'Plating statue is wasting money'

'Plating statue is wasting money'

The city administration plans to coat the Arjuna Wijaya statue
with bronze. The bronze plating will cost around Rp 4 billion
(US$470,588), and will be sponsored by NISP bank. Some residents
shared their views on the subject with The Jakarta Post.

Suharyanto, 42, is a shop attendant at a supermarket in West
Jakarta. He lives in Cempaka Baru, Central Jakarta, with his wife
and son:

What is it for? What's the purpose of such a ridiculous
project?

I see nothing significant with the statue project. It sounds
very crazy.

The administration should have prioritized more important
issues particularly the people's welfare.

I'm sure that the project will only hurt those living in
poverty. It's a waste of money.

The project doesn't help the people, especially those who
don't have any water and suffer economic hardships each day.

Although the money comes from a sponsor, the administration
could have allocated it to help the poor.

Maybe the governor thinks it's the right time to gain public
sympathy and he will be one day remembered as a man who
beautified the capital.

The governor just puts his own interests above public needs.
Maybe he hopes one day Jakartans will have his statue in a
certain road. How absurd!

Sumadi, 49, is a vendor selling meat ball soup in Pejompongan,
Central Jakarta. He lives nearby with his fellow vendors:

I know that statue. It still looks good. Why should it be
plated with bronze? What's so important about it?

It's unbelievable to hear the amount of money. I can't imagine
that the money will actually be spent only to plate the statue.

For me, it's very hard to earn Rp 30,000 a day even when I
walk around the whole day to sell my meatballs. The economic
conditions are very grim right now.

So, how could such money be wasted on a statue that is in
basically good shape? Why doesn't the administration stop to
think of the poor?

I think it's better to allocate the money to help the poor.

Yusup, 26, is a small-scale businessman at chemical waste
recycling plant in Bekasi. He lives there with his wife:

What? It costs Rp 4 billion to plate a statue? I'm speechless.

The project is an insult to the people in many ways.

There are still many jobless people in the city, poverty
remains a major problem and safety is hardly found due to rampant
crimes.

The project is only a waste of money. It's better if the
budget is allotted to help the poor and the jobless.

Some of the budget can even be allocated to raise police
officers' salary which might encourage to actually prevent
crimes.

By having good police officers, there won't be any crimes in
the city. And that would be a far more advantageous thing for the
public than a statue.

-- Leo Wahyudi S.