After Being Urged By The State Secretary, The DKI Provincial Government Finally Temporarily Stopped Revitalizing Monas

JAKARTA - The DKI Provincial Government has finally temporarily stopped the revitalization project of the National Monument starting tomorrow, Wednesday, January 29. The postponement of this project was decided after a recommendation was made by the Minister of State Secretary and the DKI DPRD.

Before following the recommendation, the DKI Provincial Government held a meeting with the DPRD leadership to discuss the follow-up to the recommendation of State Secretary Pratikno as Chairman of the Steering Committee for the Development of the Free Medan Area.

The meeting was held closed for several hours. The Department of Human Settlements, Spatial Planning and Land Affairs explains all problems in the revitalization process. It was not enough to stop there, the DPRD and the ranks of the DKI Provincial Government decided to continue the inspection to the construction site, namely the south side of Monas.

At the location, the Chairman of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, Prasetyo Edi Marsudi, received a report that the revitalization work on the south side of Monas had reached 88 percent. While monitoring the surrounding conditions, Prasetio was doubtful about the results of the work report in the field.

"I see the current facts, if this is said to be 88 percent workmanship, I don't think so," said Prasetio in the Monas area, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, January 28.

After monitoring the conditions in the field, Prasetyo decided that the DPRD had a similar attitude to that of State Secretary Pratikno. He gave a recommendation to the DKI Provincial Government to temporarily stop the revitalization process starting tomorrow.

According to Prasetyo, the DKI Provincial Government must wait for a recommendation letter from the State Secretary. This is because the DKI Pemprov has only submitted a request for direction from the State Secretary after the project has been completed halfway.

"This is our recommendation, please stop this revitalization for a while, starting tomorrow, while waiting for a letter from the Ministry of State Secretariat," said Prasetyo.

Responding to this, the Regional Secretary of DKI, Saeful, was reluctant to follow the recommendations from the State Secretary and the DPRD. This is because the Monas revitalization process currently being carried out has reached 88 percent.

Moreover, according to him, this work is only a small part of the entire area that will be revitalized and the south side is targeted to be completed soon, namely mid-February. However, in the end the DKI Provincial Government decided to follow the recommendations.

"We prefer this to be continued, but because of the results of the DPRD coordination meeting, this has been temporarily suspended, to appreciate all of this, and we are waiting for the Ministry of State for the State, as committee chairman, to provide recommendations," said Saefullah.

Previously, Commission D DPRD DKI had asked the Department of Human Settlements, Spatial Planning and Land Affairs to temporarily stop the revitalization process of the National Monument (Monas).

Later, it was discovered that the Monas revitalization process was running without any approval from the Steering Committee for the Development of the Free Medan Area. In Presidential Decree No. 25 of 1995, the Minister for the Steering Committee is the Minister of State Secretary.

Based on article 5 of Keppres 25/1995, the Steering Committee has the task of providing opinions and direction to the Implementing Body in carrying out its duties.

In addition, the task of the Steering Committee is also to provide approval for the planning and financing of the Medan Merdeka Park development compiled by the Implementing Body. In this case, the Implementing Body is the DKI Pemprov.

Chairman of Commission D DPRD DKI Ida Mahampang stated, the Presidential Decree is the highest legal rule of all provincial level regulations, either Governor Regulation or Regional Regulation. If DKI does not ask for approval from the Ministry of State Secretariat, DPRD will not hesitate to reject the proposed Monas revitalization budget in the next stage.

For information, the DKI Provincial Government is targeting the revitalization of Monas for three years from the start of construction or it will be completed in 2021. Currently, the revitalization process is starting to be carried out in the Plaza Selatan area of 34,841 m2.

Monas revitalization work on the south side has now reached around 84 percent. More than 50 percent of the green open space is now covered with concrete. There were no visible traces of trees previously planted in the green open space.

Later, replacement trees that have been felled will be replanted in the western, eastern areas, as well as the parking areas of IRTI and Lenggang Jakarta. The food stalls in Lenggang Jakarta will be moved to the eastern part near Gambir Station.

Monas revitalization is part of the Master Plan for the Arrangement of the Medan Merdeka Area Site Plan, the result of a design competition whose winners are determined in early 2019.

The main plan for the revitalization is to build Plaza Square as a forum for citizen expression on each side of Monas, both in the South, East, and West areas, as well as the construction of a pond that can reflect the image of the Monas Monument.