Anita Rachman – Embattled House Speaker Marzuki Alie lashed out at critics on Wednesday, saying opposition to a controversial office tower project he had approved was only meant to sully his reputation.
"Factions within the House of Representatives which are against the construction of a Rp 1.13 trillion [$130 million] office tower are doing so to tarnish my image as a leader and a Democrat," Marzuki said.
He said if lawmakers were serious about stopping the project, they should have raised objections during meetings of the Household Affairs Committee (BURT), which had discussed the proposal for months.
Marzuki, BURT's chairman, said parties did not block the plan, which meant they were "not really serious" about having the project scrapped. He said any grievances raised during BURT meetings would be brought to the House consultative body before being discussed in a plenary session.
"This is a political game aimed at fooling the public. They know that the House speaker cannot abort plans without going through legal mechanisms," Marzuki said. "Those who yelled out did so for their political image and to step on the toes of others."
Earlier this week, nongovernmental organizations announced plans to file a lawsuit against Marzuki next month for pushing ahead with the project, which would set state coffers back by around Rp 800 million for each lawmaker's new office unit.
On Tuesday, Marzuki said NGOs should not presume to represent the public's aspirations. "They all can be far too negative about me as the House Speaker and a Democrat," he said. "The Democrat who doesn't side with the people [is the picture they want to paint]."
He also said opponents of the project should suggest feasible alternatives.
Eva Kusuma Sundari, a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said Marzuki brought trouble upon himself. "He is the one who's responsible because he is the BURT chairman," she said on Wednesday. "People should have been involved in the plan, including the concept and design."
Tjahjo Kumolo, also from the PDI-P, said the project should be postponed until a modest design for the building was drafted. The Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and National Mandate Party (PAN) have also urged the House to scrap the costly project.
Tjatur Sapto Edy, chairman of PAN's House faction, said on Wednesday that they had submitted an official letter to the House leadership, expressing their "strong opposition" to the building's construction.
Since PAN had only four lawmakers on the 51-member BURT, though, Tjatur said it was difficult to push the party's stance.
The lawmaker also denied his party's criticisms against the building project were personal attacks against Marzuki. "We don't have any intention to corner him. We love Pak Marzuki so much," he said.
On Wednesday, the PAN welcomed several NGOs that supported the faction in opposing the building project.
During a meeting with the party, Sebastian Salang, a coordinator for the Concerned Citizens for the Indonesian Legislature (Formappi), said the inverted U-shaped design for the House's new office tower bore striking similarities to Chile's Parliament building.
Sebastian said directly copying architectural designs from other countries would bring shame to the House.