'Plating statue is wasting money'<\/p>\n
The city administration plans to coat the Arjuna Wijaya statue
\nwith bronze. The bronze plating will cost around Rp 4 billion
\n(US$470,588), and will be sponsored by NISP bank. Some residents
\nshared their views on the subject with The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Suharyanto, 42, is a shop attendant at a supermarket in West
\nJakarta. He lives in Cempaka Baru, Central Jakarta, with his wife
\nand son:<\/p>\n
What is it for? What's the purpose of such a ridiculous
\nproject?<\/p>\n
I see nothing significant with the statue project. It sounds
\nvery crazy.<\/p>\n
The administration should have prioritized more important
\nissues particularly the people's welfare.<\/p>\n
I'm sure that the project will only hurt those living in
\npoverty. It's a waste of money.<\/p>\n
The project doesn't help the people, especially those who
\ndon't have any water and suffer economic hardships each day.<\/p>\n
Although the money comes from a sponsor, the administration
\ncould have allocated it to help the poor.<\/p>\n
Maybe the governor thinks it's the right time to gain public
\nsympathy and he will be one day remembered as a man who
\nbeautified the capital.<\/p>\n
The governor just puts his own interests above public needs.
\nMaybe he hopes one day Jakartans will have his statue in a
\ncertain road. How absurd!<\/p>\n
Sumadi, 49, is a vendor selling meat ball soup in Pejompongan,
\nCentral Jakarta. He lives nearby with his fellow vendors:<\/p>\n
I know that statue. It still looks good. Why should it be
\nplated with bronze? What's so important about it?<\/p>\n
It's unbelievable to hear the amount of money. I can't imagine
\nthat the money will actually be spent only to plate the statue.<\/p>\n
For me, it's very hard to earn Rp 30,000 a day even when I
\nwalk around the whole day to sell my meatballs. The economic
\nconditions are very grim right now.<\/p>\n
So, how could such money be wasted on a statue that is in
\nbasically good shape? Why doesn't the administration stop to
\nthink of the poor?<\/p>\n
I think it's better to allocate the money to help the poor.<\/p>\n
Yusup, 26, is a small-scale businessman at chemical waste
\nrecycling plant in Bekasi. He lives there with his wife:<\/p>\n
What? It costs Rp 4 billion to plate a statue? I'm speechless.<\/p>\n
The project is an insult to the people in many ways.<\/p>\n
There are still many jobless people in the city, poverty
\nremains a major problem and safety is hardly found due to rampant
\ncrimes.<\/p>\n
The project is only a waste of money. It's better if the
\nbudget is allotted to help the poor and the jobless.<\/p>\n
Some of the budget can even be allocated to raise police
\nofficers' salary which might encourage to actually prevent
\ncrimes.<\/p>\n
By having good police officers, there won't be any crimes in
\nthe city. And that would be a far more advantageous thing for the
\npublic than a statue.<\/p>\n
-- Leo Wahyudi S.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/plating-statue-is-wasting-money-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }