Sukarno's house of exile in Bangka dilapidated

Sukarno's house of exile in Bangka dilapidated

JAKARTA (JP): A historical rest house in South Sumatra where
several independence heroes were exiled by Dutch colonial rulers
is dilapidated, a press report said yesterday.

Wisma Ranggam in Mentok subdistrict, Bangka regency, is
covered in moss, its roof leaks, its garden is unkept and damp
threatens its structure with decay.

The 96-square-meter house was a place of exile for Indonesia's
first president, Sukarno, and other independence heroes like
Sutan Syahrir, Pringgo Digdo and Agus Salim.

Mentok subdistrict chief Husni Basri said the house was
managed by the state-owned tin company, PT Timah, which had
failed to transfer it to the local government before closing
down.

"I have a list of PT Timah's assets which were relinquished to
the Bangka government, and Wisma Ranggam is not on it," Husni was
quoted by Antara as saying.

While some historical buildings such as the rest house suffer
neglect, others which were managed by PT Timah have been
transferred to the Bangka government and are being converted into
hotels.

The Bangka government has granted the Carmeta Tourist Agency a
15-year contract to renovate and refurbish the historical Giri
Sasana Menumbing.

On Mount Menumbing, the former holiday house of Sukarno and
Muhammad Hatta, Indonesia's first vice president, will be
converted into Hotel Jati Menumbing, which will have modern
convenience with preserved historical significance.

The agency's head, Judi, said that one of the holiday house's
32 rooms, room number 101, which Sukarno once occupied, would be
reserved as a tourist attraction. "It is a historical room, and
we will not let the public use it as a hotel room," she said.
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