You may remember that about two months ago, a minister and a DPR member drove the public’s opinion of politicians further into the ground when letters requesting government agencies to “facilitate” their family members and colleagues trips abroad spread on social media.
Now yet another similar case is making headlines, and it involves Gerindra politician and DPR Vice Chairman Fadli Zon.
A letter recently leaked online shows that the DPR’s Secretary General announced to the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Washington D.C. and the Indonesian Consulate (KJRI) in New York that Fadli Zon’s daughter, Shafa Sabila Fadli, would be going stateside to attend a theater summer camp from June 12-July 12. In the letter, the DPR requested that the KBRI and KJRI arrange to pick up and accompany Shafa during her time in the US.
(In case you don’t get why Donald Trump was referenced in the tweet above, it’s because Fadli Zon was among several Indonesian politicians who last year visited and expressed their support for the Donald’s presidential campaign.)
The leaked letter understandably caused outrage among the public, seeming representing yet another example of an Indonesian politician abusing their power for personal gain. And the letter was not fabricated either – its authenticity was confirmed by New York Consulate General Benny YP Siahaan in a written statement picked up by Detik.
However, Fadli Zon has denied that he asked for his daughter’s trip to be facilitated by the KBRI and KJRI in New York.
“At the time I did report [to KBRI and KJRI] because [my daughter] was going to travel alone to New York for Stagedoor Camp,” he said.
“But there was no [request for facilities], only verbal communication to [the KBRI and KJRI] staff.”
Whatever the case, the KJRI said they picked up Shafa when she arrived in New York but did not provide someone to accompany her during her time in the US because of the KJRI’s limited finances.
