Jam Gadang centenary marks starting point for Heritage Flag procession
The Bukittinggi City Government in West Sumatra has for the first time made the Jam Gadang area the location for handing over the duplicate of the Red and White Heritage Flag to the Heritage Flag Hoisting Troop (Paskibraka) before it was taken to the venue of the 81st Indonesian Independence Day ceremony on Monday.
The choice of Jam Gadang as the handover location was made to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the historic building that has become an icon of Bukittinggi.
“The flag handover was held at Jam Gadang because this year it is exactly 100 years old. We are showing the public that history and culture are not only to be read, but also to be felt,” said Bukittinggi Mayor Ramlan Nurmatias.
Ramlan handed over the duplicate Heritage Flag and the duplicate Proclamation text to Paskibraka, witnessed by the Deputy Mayor of Bukittinggi, members of the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda), the regional secretary, and officials of regional apparatus organisations.
According to Ramlan, in previous years the handover of the Heritage Flag to Paskibraka was held at the mayor’s official residence.
The relocation to Jam Gadang this year, he said, is part of the regional government’s effort to encourage the public to recognise and feel the historical value attached to Bukittinggi.
“This is one form of our appreciation to the fighters and founders who contributed to the development of Bukittinggi,” he said.
Jam Gadang was built in 1926, making it exactly one century old this year.
After the handover, the duplicate of the Red and White Heritage Flag and the Proclamation text were carried by Paskibraka in a procession towards Wirabraja Field in Bukittinggi, the venue for the 81st Indonesian Independence Day ceremony.
The flag and Proclamation text were transported using a Maung vehicle belonging to Military District Command 0304/Agam, accompanied by a drum band group and escorted by the Bukittinggi Police and the Transportation Agency.