Bangkok visit was at our own expense, say councillors

Foreign tours not unusual, then why has this been made an issue?Naila BarakatStaff ReporterTHE 18 municipal councillors yesterday debunked the media and defended their private trip to Bangkok.“We finished our training visit to Malaysia and we went to Bangkok to rest. We did not use government’s money. We went there at our own expense,” the deputy Chairman of the Muharraq Municipal Council, Dr Mubarak Al Junaid, told the Press.Present were Muharraq Council members Hussain Essa, Ibrahim Al Doy, Sameer Khadem, Khalifa bin Jassim and Manama Council member Shamlan Al Shamlan.“The media focused on our private visit to Bangkok and did not say anything about our Malaysia tour,” Al Junaid said, referring to reports in a local newspaper. “Such misleading reports will lead the public to think that they have not elected the right representatives.”Manama council legal affairs and financial and technical committee member Shamlan Al Shamlan referred to a report in Bahrain Tribune that the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture would investigate the matter and said: “Let me tell you that the ministry has nothing to do with the councils. There is no law that states that the ministry has the right to investigate councillors. The chairmen of all the five councils were informed about our private visit to Thailand for three nights.“The media also said the government provided BD2,200 for each councillor for the Malaysia trip and we misused that allowance. The money for this trip came from the council’s budget and that was BD1,960 each for our tour to Kuala Lumpur. It covered our airfare, accommodation, food and pocket money.” Essa refuted media reports that the visit was unnecessary as it took place towards the end of the fourth term of the councils. “The tour was for the councillors to share experience with Malaysian municipalities. We visited works and housing cities, and recycling companies among others. We will use this experience to further improve public services.”Al Shamlan said the municipal law did not say that councillors should not make visits abroad during the end of their term. “And to talk about spending so much money at the end of term, I stress that all councils had agreed on the visit.” Dr Al Junaid said: “We have conducted many tours. Why has this trip been made an issue?”