Anissa S. Febrina, Jakarta – If spirits wander the city determined to set things right, the ghost of former president Soekarno might continue to haunt the grounds of Central Jakarta's Senayan complex.
On the 279.1-hectare property, which Soekarno envisioned as a center of physical and sports activities, as well as the city's lungs, are malls and hotels. Has Soekarno's vision been eroded away in favor of profit? Or does the city no longer need parks and other recreational areas?
Several decades ago, years after sports complex Gelora Bung Karno was built in 1960, Indonesian athletes were at the peak of their performance, taking the country all the way in regional competitions.
Aside from bad management, the fact that a complex designated for the development of sports has been partly converted into commercial spaces has surely contributed to the fall.
The country is no longer known for its achievements in sports but has become a leading consumerist society. This year, it topped a global ACNielsen survey for the success of its shopping malls.
"Soekarno wanted to build a complex that would contribute to the nation's character building," Siswono Yudo Husodo, the former vice chairman of Gelora Bung Karno's managing company, said recently.
In 1958, when Indonesia was appointed as host of the Asian Games Federation, Soekarno arranged for a US$12.5 million Soviet loan to build the Senayan complex. Four kampongs made way for the project and more than 60,000 residents were relocated.
The main stadium, two smaller stadiums, an indoor tennis court, basketball court and swimming pool were completed by 1962. Accommodation for athletes followed. The complex was then named Gelora Bung Karno and was managed by a foundation.
The first business-aimed conversion occurred when a suitable venue was needed for the PATA tourism conference in the early 1970s. Governor Ali Sadikin allowed the conversion of 11 hectares of land into a hotel and a convention hall, the Hilton – now the Sultan – and the Jakarta Convention Center, both built by companies affiliated with conglomerate family the Sutowos.
It was further stipulated in a 1984 decree that the area would be used for political and business activities as well. Under the Soekarno-phobic government campaign under Soeharto, the complex was then renamed Gelora Senayan.
Not long after, more malls, hotels and office buildings were built and now less than half the land is used for recreational purposes.
Around a quarter of the area, or 67.52 ha, is occupied by government buildings and public facilities like schools, community health centers and a subdistrict office. More than 74 ha has been converted into malls, hotels or office buildings.
As business premises in Senayan complex were built based on build, operate and transfer (BOT) contracts, it is unlikely they will ever be reconverted into green areas. Now, only 5.9 ha remains as Jakarta's supposed lungs.
The private companies pay an amount of money for compensation but none really compensate for the loss of green areas.
Governor Sutiyoso said previously that if the Senayan complex was managed by the city administration, there would be no more conversion of green spaces there.
"We are trying to maintain what is left of the green space by making sure that the permitted 20 percent floor area ratio is adhered to," Gelora Bung Karno managing company director Indra Setiawan said.
The company also plans to jointly open a seedling center, which will also function as a public park, on a 1.8-ha vacant lot.
Sutiyoso's promise might sound attractive, however, managing the rights to the complex itself is still in the hands of the State Secretary's office, which seems happy with things the way they are.
All in all, the damage is done. Developers might see green when passing the area, but not because of the greenery, more due to the money-making opportunities.
It could be argued that the city and the complex management benefit anyway from the conversions as they receive more taxes and compensation money.
But a State Audit Agency report last October revealed several problems that may lead to potential state losses of Rp 28.15 billion. Most of the cases were related to inadequate compensation for land use rights, some even allegedly involved corruption by state officials.
While the management appears to have no qualms about kicking "illegal" street vendors off the premises, penalizing high-ranking officials and tycoons is another matter.