Councillors are greedy people: Activists
Councillors are greedy people: Activists
JAKARTA (JP): Activists opposed on Sunday the city
administration's plan to buy the Timor building on Jl. Medan
Merdeka Timor, Central Jakarta, in a plan to make it the city
council's new headquarters.
Activists Edy Saedy and Tubagus Karbyanto, who often
represents disadvantaged people lobbying the council, doubted the
new building would improve the 85 councillors' performance.
"They are greedy people. All that's on their minds is
facilities without any plan to provide advantages for their
people," Edy, head of the community organizing division of the
Urban Poor Consortium (UPC), told The Jakarta Post.
He said that it was a shame the councillors had demanded the
new building before demonstrating any achievements, such as
policies which helped poor people still suffering from the
crisis.
He suspected the new building and other facilities, such as
cars and scholarships, was part of a deal between the councillors
and Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso, who's term expires next year.
"Sutiyoso probably wants to be reelected next year. He hopes
his accountability speech will be accepted by giving councillors
facilities," Edy said.
Separately, Tubagus Karbyanto supported Edy's view that the
councillors had not yet accomplished anything, and said that
buying a new building for them would not help improve their
performance.
"They would do better to change the budget for the new
building into funds for disadvantaged people," Tubagus, chief of
the urban division of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, told the
Post.
He agreed that the new building would not improve the
councillors' performance, instead providing more opportunity for
collusive and corrupt practices.
"If they have one room each in the new building, it will help
create 'closed door' deals," Tubagus, an activist from the
Jakarta Residents Forum, said.
He viewed the current council building, located on Jl. Kebon
Sirih, Central Jakarta, as appropriate for the councillors'
activities.
City Secretary Fauzi Bowo confirmed on Friday that the
administration would buy the Timor building as the council's new
headquarters.
The building, owned by Humpuss Group, has been seized by the
ministry of finance's directorate general for taxation.
The 17-story building will be auctioned for sale after the
Humpuss group, controlled by former President Soeharto's youngest
son Hutomo Mandala Putra, failed to pay its tax arrears.
The Central Jakarta Mayoralty also sealed off the building
last year for violating a presidential decree which forbids
private businesses from owning buildings located around the
National Monument (Monas) park.
The city council earlier proposed that the city administration
build a new building in Kemayoran area, in Central Jakarta.
They also demanded that the new building be equipped with a
sauna and fitness center similar to the city administration's
facilities. (jun)