Bontang legislators lambasted for asking free facility from PT Badak NGL hospital

The Bontang mayoralty parliament in East Kalimantan has been lambasted for asking a free of charge facility for the legislators and their family from a hospital owned by natural gas producer PT Badak NGL.

The local Kaltim Post daily reported Saturday that IPDP, a local non-governmental organization, had obtained a copy of a letter from the Bontang parliament directed to the Badak NGL hospital, in which the legislators were asking for the free medical treatment facility.

IPDP strongly attacked the parliament, saying that the local budget had already allocated around Rp 10 million (US$1=Rp 11,300) in medical expenses for each legislator. The NGO questioned that if the legislators were still asking for a free of charge facility from the hospital, what would happen with the health expenses already allocated in the budget.

Meanwhile, deputy speaker of the parliament Sewaya Hali denied the IPDP allegation. He said that the parliament sent the letter not to ask for a free facility, but only wanted a better access for the legislators and their family if they wanted to be admitted into the hospital for medical treatment.(*)