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.