Bylaw lauded to preserve capital's historic sites

JAKARTA (JP): The city council endorsed on Thursday a bylaw for the preservation of historic buildings and their surrounding area in the capital.

During a plenary session, councilors demanded rebuilding the house on Jl. Pegangsaan Timur 56 which belonged to late founding president Sukarno. The house held a number of important meetings, including one which formulated the Proclamation of Independence on Aug. 17, 1945.

The proclamation was read by Sukarno in the front yard of the house, which is now a vacant lot used by local children as a playground.

The councilors, most of whom will leave their posts later this month, hailed the new bylaw and said that it was hoped historic buildings in the city would no longer be demolished or undergo changes such as others in the past.

Spokesman for Commission A for administration and government affairs Laduni Gaos told the plenary session that "the bylaw is an improvement to the legal certainty of the preservation of historic buildings here".

So far, he said, the preservation of the country's assets was only regulated under a gubernatorial decree, which meant preservation work on buildings totally relied on the city governor.

Under the bylaw, the city administration -- not only the governor -- had the authority to preserve buildings and their surrounding area even though the properties were owned or controlled by individuals or companies.

"This means that the original shape of buildings can not be changed," he said.

According to the bylaw, which consists of 33 articles, historic buildings are considered to be at least 50 years old and have an historical, cultural or scientific value.

Natural objects which are considered to have historical, cultural or scientific value are also covered by the bylaw.

However, there is a maximum penalty of six months in jail or a Rp 5 million (US$725) fine for those who violate the bylaw.

Based on administration data, the city has 132 historic buildings, which are home to 52 museums, seven of which belong to city administration.

During Thursday's session, almost all council factions valued the urgent need to reconstruct Sukarno's house on Jl. Pegangsaan Timur, now called Jl. Proklamasi, in Central Jakarta.

They dubbed the building and front yard as "very historical" for its role during the first Independence Day.

Afif Hamka from the United Development Party (PPP) faction told the session, "Frankly speaking, we always felt something was missing around us every time we celebrated Independence Day, because the building where the proclamation was read was no longer there."

"In Europe, for instance, buildings related to the Nazi period of World War II are still preserved even though the places remind people of bitter experiences in the past," he added.

Meanwhile, Lukman Mokoginta from the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) faction pointed out the need to make the Presidential Palace, which is also on the list of Jakarta's Historical Buildings, open to the public.

"We can learn from America with its White House and Russia with its Kremlin in Moscow, where the buildings are also popular tourist spots," he said. (ind)