Historical flag may be moved from State Palace to Monas
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Jakarta people may soon have the chance to view the country's most important flag daily as the city administration is attempting to move it from the State Place, where it has been kept since 1945, to the Independence Room of the National Monument (Monas).
The move, however, will come with a price as the Jakarta administration will have to spend at least Rp 3 billion (US$300,000) for preservation work on the flag, a security system, lighting and ceremonial.
"The plan to move the flag to Monas as part of the preparation for Independence Day in 2006," said the director of the people's welfare unit at the Jakarta Development Planning Board (Bapeda), Tuty Kusumawati.
She said that Governor Sutiyoso had also discussed with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono the possibility of moving the independence day commemoration ceremony from the State Place to Monas in 2006.
The flag-hoisting ceremony on independence day has always been held at the State Palace.
The city administration has earmarked Rp 3 billion in its 2006 budget for the flag's relocation. The draft budget is now being deliberated by city councillors.
Head of the City Culture and Museum Agency Aurora Tambunan said that security measures would include the setting up of a closed circuit television (CCTV) system in Monas' Independence Room.
Tuty said that the city had initially allocated Rp 8 billion for the project, but the figure was revised downward after recalculation.
The historical flag was hoisted on the country's first Independence Day on Aug. 17, 1945 and was sewn by then first lady Fatmawati, who was also the wife of founding president Soekarno.
In 2003, the city administration also attempted to move the flag to Monas, but the plan was dropped after strong criticism from both city councillors and non-governmental organizations (NGO) activists.
On Monday, a number of councillors also expressed opposition to the plan during a hearing between the City Council's Commission E for education, health and people's welfare and the Jakarta Museums and Cultural Agency.
"I think it is going too far to spend such a large amount of money just to move the flag from the State Palace to Monas, which is only about one kilometer away," Commission E member Syamsidar Siregar said during the hearing on Monday.
"It would be better if we allocated the money for a project that directly interested the public. We object to the allocation of money for this purpose," said Syamsidar, a councillor from the National Mandate Party (PAN).