Sutiyoso inaugurates Rp 8.7 billion Monas fence amid heavy criticism

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Governor Sutiyoso inaugurated on Monday the Rp 8.7 billion (US$965,000) fence surrounding the National Monument (Monas) by symbolically opening one of four entrance gates to the eight- hectare park.

Three buses from the Sutiyoso entourage passed the gate to inspect a few areas of the park after the inauguration of the fence, violating a new regulation that visitors to Monas were not allowed to take their cars inside the park.

"Why didn't Sutiyoso's entourage take the horse carriages for the inspection to set an example for the park's visitors?" said one of the visitors, commenting on the three buses carrying officials and reporters into the park.

Dozens of horse carriages were parked near the entrance gates, which were ready to serve visitors touring the largest park in the city.

City Hall spokesman Muhayat argued that Sutiyoso did not take the horse carriage as it would take time.

Head of the City Park Agency Mauritz Napitupulu stressed that after the officiation of the fence, only garbage trucks and vehicles for park maintenance were allowed to enter the park.

"Visitors' cars should be parked in the available parking lot," Mauritz told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Sutiyoso himself said that the security officers who will guard Monas would patrol the park on horseback.

Sutiyoso came under fire in the middle of this year after introducing his plan to fence the national monument park.

Landscape architects have commented that fencing in the park has reduced the beauty of the park, while non-governmental organization activists criticized that spending money on the park is not an urgent matter as there are still many other problems needing immediate attention by the city administration.

Sutiyoso, however, ignored all the critics, saying that many parks in foreign cities were also fenced. He cited as examples parks in London, Moscow and Hong Kong.

Sutiyoso proudly said the fencing of the park would provide a solution to major problems in the park, including prostitution and illegal street vendors, although critics say failure to expel prostitutes and illegal vendors from the park is one of the city administration's weaknesses.

Marzuki, a Monas vendor who lost his job after the new policy, questioned the policy, as they had been forced to pay illegal levies to certain city officials in order to open their business there.

After the park was fenced, only 647 out of 2,000 vendors were allowed to operate in the park. Sutiyoso could not answer Marzuki's questions and asked Central Jakarta Mayor Hosea Petra Lumbun to answer in his stead.

The mayor also could not answer the question, telling Marzuki to ask the coordinator of the Monas park vendors.

The city administration is also going ahead with its plan to release spotted deer (Axis axis) into the park amid strong opposition from environmentalists, who have said that the park is not a good habitat for the animals.

Sutiyoso said he would not push his idea to release the deer, but appointed expert from the Bogor Agriculture Institute (IPB) Hadi S. Alikodra confirmed the release of the animals.

According to Hadi, at least five animals (four females and one male) would be released in the next six months after all studies were completed in regards the animals' habitat.

Responding to critics who have said that Monas park is too noisy a place for the sensitive animals, Hadi said that the location chosen for the animals would not be too close to the streets.

"We hope to have found the best possible solution from all aspects within the next six months," said Hadi while accompanying Sutiyoso at the park on Monday. He added that they would survey the animals' possible living areas, food and other necessities.