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Fri, May 25, 2012
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Marzuki Leaves Door Open for Office Tower Plan’s Revival
Anita Rachman | May 26, 2011

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Although House Speaker Marzuki Alie has suspended all activities related to the construction of a new legislative office building, the project has not been completely dropped and may still come to fruition.

Just two days after announcing that the House was suspending the construction plan, Marzuki said on Wednesday that “we need room,” bringing up the possibility that the project will be revived.

“My guidance is the strategic plans, that we need room. Whether we are going to be placed underneath the stairs or somewhere, just as long as we have room,” he said.

Although he did not specifically say a new building was still in order, Marzuki pointed out that the current legislative building had its flaws.

“We understand that there have been cracks in Nusantara I,” he said. “That is the result of a Public Works Ministry study from April 2011.”

He said the cracks were caused by natural wear and tear.

“First, the building is overloaded because the capacity is for 800 people, but it is being filled by 2,500,” he said. “Second, the construction is not good enough.”

After meeting with the Ministry of Public Works on Monday, Marzuki said the House was suspending all ongoing activities related to the construction of the new building. The tender prequalification phase was also canceled, and he said it would depend on the House’s Household Affairs Committee (BURT) whether the project would be continued in the future.

House members have argued that they need more room since they plan on having five advisers and one personal assistant for each lawmaker.

Separately, the House deputy speaker from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Anis Matta, said the decision was not yet final. Monday’s meeting with the Public Works Ministry was only a consultation meeting.

The result of the meeting will be taken to the BURT and House leaders. Anis said House leaders had not scheduled a meeting to follow up on the results of Monday’s meeting, though he conceded that the House did need a new office building.

Ade Irawan from Indonesia Corruption Watch said Marzuki’s statements showed that he wanted to wash his hands of the case.

Ade said that even if research showed there were cracks, what the House needed was just a renovation, not a new building.

“The House must decide soon and announce it officially,” he said. “They need to cancel the plan.”