West Sumatra DPRD Members Regret Governor Mahyeldi Throwing Donation Letter Issues To The Regional Secretary

PADANG - West Sumatra DPRD member Nofrizon regretted the words of the Governor of West Sumatra Mahyeldi Ansharullah who threw the issue of the governor's signature letter which was allegedly used to collect donations from the local regional secretary.

"I read the news in the media that the governor even threw this issue to the regional secretary, this is called character assassination," he said, quoted by Antara in Padang, Thursday, August 26.

According to him, it makes no sense if the governor does not read the letter to be signed.

"Never mind the governor, a sub-district head or the head of an office must read the letter he is about to sign. He must have checked before signing it," he said.

According to him, the governor's move to throw the matter to the regional secretary is like throwing all the burdens on the regional secretary's shoulders because the letter is clearly signed by the governor.

This will bring a psychological burden to the regional secretary and his family and this is certainly not good, he said.

"This case is now being handled by the police and we respect it and hopefully it can be fully disclosed," he said.

Meanwhile, political and government observer at Andalas University, Dr. Asrinaldi, said that the letter signed by the Governor of West Sumatra, which was used to collect donations to produce books, had three different dimensions.

The first dimension is criminal and is being handled by the police. Are there any criminal indications in this matter, he said.

"If there is a request for donations outside the provisions of PP 12 2019 concerning Regional Financial Management, of course there will be sanctions," he said.

Likewise, he said, regarding gratification there are sanctions that await if it is carried out.

Then in the context of politics and government, he said, the West Sumatra DPRD should be able to use the right of interpellation to question this.

Especially regarding Law 23 2014 concerning Regional Government, Article 76 states that regional heads are not allowed to make decisions specifically to give personal, group or political party benefits.

"This is certainly a long way off and we will see the DPRD's courage in exercising their rights," he said.

Meanwhile, regarding the governor's remarks that were thrown at the Regional Secretary, he considered that maybe the governor thought this was just an administrative issue even though it was not that simple.

"That has far-reaching implications, not just about the administration," he said.

Previously, the Governor of West Sumatra, Mahyeldi Ansharullah, after visiting Elly Kasim's house in Jakarta, said that correspondence was a matter for the regional secretary.

"That's administration, yes, administration at the regional secretary, secretary," he said.

The Padang Police themselves confiscated three boxes of letters signed by the Governor of West Sumatra, Mahyeldi, which were used by five people to ask for money from a number of agencies in the local area.

The letter became a problem because it was used as a proposal to ask for donations to make books by five people who incidentally were neither employees nor honorary staff of the local government.

The letter is dated May 12, 2021, Numbered 005/3904/V/Bappeda-2021, while the subject is the publication of the profile and potential of the Province of West Sumatra.

In it was signed Mahyeldi Ansarullah, then used by five people to ask for money from a number of parties.

The letter reads that the recipient of the letter participates and contributes to sponsoring the preparation and publication of the West Sumatra profile book "Civil, Superior and Sustainable Province" in Indonesian, English, Arabic versions, in the form of "soft copy"