad Zainuddin Bashiran confessed that he had invited members of his staff, his wife and his three children to join him on the pilgrimage.

“I decided to invite my staff to go along since I will need their assistance while carrying out my duties,” he told journalists on Tuesday.

Legislator Abdul Kadir Karding said that the commission previously agreed that the presence of family member should not prevent legislators from carrying their official duties. (jp/dar)