The National Assembly is currently recruiting 120 cleaners and gardeners in preparation for the legislative body’s move to its new building in Phnom Penh’s Tonle Bassac commune, officials said Wednesday.
An advertisement placed in the Khmer-language Koh Santepheap Daily newspaper bearing the signature of Assembly Secretary-General Leng Penglong states that the Assembly secretariat is looking for “25 gardeners, 25 bathroom hygienists and 70 general cleaners.”
The application deadline is May 31, according to the advertisement.
Leng Penglong could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but his deputy Chan Ven said the 120 new cleaners would be in addition to the 50-strong staff that tidies up the current Assembly building.
Chan Ven said that the cleaners and gardeners would not be Assembly employees but rather contract workers that would be given six-month contracts that would be renewed based on performance. He added that each employee would be paid around $75 a month—significantly more than the majority of civil servants and members of the armed forces. “We will hire them to work at the new building, it is not a lot [of staff],” Chan Ven said.
SRP lawmaker Yim Sovann said that the number of new cleaners and gardeners seemed excessive. “Compare it to a 5-star hotel—I don’t think they need 120 cleaners,” he said.
Funcinpec lawmaker Monh Saphan said that he didn’t take issue with the number of cleaners and groundskeepers being sought, but feared that applicants that merit the positions might be denied in favor of people with connections.
CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap, who chairs the Assembly’s banking and finance commission, said so many cleaners are needed because of the large size of the new Assembly building.
“There are 300 rooms and the compound is more than 28,000 square meters,” he said, adding that the salary for the contract cleaners has not yet been finalized. “We won’t be wasting the money. We will help find work for the people,” he said.
(Additional reporting by John Maloy)
