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. (40)