Dessy Sagita & Anita Rachman – - Though the House of Representatives still refuses to back down from its plan for a new office building, it seems civil society groups have no plans on giving up calling for it to be halted either.

On Wednesday, a group of nongovernmental organizations again reported House leader Marzuki Alie to the House Ethics Council for what they called the "House speaker's lies."

Ray Rangkuti, director of the Indonesian Civic Network (LIMA), said that Marzuki had several times told the public he would scrap the plan under certain conditions – but he hasn't.

Sebastian Salang, a coordinator for the Concerned Citizens for the Indonesian Legislature (Formappi), said that even though it had sent several reports to the House, the ethics body never took any action in response.

"Even after Marzuki told lies and hurt the people's feelings, the Ethics Council never did anything about it," Sebastian said.

He also said the plan for a new office building seems to be shrouded in mystery. Sebastian said the House has never put the people's aspirations first. Instead, he added, the House just keeps violating ethics codes.

The House has refused to budge on the issue of the new building, which lawmakers say will cost Rp 1.13 trillion ($130 million) but watchdogs say will amount to Rp 1.8 trillion once furniture and fixtures are included.

Separately, Indonesia Corruption Watch said on Wednesday that it had given a second warning to the House regarding the project.

"We want the construction to stop and we will ask the Supreme Audit Agency [BPK] to audit the money that has been used for the building," said Ade Irawan, an ICW researcher.

Ade said if the House still insisted and chose to ignore the warning, ICW would file a law suit along with other NGOs. If filed, it would be the third suit against the House over the office project. "The more people and NGOs suing the House [over the building] the better," Ade added.

He also said that since taxpayers would pay for the building, the process should comply with all government regulations. "According to a public works minister's decree issued in 2007, the House should consult with the ministry before they plan to build the tower," he said.

Ade said based on the ministerial decree, the Public Works Ministry could issue a recommendation to the Ministry of Finance about the proper budget needed for building.

"And according to our estimation, there are parts of the building which will cost twice the allowed limit stipulated in the decree," he said. "It is understandable if many people think there will be a lot of markup during construction," he said.

On Tuesday, Indonesian academics also voiced their rejection of the new building as a waste of the country's money when the old one was still usable.

"People across the country have complained about it and said they don't want it, so the legislators pushing for it are not representing the people's voice," Edy Suandi Hamid, former chairman of the Indonesian Rectors Forum and now a member of the forum's guidance council, told the Jakarta Globe on Tuesday.

Rectors, students, journalists, and ulema on Sunday signed a petition against construction.