'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.