An official from the State Secretariat said the rejection was based on various reasons, including that Monas was a heritage site and any major modifications might pose a risk to its well-being.

The conclusion was made in a meeting of the Medan Merdeka Area steering committee, helmed by State Secretary Pratikno, as Monas is under the supervision of the committee according to Presidential Decree No. 25/1995.

To keep the plan on track, the city administration is assessing the possibility of using Jl. Sudirman and Jl. MH Thamrin, the two main roads nearby Monas, as the new location of the race.

Jakarta Bina Marga Agency head Hari Nugroho said the roads might become the new circuit, as the track had fulfilled standards from Federation Internationale Automobile (FIA) for Formula E.

“It’s not yet [decided]. We are currently surveying the location. [The track may run] along Sudirman-Thamrin, slightly turn to the Gelora Bung Karno sports complex,” he said on Friday.

The Sudirman-Thamrin track ranges from 2.9 to 3.2 kilometers long while the general requirement for Formula E circuit is set at 3 km at the maximum.

Dwi Wahyu Darwoto, the president director of Jakpro, the city-owned company that organizes the event, said it had secured alternative locations.

“We [Jakpro] as the Formula E Jakarta organizer have been preparing for locations that fulfill the criteria as an icon of Jakarta and Indonesia. Currently, we are exploring for the best selection,” he said in a statement.

He went on to say that official information on the new circuit would be announced after approval from Formula E Operations (FEO) and FIA as partners of Formula E Jakarta organizers.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan announced a five-consecutive-year deal with FIA to host the Jakarta ePrix in September 2019, saying the event would benefit the capital as it would stimulate infrastructure development.

The Jakarta ePrix is an annual race for the single-seater, electrically powered Formula E championship. It is to be the first FIA-sanctioned race in the country since the A1 GP in 2006.

The event is scheduled to take place for the first time in the country's capital on June 6, joining Berlin in Germany, New York in the United States and London as the latest addition to the Formula E calendar.

Anies said the event, which over 35,000 people are predicted to attend, is expected to boost the economy by up to Rp 1.2 trillion (US$85.7 million).

The city administration, through Jakpro and the Youth and Sports Ministry, has allocated a Rp 1.17 billion budget for this year’s event.

The city administration previously proposed a 2.6-km-long circuit that centers on Monas.

Monas plaza, which is made of cobblestones, will be layered with asphalt to meet circuit standards.

The asphalt could be removed afterward. But this plan was opposed by the government.

Anies expressed his optimism that the remaining four months would be enough to prepare for the event.

“[Four months] is enough,” the governor told reporters at City Hall on Thursday.

Anies said that FEO team members arrived in the capital on Thursday at around 5:30 p.m. and would immediately survey a potential new circuit with Jakpro, the Bina Marga Agency and other relevant agencies.

Hari said asphalting new locations for the circuit could be done in a short period of time.

“It is quick enough to prepare for the circuit, less than three weeks,” he said.

The Formula E Indonesia deputy director of communications, Hilbram Dunar, explained that preparation for purposes other than the circuit, which consists of infrastructure and facilities for the tribune, grandstand and VIP lounge, would be done within one month.

Despite the central government’s rejection to use Monas, Dwi expressed hope that the historic landmark could be used for the remaining Jakarta ePrix.

“We hope we are allowed to use Monas in the future,” he said.

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