Soeharto to have his footprints on Monas 'Walk of Fame'

Soeharto to have his footprints on Monas 'Walk of Fame'

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Former president Soeharto may have lost power but he is still
important enough for Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso to be willing to
visit him for a pair of his footprints.

Sutiyoso is scheduled to meet the former strongman, who led
the country for 32 years, at Soeharto's residence at Jl. Cendana
No. 8, Central Jakarta.

Apparently inspired by Hollywood's Walk of Fame, the pavement
containing the footprints of Indonesia's "beautiful people" will
run along Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara outside the National Monument
(Monas) park and facing the Merdeka Palace.

It is due to be in place before Independence Day on Aug. 17,
and, as usual in Indonesia, politicians, generals and former
generals cum politicians are likely to dominate the show.

Soeharto's footprints will be placed side-by-side with the
footprints of President Megawati Soekarnoputri, and former
presidents Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid and B.J. Habibie. Founding
president Soekarno's footprints will also find immortality there.

Sutiyoso was reluctant to comment on his planned meeting with
Soeharto.

"I'm only going there to get his footprints," he told the
press on Wednesday before leaving City Hall.

Soeharto has rarely been seen in public since a panel of
judges ruled in 2000 that he was unfit to stand trial on
corruption charges for health reasons. However, despite his
reported ill health, he has managed to make the gruelling trip to
Cilacap, Central Java, to visit his son, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala
Putra, who is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence in the
Nusakambangan top security prison.

On the opposite side of the National Monument Park, Jl. Medan
Merdeka Selatan, facing the City Hall, Sutiyoso's footprints and
those of former city governors will be installed on the pavement.

Megawati's and Sutiyoso's footprints were taken when they were
both officiating during the Green Jakarta program at Monas park
on June 5.

City parks agency director Mauritz Napitupulu said that his
men had already secured Megawati's and Gus Dur's footprints.
Habibie's would be taken the next time he visits Jakarta.

The agency has also taken the footprints of all of the city's
former governors.

Mauritz said that no ceremony would be held to mark the
installation of the footprints on the pavement.

Besides presidents and governors, distinguished citizens of
the city and the nation will also have their footprints taken in
the future. The agency is to set up a special team to determine
who merits having their footprints preserved for posterity.

Mauritz said that there was a "certain philosophy" behind the
taking of the footprints.

"We want to inspire the young people to follow in the
footsteps of those people whose footprints have been placed here
as these people have successfully developed the country," he said
apparently oblivious to all the squalor surrounding him in
Jakarta.

According to one Jakarta wit, however, concrete shoes rather
than concrete footprints would be more appropriate for some of
the "celebrities" involved.