Praying facilities in malls

Praying facilities in malls

From Republika

I am concerned and disappointed about the present praying
facilities allotted by managements and owners of offices, malls
and hotels in Jakarta for Moslems, including lavatory services.

There are only a few office buildings, malls and hotels in
Jakarta whose facilities cover Moslems' needs. Some buildings,
like Panin Building, Astek Building, the Directorate General of
Inland Revenue and the Hotel Sahid Jaya, provide adequate
facilities. However, a greater number of the others do not, or if
they do have the facilities, they are either very small, or are
obscured from sight.

It might be because these facilities were never part of the
original plan and for this reason, a spare room or an empty space
below the stairs or leftover land was made available for praying.

Lavatory facilities are also often absent. Western style
toilets are in general available where tissues are provided for
cleaning. Many among us are not accustomed to these ways. And
because of this, we often have to look elsewhere for a toilet
with running water. The urinals too carry no washing facilities.

This is very inconvenient for Moslems who have to clean
themselves after a visit to the toilet. Toilet paper is a strange
word in Indonesian culture.

Why do owners and their managers design buildings without
concern for the local culture? Why are non-Moslem toilet
facilities provided in a country where the majority are Moslems?

I am suggesting that the government instruct office management
and building owners to make available praying facilities for
Moslems and equally suitable toilet services.

The majority of office workers are mall shoppers, are
Indonesian and followers of Islam. I am also suggesting that
building owners, and building managements, improve these
shortcomings immediately in their current planning.

ARWANSYAH JOHAN

Bekasi, West Java