Welcome Monument gets little respect

Welcome Monument gets little respect

By Ida Indawati Khouw

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's first president Sukarno might have
been very upset if he had witnessed the Selamat Datang (Welcome)
monument he built 37 years ago now being used by his people,
particularly political party revelers, to fly parties' flags.

Sukarno, who loved hygienic surroundings and was an art
admirer, might even have reprimanded his daughter, Megawati
Soekarnoputri, for allowing her PDI Perjuangan (Indonesian
Democratic Party for Struggle) cadres to dishonor the monument by
climbing the 47-meter structure to raise the party's flag and a
giant banner of Megawati's portrait. The monument was built as a
symbol of the friendliness of Indonesians to welcome participants
to the fourth Asian Games in 1962.

The late president might have asked his driver to take him to
the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, where the monument is
located, to directly order the scores of food vendors to leave
the site and try to appreciate art, beauty and cleanliness.

But the former country's leader is dead.

President B.J. Habibie, a brilliant engineer, has so far done
nothing to stop the people's abuse against the monument, which is
one of the capital's most popular landmarks.

Encircled with a 5,030-square-meter pond and a 2,825-square-
meter plaza, the Selamat Datang monument depicts a 5.5-ton bronze
statue of a seven-meter-tall happy couple standing on a 40-meter
footing, waving their hands in the air with the female holding a
handful of flowers.

The monument, facing to the north, is designed by artist Edhi
Sunarso. It was inaugurated by Sukarno in 1962.

It was placed on purpose in front of Hotel Indonesia, which at
that time was the only prestigious hotel and building in Jakarta.
The hotel was also used for all participants of the fourth Asian
Games.

For years, the couple had never been touched by unauthorized
people except workers, who were especially hired to clean the
monument, until Monday when some PPP (United Development Party)
supporters bravely scaled the monument by climbing up the
electrical steel cables to place their party's flags on the
couple's bodies.

The maneuver, which was then run on the front page of many
dailies the next day, was repeated by supporters of other
contesting parties in the following days during the campaigning
period.

Beginning last week, the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle has
been chosen by many parties' revelers as the meeting point for
them to air their party's slogans and to show off, causing a
heavy congestion every day.

The supporters thronged to the site driving in thousands of
vehicles, including trucks, buses, cars, and motorcycles,
although the government prohibited such campaign rallies.

Sadly, the first party supporters that allegedly violated the
rule were Megawati's party fans on May 24.

The appearance of thousands of PDI Perjuangan supporters
challenged cadres of other parties to follow the violation as the
authorities imposed no sanctions.

The heavy number of people then enticed food vendors and
street traders selling party attributes to flock to the scene.

As a result, the water of the pond has turned muddy and been
littered with trash. The six lotuses in the pond are already
dead.

In short, the landmark has lost its beauty only in several
days.

Party revelers have been competing with other party supporters
to hoist their flags on the bodies of the Selamat Datang's
couple.

Many blamed Governor Sutiyoso for his administration's
inability to provide a proper public square for the supporters of
the contesting parties to voice slogans during the campaigning
days.

Besides placing flags, the parties' supporters also staged
various entertainment beneath the monument.

"I think it will be less satisfying if we can't campaign here.
Moreover, it is our chance to enjoy the place as it's a rare
occasion to gather here during the otherwise ordinary days," said
a female supporter of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) during the
party campaign on Wednesday.

Head of the Jakarta public road's electrical agency IGKG Suena
said that several decorating lamps and water pumps surrounding
the statue were broken.

"However, we haven't checked the overall damages let alone the
cost for the repairmen. We will wait until the campaign is
over," he said.