Monas gas station opposed
JAKARTA (JP): Head of the National Monument (Monas) Office, Ekki Husein Kantili, said over the weekend that he has opposed from the start the idea of building a gas station in the Monas park area, Central Jakarta.
"I personally objected to the idea. But when my office was invited in a meeting to discuss the plan sometimes ago, there was pressure to continue the development of the station," he said.
Governor Sutiyoso is scheduled to inaugurate the gas station, which was jointly built by private firm PT Otogas Karya Pratama and the municipality.
City councilors have expressed objections over the gas station because it is located in the Monas park area, which is a green area.
According to Ekki, there was a special instruction on the construction of the gas station, but he was not sure whether it was from the governor or deputy governor.
"Please check with the related officials," he said, refusing to give details.
Ekki said that Monas has special meaning for Jakarta, not only as a monument, but as a historical site which marks the city's development journey.
"The Monas area is considered the lungs of the city, which should be free of any other construction," he said.
He revealed that every structure within the Monas area is considered temporary.
"The parking lot at the western part of Monas is a temporary one. There will be an underground parking lot and a building on it. They are all makeshift and can be moved," he added.
There is no permanent structure in Monas green area. "I think the gas station is also a nonpermanent construction," Ekki said.
The municipality could actually develop a gas station somewhere else, not in the Monas area.
"But my office can't do much about it because the line of command makes us to follow our superior (governor) instruction," he said.
Management
Ekki also disclosed a lack of authority in the management of Monas. "My office has been trying hard for years to get stronger authority to supervise and control Monas, but to no avail," he said.
Currently, the Monas management is being handled by several agencies, including the city park agency, to take care of the park and the city parking board to manage its parking lot.
"We have only 10 security officers out of 92 officials working in my office," Ekki said.
"It's hard to supervise the 15-hectare Monas plot by just hiring 10 security officers," he said.
Getting more authority also means that his office should get more funding from the city's budget.
"I understand that it is difficult for the municipality to provide such funding in the midst of the rupiah monetary crisis.
"But the most important thing is to start reevaluating the structure of the institutions involved in managing the park, so it is clearer who is in charge of what," he added.
Currently, the National Monument Office only takes care of the technical and promotion divisions of Monas, the obelisk of independence inside the Monas park and the Monument of Sukarno- Hatta on Jl. Proklamasi, Central Jakarta. (07)