After years of being dubbed a “dirty night market,” Merdeka Square, the home of Indonesia’s National Monument (Monas), is now free of street vendors and rubbish, allowing the public to enjoy a “little forest” in the heart of Jakarta.

The revamp of Merdeka Square started in 2014 along with the cleaning of Monas. Street vendors who used to crowd the spacious plaza surrounding Monas have been relocated to a food court called Lenggang Jakarta. It is only a kilometer away from Monas and has turned into a popular destination for Jakarta food lovers.

In April 2016, opening hours at Monas were extended to 10 p.m. on Tuesdays to Fridays, and 12 a.m. on weekends. It is closed on Mondays for regular maintenance.

The extended opening hours means that working Jakartans can now enjoy Monas in the evening. Imam Syafii, 23, said that weekday evenings were the best time to visit Monas.

“It’s not noisy [at night], while it’s very rowdy during the day because of the many vehicles on the street outside Merdeka Square,” said Imam. “The view [of Monas] at night is much prettier because the lighting makes it look majestic. Also, it gets very crowded on the weekends.”

Sarah Septiani, 25, a mother of two young children, also liked the change of atmosphere provided by Monas’s night tour.

“I’m bored of taking my kids to the mall,” said Sarah as she looked at her 2-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son running around Monas’s paved plaza. “The kids want to go to Monas because of its attractive lighting. I like it because Monas is an outdoor destination, so the kids can interact more closely with nature and [my husband and I] can enjoy the view.”

Monas head of management Sabdo Kristianto said the extended opening hours had only one purpose: to better serve the public.

“The view of Jakarta at night is breathtaking,” Sabdo told The Jakarta Post. “Our decision to open at night allows the public to enjoy the cool breeze [...] and watch Jakarta [work] its magic at night.”

Sabdo said that an additional 700 streetlights illuminate Merdeka Square. The LED lights are energy efficient as they use only 95-Watt bulbs.

“As a popular tourist destination, [the beauty and cleanliness of] Monas must be maintained and preserved,” Sabdo said. “The lighting not only illuminates Monas at night, but also makes it safer. Who wants to come if it is not safe? Who wants to come for a night tour if it [Monas] is dark?”

Ferawati Simatupang, 28, who had been jogging at Merdeka Square since 2013, witnessed a major change in Monas and its surrounding area.

“I rarely went jogging back then because Monas’s promenade was so full of street vendors selling food and shoes,” said Ferawati as she gazed across the now-calm paved plaza. “The promenade was dark and you could see trash scattered everywhere. Jogging in Monas was difficult then.”

After Monas’s major clean-up and additional lighting, Ferawati became a more frequent visitor to the monument.

“Now, I come to Monas at least twice a week after work [because] I love jogging here at night,” Ferawati said. “The air is cooler [than during the day] and I feel safe here, even at night.”

Besides lighting, the revamp of Merdeka Square also included at least 1,000 additional bougainvillea flower pots, two free train tours circulating the 100-hectare Merdeka Square, a bathroom, hundreds of evergreen trees, and the dancing fountain.

However, Monas’s nighttime visitors is limited to 500 people “because the elevator needs to rest and we need to do some maintenance work,” Sabdo said.

But the public is free to enjoy the Betawi performances in the plaza and promenade around Merdeka Square until closing time, and they are free of charge.
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The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post

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