Chaotic Over, Monas Revitalization Continues

Monas revitalization process (Diah Ayu Wardani / VOI)

JAKARTA - The affairs for the revitalization of the National Monument (Monas) at the Steering Committee for the Medan Merdeka Area have been completed. Now, DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan is confident in continuing the revitalization of the south side of Monas.

Monas revitalization could continue after the Chairperson of the Medan Merdeka Area Steering Committee, Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, heard firsthand an explanation of the design and work on revitalization from Anies yesterday.

From there, the Steering Committee only learned that the 191 trees felled on the south side of Monas would be replaced three times over. Until finally, the Steering Committee decided to allow Anies to continue the work.

"Alhamdulillah, the revitalization of Monas continues," said Anies at City Hall, Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan, Central Jakarta, Thursday, February 6.

Anies said, after receiving a direct explanation, the Steering Committee decided to revitalize Monas in line with the Monas structuring guidelines in Presidential Decree Number 25 of 1995 concerning the Development of the Free Medan Area in DKI Jakarta.

"Revitalization is in line with Presidential Decree No. 25, and indeed we basically implement the Presidential Decree," said the former Minister of Education.

"In fact, the Steering Committee appreciates that there will be additional green open spaces in the Monas area. Some have just realized that the parking lot of IRTI and Lenggang Jakarta will become green places," he added.

Governor of DKI Jakarta Anies Baswedan (Diah Ayu Wardani / VOI)

Yesterday, the Secretary of State Secretary Setya Utama declared the revitalization of Monas in accordance with the attachment to Presidential Decree 25/1995, particularly regarding the arrangement of the Medan Merdeka park. They also agreed that the revitalization of Monas will be continued according to the work target.

"We don't want anyone to be stuck there. We want Monas to immediately resume its function, as a function of public services and a function of vegetation," said Setya.

Setya said, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has directly explained the picture of Monas when it has been restored. There is indeed a hardening of the land to make a plaza. However, the DKI Provincial Government explained that the sacrificed trees would be planted again in the vicinity.

"DKI conveyed, besides them cutting down, they compensated by greening IRTI. Well, before we all did not know and earlier there was an explanation," said Setya.

For information, the DKI Provincial Government is targeting the revitalization of Monas for 3 (three) years from the start of construction or it will be completed in 2021. Currently, the revitalization process has begun in the South Plaza area, covering an area of 34,841 square meters.

A total of 191 trees that have been felled will be replanted, as many as 573 in the west and east 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. Apart from that, there were also 83 trees with a maximum height of 2 meters that were moved to the west and east sides.

This revitalization was stopped on Wednesday, January 29, because the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government only reported the Monas revitalization design to the Steering Committee, not the work in the field. In fact, when construction was underway, modifications were made.

Monas revitalization is part of the Master Plan for the Structuring 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 reflects the image of the Monas Monument.