Welcome Guest   |  Login   |   Signup
JG Logo
Fri, May 25, 2012
Archive Search

Marzuki Denies Dirty Dealings in Toilet Upgrade
January 08, 2012

A toilet was placed in the middle of the street during car-free day in Solo on Sunday to criticize the government’s Rp 2 billion lavatory renovation project. (JG Photo/Ali Lutfi) A toilet was placed in the middle of the street during car-free day in Solo on Sunday to criticize the government’s Rp 2 billion lavatory renovation project. (JG Photo/Ali Lutfi)
Share This Page
5
6
0
6
Share with google+ :


Post a comment
Please login to post comment

Comments

Yohanes-Sulaiman
8:06am Jan 9, 2012

"He said some toilets smelled and were filthy, falling short of health standards despite the building’s toilet attendants and annual toilet checks."

I must get my eyes checked. For a moment, I thought he was talking about the honorable members of parliament themselves.

Considering the quality of their works, I'll say, let them do their "business" in an appropriate venue, which is in DPR (Dibawah Pohon Rindang -- under the tree).

Angkel
7:26am Jan 9, 2012

Valkrie said: "Now we know why that everything that emanates from that building is full of sh**!".

Funny true. That's why they need better toilets.

$220,000 for 220 toilets. That means $1,000 per toilet. It's really reasonable cost to upgrade a toilet. Why so fuss?

Come on guys, they are people who manage our country. Can't they have a decent place to clean their sh**? Look at yourself. Do you like to have a dirty toilet in your own house?

Valkyrie
5:14am Jan 9, 2012

Marzuki said....

..."there are standards to be met for government buildings"

I like to ask him this. What about standards for public servants?

Now we know why that everything that emanates from that building is full of sh**!


londoedan
4:49am Jan 9, 2012

This one smells to high heaven.... pun intended... Lol.

Jeanne Hachette
1:20am Jan 9, 2012

Indonesia has some of the biggest toilets in the world . They are called rivers!!

House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie has defended the decision to refurbish the lavatories in the legislative building despite criticism of the cost of the plan.

Last week, Hajrianto Tohari, a deputy speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), rejected the idea of spending Rp 2 billion ($220,000) to renovate 220 lavatories in the Nusantara 1 building, which holds the offices of the political factions.

Abdul Kadir Karding, a senior National Awakening Party (PKB) official, also rejected the plan as expensive and unreasonable.

But Marzuki said on Sunday that despite the controversy of its estimated cost, the renovation plan was necessary.

“If anyone suspects a markup, there’s the BPK [Supreme Audit Agency], which is tasked [with monitoring government projects], and there’s the KPK [Corruption Eradication Commission],” he said. “Just arrest [House officials] if there’s a markup. But that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be any renovation.”

Marzuki added that he did not know the exact details of how the proposed budget of Rp 2 billion would be spent.

“The [House’s] secretariat general knows the required specifications,” he said. “You can’t say it [the renovation] costs too much because there are standards to be met for government buildings.”

The lavatory conditions, he added, deter some people from washing before Islamic prayers.

“People use the lavatories not only for the toilets, but also to perform ablutions [before prayers],” he said. “There are people who want to pray but aren’t sure if it’s OK to perform ablutions there because the lavatories are so filthy.

“I’m telling the critics not to provoke people to irrational anger. The renovation is necessary; we can’t just let what’s broken to remain unfixed.”

Sumirat, a secretariat official in charge of maintenance, said last week that the conditions of toilets in the 17-year-old building were alarming, with cleanliness being the biggest problem.

He said some toilets smelled and were filthy, falling short of health standards despite the building’s toilet attendants and annual toilet checks.

He added that many lavatory facilities needed renovation.

“From the second floor to the 23rd floor, we’re hoping to renovate,” Sumirat said. “If the budget is not enough, we will allot more [next year].”

Each floor has 10 bathrooms. The men’s bathrooms have three toilets, two washbowls, a place to use water for ablution and five urinals, while the women’s rooms have three toilets, two washbowls and one ablution spot.

The House Secretariat holds annual checks on taps, showers and some tiles.

Jaka Winarko, a spokesman for the secretariat, said the building had a total of 220 lavatories, or about 10 on each floor.

If the secretariat decides to renovate all of the toilets, he said, it would have to spend about Rp 9 million per lavatory.

Indonesia is flush with problems regarding toilets. In a recent assessment of toilet cleanliness, the World Toilet Organization ranked Indonesia 12th out of 18 Asian countries, or last place in Asean.

A dirty toilet can host up to 80 million germs that cause a range of undesirable diseases, including genital warts and infections.

Antara