End of Polemic: General Sudirman Statue Will Not Be Moved
The plan to relocate the General Sudirman statue in the Dukuh Atas area of Jakarta has been cancelled. DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung confirmed the statue will remain in its current location and will not be moved during the construction of a pedestrian deck or doughnut-shaped ring bridge in the area. The confirmation was given during the groundbreaking ceremony for the doughnut bridge in Dukuh Atas on Sunday (21/6/2026). The General Sudirman statue will instead become part of the new area’s design, positioned in the middle of the bridge so it remains visible to passers-by.
Pramono stressed that the General Sudirman statue will stay at its original spot. He said the decision was taken after considering the bridge construction plans and to avoid sparking new polemics. “The most important thing, after we pondered for days, is that the General Sudirman statue will remain in this place, so we will not move it, so it does not become a polemic. This place will become a better, more beautiful place,” Pramono said during the ceremony. Pramono said he had seen the detailed design of the bridge. From the prepared design, the General Sudirman statue can be retained without disrupting the concept of the transport integration area arrangement in Dukuh Atas.
Rather than being moved, the General Sudirman statue will become an important part of Dukuh Atas’s new look. The statue is designed to be located right in the centre of the doughnut bridge area, ensuring it remains a focal point. “I have seen the detailed drawings, so it does not need to be moved. In fact, it will become a place remembered by everyone; this statue will be very visible when people circle above,” Pramono added. MRT Jakarta President Director Tuhiyat said the pedestrian deck will also be equipped with a viewing platform to see the General Sudirman statue from above. The facility is prepared so the statue remains part of the experience for residents passing through the area. “The Sudirman statue stays there. Inside the Pedestrian Deck, we will have a platform where, when passing above, people can directly see the Sudirman statue from the platform on the Pedestrian Deck,” Tuhiyat stated.
The construction of the doughnut bridge in Dukuh Atas is designed to integrate several modes of transport in the area. Pramono said the facility will connect the MRT, LRT, TransJakarta, KCI commuter line, and the airport train, making intermodal transfers easier. According to Pramono, the bridge is also believed to reduce traffic congestion around Jalan Sudirman. Passenger activity of people boarding and alighting at the roadside has often disrupted vehicle flow, especially during peak hours. “It can be guaranteed to reduce congestion. Because, as we all know, almost every afternoon or when it is drizzling or raining, every morning, many people get off at the roadside. This disrupts traffic here. Once this is in place, people will no longer go down to the street level. People will definitely use the walkway above because those heading to the MRT, airport train, or LRT will find it easier as everything is connected above,” he explained.
The discourse on moving the General Sudirman statue first surfaced in 2025. At that time, the plan drew various responses from the public, ranging from support for the Dukuh Atas area arrangement to opposition because the statue was considered an icon of Jalan Sudirman. Previously, the General Sudirman statue was planned to be moved to a new location on the border of Jalan MH Thamrin and Jenderal Sudirman. “The one originally on the south side will be moved closer to Jalan MH Thamrin,” said Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi on Tuesday (30/9/2025), after meeting with Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung on Monday (29/9/2025). Now, the Jakarta Provincial Government has confirmed the statue will remain in its original location and become part of the doughnut bridge construction. With this decision, the polemic over the statue’s relocation, which had been ongoing since last year, is confirmed to be over.