Maretha Uli, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has raised a plan to repurpose a building formerly used as the British Embassy in Jakarta for the headquarters for Muslim organizations, but the move has been met with concerns over the preservation of the city's cultural heritage.

The plan was first raised by the President during the inauguration for the new board of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta on Saturday.

In his address, Prabowo said he had prepared a 4,000-square-meter plot of land near the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle (Bundaran HI) to build a joint headquarters for the ulema council and several other Muslim organizations, including the National Alms Agency (Baznas), Indonesian Waqf Board and the Haj Financial Management Agency (BPKH).

"At Bundaran HI, there should not only be luxurious hotels and malls, but there will be a building to house Muslim institutions," Prabowo said.

Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister Nusron Wahid, who also serves as one of MUI's high ranking officials, said the 40-story building would repurpose the former British Embassy compound, as reported by Antara.

The four-story building was designed by British architect Eric Bedford and inaugurated as the embassy compound in 1962. But it has been left vacant since 2013, when the embassy was moved to Patra Kuningan neighborhood in South Jakarta.

The Jakarta administration later designated the structure as a Class B heritage building in 2016. Under regulation, buildings under Class B meet the criteria of originality, rarity, landmark value, architectural significance and are aged more than 50 years. They also cannot be demolished.

The 2010 Cultural Heritage Law further stipulated that development or adaptive reuse of a heritage building is only allowed with an approval from local administrations or the Culture Ministry. Any modifications made should also maintain the building's original characteristics and facade.

'Iconic architecture'

Indonesian Architect Association (IAI) Jakarta chapter head Teguh Aryanto asserted the protected status of the building must be upheld as it holds important historical value for Indonesia and reflects the country's relationship with the United Kingdom.

"It also features iconic architecture, representing a distinctive modern design from the 1960s," Teguh said on Tuesday. "For these reasons, it must be preserved in accordance with heritage regulations."

He added the process of constructing a 40-story building at the location must undergo a thorough assessment by the heritage conservation expert team under the Jakarta Culture Agency.

A possible approach, he argued, would be to build additional structure behind the original building, provided the new design does not downplay the old one.

Teguh also emphasized the goal to build facilities for Muslim organizations should not come at the expense of violating the law: "The government's prestige in this matter will be measured by how well it adheres to its own regulations".

Meanwhile, urban expert Yayat Supriatna of Trisakti University said on Tuesday repurposing the building into office space should not be problematic as long as it continued to serve a governmental function.

He highlighted that the Cultural Heritage Law allows a change to the function of a heritage building, which could be modified "provided it obtains approval from the heritage conservation team and remains in line with the designated zoning of the Bundaran HI area".

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung said he supported Prabowo's plan and would follow up accordingly, while emphasizing the building's protected status.

"Any construction must comply with applicable regulations, while also not contravening the President's directive," the governor said on Monday, as quoted by Antara.

Jakarta Culture Agency head Mochamad Miftahulloh Tamary was not immediately available for a comment on Tuesday.

Prabowo raised the 40-story building plan after his meeting with representatives of Muslim organizations, including the MUI, on Feb. 3 in Jakarta to discuss Indonesia's decision to be involved in the United States-led so-called Board of Peace to rebuild the war-torn Gaza.

The council previously slammed the decision, urging the country to withdraw from the board as its purpose conflicted with the country's longstanding support for Palestinian cause. But the MUI shifted its stance after the meeting, with chair Anwar Iskandar saying Prabowo showed genuine commitment to support Palestine while also safeguarding Indonesia's national security interests by joining the board.

Source: https://asianews.network/new-islamic-groups-office-plan-in-jakarta-raises-heritage-concerns