Gus Dur wants Senayan sports complex be moved to Kemayoran
Gus Dur wants Senayan sports complex be moved to Kemayoran
YOGYAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid said
here on Sunday he had just ordered Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso to
move Senayan sports complex to Kemayoran, including Bung Karno
Stadium and Senayan Basket Hall.
"All the buildings in Senayan sports complex must be removed.
We need building-free areas for Jakartans to do sports
activities," said Wahid.
Speaking to Yogyakartans at the launching of the Urban
Reforestation Movement program at Keparakan village, Gus Dur said
that Senayan sport complex must be changed into a nonresidential,
nonbuilding area.
He said that the diminishing open spaces in Jakarta had forced
residents to utilize the city's main thoroughfares, Jl. Sudirman
and Jl. Thamrin, for sporting activities. "The residents use the
streets for sports on Sundays."
"We need more urban open spaces for sports activities. Most
residents in big cities have lost open spaces for such
activities," he said.
"The removal of Senayan sports complex obviously will need a
lot of money. But money doesn't matter since Jakartans badly need
the space. We hope that they will not utilize the streets anymore
for sporting activities," he said.
Gus Dur also emphasized the urgency of maintaining the city's
green areas.
"The current damage to Indonesia's forests is the fruit of the
mistakes of past policies," he said.
"We have to regreen Nusa Tenggara and Kalimantan forests to
rejuvenate our forests as the lungs of the world," he added.
Abdurrahman planted a Gayam tree and freed several birds in
the ceremony that was also attended by first lady Sinta Nuriah,
Minister of Forestry Marzuki Usman, Minister of National
Education Yahya Muhaimin, and Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan
Hamengkubuwono X.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Forestry Marzuki Usman said that
the reforestation movement in Indonesia aimed at protecting the
country's great biodiversity.
"We still have many rare species to protect like the Javan
rhinoceros, Javan eagle and so on. If this reforestation program
doesn't succeed, I'm afraid that Sumatra island will only have
shrubs in 2005, and Kalimantan will become a desert in 2010,"
said Marzuki.
After the ceremony marking the urban reforestation drive, the
President went back to Yogyakarta presidential palace to open the
Javanese Language Congress at 7.30 p.m. (23)