Historical house wrecked despite order to delay

JAKARTA (JP): A former country house in Palmerah, Central Jakarta, has been flattened to the ground at the request of its owner, despite an order from the city development supervision agency to halt demolition.

"Pak Indra Gunawan, the owner, told me to tear it down as people might get hurt by the remaining structure," Mohammad, the contractor, told The Jakarta Post Saturday.

The contractor said Indra is ill. He failed to show up at a scheduled meeting last week with officials in charge of artifacts protection.

Mohammad said he had not notified the development supervision agency which sealed the remaining structure on Thursday that the demolition was being continued.

"Pak Indra said he will face the agency himself," he said.

The order to seal the house was issued on request of the municipal museum and history agency. Officials of the agency said that the house, built in 1790, is under government protection based on the 1992 law on historical buildings and artifacts.

However, the building, categorized as a country house, was not included in a list attached to a 1993 gubernatorial decree of protected buildings in the city, which includes 67 buildings in Central Jakarta.

Officials of the museum and history agency, and from the agency for buildings and renovation, could not explain why the house on Jl. Gelora XI has been dropped from the list.

Various factors, such as the financial ability of the owner to take care of an old building, are usually considered in taking a building off preservation lists.

"I have shown the ownership certificates and the 1993 list to the Tanah Abang office of the development supervision agency. This building is not included in the list," Mohammad said.

Indra Riawan of the museum and history agency has taken parts of the ruins to the agency office. These include doors and windows, large tiles and bricks. Only the outside features of the building had been documented before its destruction.

The house was last known to be the subject of dispute between heirs of the previous owner, a Chinese landlord and descendants of the Arya Jipang family.

"I hope all the publication will help me sell these ruins," Mohammad said.

Other sources said the owner is considering building a hotel on the site. (anr)