Stranded In Jakarta Students Travel Arranged By Datin Led Ngo

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Steve Bligh said the Datin had yet to reimburse him for the expenses he incurred. NSTP/AMIR MAMATJAKARTA: The travel arrangements for a group of 61 primary and secondary school students who were stranded in Jakarta were handled by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) led by a "Datin".
Steve Bligh, the manager of a Malaysian travel agent operating in Jakarta, said his company was never officially appointed by the NGO to manage the four-day visit.
Instead, he only stepped in to help after receiving a call from the Malaysian Embassy in Indonesia, which informed him that the students were stranded at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport for hours.
"I was asked to help manage the transport and accommodation because the students were stranded for over three hours without a representative from the programme organiser," Steve said when met last night.
"I immediately went to the airport and provided two buses and booked 35 hotel rooms in Central Jakarta to ensure all the students and accompanying teachers had accommodation. They checked in around 7pm."
Steve said he was informed by the embassy that the head of the NGO, who is a "Datin", would manage all payments for the four-day visit.
"But that did not happen," he said, adding he had booked the hotel rooms for the students from SMK Bukit Kapar and SK Taman Selasih, Gombak.
He said the total cost he spent amounted to RM21,500, based on the official invoice submitted to the NGO for reimbursement.
"The woman asked me to pay for all the expenses first and guaranteed she would come to Jakarta to pay off all the management costs, which covered accommodation, transport, and entrance tickets to several tourist locations in the city," he said.
"However, as of late yesterday afternoon, the woman had still not appeared as promised."
Steve said the woman had only paid RM200 of the total amount requested via an online money transfer last Friday.
"So far, no further payment has been received, even though I fully assisted with all the arrangements for the entourage from their arrival until their return to Malaysia today," he said.
It was previously reported that the students were stranded at the airport because of a travel agent management issue.
The Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia was reported to have said that immediately after being informed of the incident, the embassy took swift action by placing all the students in a hotel near the airport with the help of a local travel agent who is also a Malaysian. - NST

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