{
  "id": 14218257,
  "title": "East Kalimantan governor faces backlash for Singapore trip while province is affected by severe haze",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/east-kalimantan-governor-faces-backlash-for-singapore-trip-while",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-13T13:30:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Independent Singapore",
    "slug": "the-independent-singapore",
    "url": "https://theindependent.sg/east-kalimantan-governor-faces-backlash-for-singapore-trip-while-province-is-affected-by-severe-haze"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Governor of East Kalimantan, Rudy Mas'ud, found himself under scrutiny after a viral photo emerged of him dining with his wife at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Netizens were quick to question the trip, given the province's severe haze conditions. In response, the Provincial Government of East Kalimantan clarified that Mr. Mas'ud had been in Singapore for a routine check-up at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, and that the trip was approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The photo, which appeared to have been taken on the weekend of the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, was posted on social media by a well-known Indonesian content creator, @zumaahmd, who labeled Ms. Sarifah Suraidah, Mr. Mas'ud's wife and a Member of Parliament, as Indonesia's \"own Marie Antoinette.\" The backlash on social media was intense, with many expressing outrage at the Governor's apparent indifference to the plight of his constituents suffering from the haze.",
  "summary": "SINGAPORE: A photo of the Governor of East Kalimantan having breakfast with his wife at Marina Bay Sands over the weekend has gone viral. Some netizens questioned why Governor Rudy Mas'ud and his wife, Sarifah Suraidah, had taken the trip while the province continues to be severely affected by haze conditions. The backlash sparked a response from the Provincial Government of East Kalimantan,…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Independent Singapore",
        "title": "Ex-NMP Calvin Cheng says haze left some visitors to Singapore with a very bad impression",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/ex-nmp-calvin-cheng-says-haze-left-some-visitors-to-singapore-with-a",
        "published": "2026-10-13T12:00:41.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}