PAN and PKB reject new legislative building plan

More legislators are giving the thumbs down to a proposed new parliamentary building, as two political factions on Sunday jumped on the bandwagon to oppose the much-criticized Rp 1.2 trillion (US$133 million) plan.

Four factions in the House have previously slammed the plan, saying they would work to halt the project. The factions included the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the People’s Conscience Party (Hanura) and the Greater Indonesian Movement Party (Gerindra).

The National Mandate Party (PAN) on Sunday said it found the House’s proposed design and budget for the new building “intimidating”.

PAN House chairman Tjatur Sapto Edy said he would propose a review of the planned building, which would have a floor space of 161,000 square meters and a height of 37 stories, with facilities including a spa center and swimming pool.

Two of the biggest parties at the House, the Democratic Party and the Golkar Party, however, have shown support for the plan.

Of a total 560 legislators at the House, 148 are members of the Democratic Party, while 106 are from Golkar.

Tjatur, a member of House Commission III on legal affairs, criticized the large budget for the planned building.

“It would be better to use this money to fund our ailing defense forces,” he said.

PAN executive board chief Bara Hasibuan said his party would prefer if the House built an extension to an existing building that is currently used by legislators.

“We want the building to be warm and friendly. After all, this will be a parliamentary building, not some office block owned by a private company,” he told The Jakarta Post.

Another party that has given the plan a no-go is the National Awakening Party (PKB). Its member, Lily Chodijah Wahid, told the Post that her party was against the construction of the “over-the-top” building, because it did not reflect Indonesia’s economic capabilities.

Lily said she would personally lobby Golkar legislators to take the same stance as her faction on the matter.

Despite receiving continuing criticism from activists and their legislative colleagues, a small number of legislators insist that the construction of the new House building go ahead.

Legislator Michael Wattimena of the Democratic Party is one of them. He said the pool could be used as a standing water source in case of fire.

“The swimming pool would be multifunctional. Not only would it be used as a sports facility, but the pool — to be installed on the top floor — could also serve as a means to help put out fires,” Michael said.

He said the idea should be considered, noting the late response that local firefighters delivered whenever fires broke out.

Michael, who is also a member of the House’s Household Affairs Committee, defended the planned construction of a spa center in the new House building.

“The spa center wouldn’t be like those in Mangga Besar, Central Jakarta. It would be used to maintain the fitness of legislators, who often work late,” he said.

A comedian-turned-legislator from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Dedy “Mi’ing” Gumelar, however, shot down the plan, saying it was misleading.

“The new building should incorporate more public space for the public to express their aspirations,” he said, adding that such spaces could take the form of empty lots or green parks.

“Such parks or vacant lots should be fenced and equipped with a sound system and clean toilets, so that the public can demonstrate there,” Dedy said, adding that by providing these facilities, the public would no longer have to stage protests in front of the House building on Jl. Gatot Subroto, South Jakarta. (tsy)