The Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD) of the Regency chooses not to speak much about the salaries and allowances received by legislators in West Bandung.
The Chairman of the DPRD, Muhammad Mahdi, stated that the allowances received by DPRD members in the Regency depend on how the council members respond to them.
“If it’s different, it depends on each individual; some still feel it’s too little,” he said.
He added that the allowances received by DPRD members are not as high as those received by the national DPR RI. For him, disclosing the exact amount is unethical to reveal to the public.
“It depends, but the figure corresponds to the market price of houses in the Regency. It’s definitely not like at the DPR RI. I am not comfortable discussing numbers. It’s unethical and dangerous if it gets out,” he said.
Meanwhile, a political and government observer from Unjani Cimahi, Arlan Siddha, said that the council members’ silence when asked about the amount of the allowance reflects their concern about public reaction.
“Council members today tend to be cautious in making statements because they worry it could trigger an unfavorable situation,” said Arlan when contacted on Tuesday (2/9/2025).
He added that ideally, all budgets sourced from public taxes received by legislative members should still be disclosed to the public transparently.
“The public should know everything from performance, budget, and so on. It really must be transparent,” he said.
He stated that openness is part of the accountability of government administration. Budgets originating from public taxes need to be known by the people, including salaries and allowances. Because that is the public’s right.
“As Prabowo said, it is time for council members to open up room for discussion with the public on important issues,” he said.
He emphasized that DPRD members must be aware that they are the representatives of the people and are responsible for explaining to the public what their rights are.
“Transparent, elegant. There must be room for discussion with the public. If they don’t want to disclose it directly, it can be done through dialogue,” he said.
Persib Bandung took an important step at the end of the transfer window by bringing in four new players.
The coach explained that this recruitment is the result of a strategy of waiting until player prices become more realistic.
According to the coach, since a month earlier, Persib had actually been targeting these players.
However, at that time, the asking price was still too high. “We wanted them for a long time, but the initial price was very high. The club did not want to pay that much,” said the coach.
As the transfer window approached its closing, the situation began to change. Offers were made again, and this time the players had not yet found new clubs.
That moment was utilized by Persib to bring in additional ammunition.
The coach compared this recruitment to trading in the stock market or digital assets.
“In football, it’s like a market. When prices are high, don’t buy. But when prices drop, that’s the best time to buy. It’s the same as bitcoin,” he said.
The four new players successfully recruited by Persib include Federico Barba, an experienced defender who has played in Italy’s Serie A, as well as two naturalized midfielders from the Netherlands, Thom Haye and Eliano Reijnders, who have experienced competition in top European leagues. Their presence is expected to strengthen the team.
Although they arrived at the last minute of the transfer window, the coach emphasized that the team is not worried about adjustments.
He believes the new players have enough quality and experience to quickly adapt to Persib’s
