Chaidir, the speaker of Riau's provincial assembly, concedes that Riau's regents have a spendthrift penchant for prestige projects.

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Many aviation experts believe that Boeing aircraft are better designed, and the company has avoided pursuing prestige projects like the super-jumbo A380 that lack a well-defined market.

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Critics say this leads to spending on prestige projects popular with politicians, like the towers, which were slow to fill up, and Putrajaya, Malaysia's flashy new capital.

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