The National Monument (Monas), the iconic landmark that towers at the heart of Central Jakarta, is set to host the first Formula E race in the country with the resolution of a complex permit issue.
The State Secretariat today granted its approval to have the electric-powered racing cars buzzing around Monas in June after it initially turned down a proposal from the Jakarta Provincial Government last week.
“The steering committee reviewed the proposal and in a decree issued on Feb. 7 approved for the race even to be held at Medan Merdeka streets, but [the organizers] should mind several things,” the State Secretariat’s secretary, Setya Utama, told Kumparan yesterday.
Monas is supervised by the Steering Committee for the Development of the Medan Merdeka Area, which is headed by State Secretary Pratikno. The approval, signed by Pratikno and issued on Feb. 7, was granted with several notes, including how organizers must refer to the Cultural Heritage Laws when constructing race tracks, audience tribune and other facilities for the competition as well as preserving both appearance, vegetation and cleanliness of the area.
The Secretariat previously said that the proposal was initially turned down for several reasons, including that Monas is a heritage site and therefore might be affected by heavy modifications.
The Formula E race is scheduled to take place on June 6, and PT Jakarta Propertindo (Japro), the event’s organizer, said it has met all related agencies and stakeholders today to prepare for the big event.
“At the moment, all preparations are happening parallel at the same time, but the main focus is on the building of the race track,” Jakpro’s Formula E spokesperson Hilbram Dunar told Kumparan.
Official plans leaked to the public last year showed that the temporary Formula E track will be built within the Monas park complex.
Governor Anies Baswedan last year secured Jakarta the right to host one Formula E race each year for the next five years, and Monas has always been the preferred venue for the Indonesian leg of the championship. Had Monas fallen through, alternatives that were reportedly considered include the commercial thoroughfare of Jalan Sudirman and Jalan MH Thamrin.
