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Heru’s plan to ‘regreen’ Monas in the mold of GBK under scrutiny
Urbanists are raising concerns about the Jakarta administration's plan to revamp and potentially commercialize the city’s historic landmark, Monas.
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The owner of a delman (horse-drawn buggy) waits for passengers outside the gate of the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta in this file photo taken in 2019. Then-Jakarta deputy governor Ahmad Riza Patria said that Monas would remain closed for renovation. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
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akarta acting governor Heru Budi Hartono has recently announced plans to revitalize the National Monument (Monas) complex, with the assistance of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir.
But observers are raising concerns about the city’s approach and the potential commercialization of Jakarta’s historic landmark due to the minister’s involvement.
Ever since Anies Baswedan stepped down as Jakarta governor earlier this month, his interim replacement Heru, a State Palace stalwart and former city bureaucrat under then-governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, has gone to great lengths to restore several pre-Anies initiatives – at times even disregarding his immediate predecessor’s work.
With the Monas revitalization, Heru said the project aims to replant any trees that were cut down by the previous governor with the help of the central government.
“We’ll plant a variety of trees and we’ll also redesign the IRTI section of the complex,” Heru said last week, referring to the vendor center and parking lot located at the south side of the Monas complex.
Speaking alongside Heru at the SOEs Ministry building, Erick added that they eventually want to make Monas as green as the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) sports complex, which underwent a revamp in preparation for the 2018 Asian Games.
“Pak Heru will design the new complex together with the state secretary and we’ll make it as green as possible,” Erick said.
