There Are Alleged Manipulation In Formula E Event In Jakarta

Design of the Formula E Circuit in Jakarta (Special doc)

JAKARTA - New problems have begun to surface, along with the plan to hold Formula E in Jakarta. One of them is the alleged manipulation of the recommendation from the Cultural Heritage Expert Team (TACB) in holding an electric-powered car racing event in the National Monument (Monas) area.

DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan claimed the recommendation in a letter to the Chairman of the Medan Merdeka Area Steering Committee, namely State Secretary Minister (Mensesneg) Pratikno. In the letter numbered 61 / -1.857.23 sent on February 11, 2020, Anies stated that his party had received a recommendation from the TACB of DKI Jakarta Province.

"In order to maintain the function, environmental preservation and cultural heritage in the Medan Merdeka Area in its implementation, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has obtained a recommendation from the DKI Jakarta Provincial Cultural Heritage Expert Team as outlined in a letter from the Head of the Culture Service dated 20 January 2020 number 93 / -1.853.15 regarding the implementation of Formula E 2020, "wrote Anies in the letter.

However, recently the Chairman of the Jakarta TACB, Mundardjito, denied that he had ever issued a recommendation regarding the implementation of Formula E 2020 in the Monas area. In fact, Mundardjito stated that he did not know the letter of recommendation Anies was referring to.

"I don't know, we didn't make (recommendations), I'm the chairman," said Mundardjito, Wednesday, February 12.

Departing from there, the Chairperson of the DKI DPRD, Prasetio Edi Marsudi, came to the office of the Ministry of State Secretariat (Kemensetneg) to report the alleged manipulation of formula E recommendations from the DKI TACB.

"He (Anies) thought he had permission from the cultural heritage team. It turns out not. Things like this have to be in sync. If everyone plays crash-and-crashes, I as the regional leader of the DPRD are disappointed, and this is public deception," said Prasetio, Thursday, February 13th.

Prasetio also plans to summon Anies to the DPRD to provide clarification. According to him, even though Anies is a regional head at the provincial level, he can obstruct the budgetary expenditure of a policy if it is deemed to be against the rules.

"I will call and today I still have a hammer. If he has money, I have a hammer. If I don't knock it, nothing will happen. I will be like that. If he is hard, I will be hard too. "he said.

DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan when meeting with Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag in New York (Photo: Instagram @aniesbaswedan)

Denial of the DKI Provincial Government

When asked for confirmation, Anies was reluctant to respond to the alleged recommendation regarding the Formula E event in Jakarta. "It's the same with the Department of Culture," said Anies.

According to Anies, the Medan Merdeka Area Steering Committee has allowed the holding of the Formula E race at Monas.

"Just like this, I would like to express my appreciation to Komrah who has given approval so that formula E can be implemented in the national monument area," continued Anies.

Meanwhile, Head of the DKI Jakarta Cultural Service Iwan Henry Wardhana issued a different statement from Anies's letter sent to the State Secretary regarding the recommendation.

Iwan said that the recommendation was only through the Culture Service. The Cultural Heritage Expert Team (TCB) and the Restoration Session Team (TSP), he said, only provided input to the Cultural Office and did not provide direct recommendations.

"The recommendation letter was not issued by the TACB or by the TSP. The recommendation was a letter issued only from the Head of the Basic Culture Service. We made a recommendation letter from our two kitchens. Our two kitchens, the restoration court team and the cultural heritage expert team," said Iwan.

Regarding the statement of the Head of the Jakarta TACB, Mundardjito, who said that he had never issued a recommendation regarding the implementation of Formula E 2020 in the Monas area, according to him, it was because Mundardjito was not authorized to issue the recommendation.

"Pak Mundardjito is not allowed to issue a recommendation, yes he does not know. It is not that he is a member of the cultural heritage expert team. So it is clear that Mr. Mundardjito asked him not to know," he concluded.