House members concerned over starvation fatality in Makassar

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Members of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) have expressed concern over the reported death from starvation of a pregnant woman and her five-year old son in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

The woman, identified as Dg Basse (35) and her son Bahir (5), died on Friday over the weekend in South Sulawesi`s provincial capital of Makassar.

"This case in South Sulawesi is not merely the responsibility of the regional administration," a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) faction in the DPR, Alfridel Jinu, said at the legislative building here on Monday.

Alfridel said the case must be given serious attention by the central government which was supposed to have a clear focus on poverty eradication.

Similar concern was also expressed by DPD Vice Chairman Laode Ida.

He said the death of the pregnant woman and her son in Makassar was an alarming happening because it occurred amid the disclosure of bribery in the Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assistance (BLBI) issue.

The woman and her son reportedly died of starvation but a provincial health service official denied the report and said they had perished because of dehydration after suffering from diarrhea.(*) END