Jakarta's National Monument to Have Underground Area

Jakarta (Antara) - The National Monument located in Central Jakarta will have an underground area, which will function as a walkway for pedestrians in the area, Jakarta's Deputy Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama said here on Friday. "Currently, we are reviewing the design of the underground area, construction will start in 2015. The facility will function as a pedestrian walk as well as a place for street vendors to display their products," the deputy governor popularly known as Ahok said. However, he noted that the government will choose which vendors were eligible to stay in the pedestrian area. "This is done to ensure the comfort of visitors," Ahok added. The National Monument is one of the landmarks of Jakarta. It is located in Medan Merdeka street, in front of the National Palace. According to the official website of the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, http://www.indonesia.travel/en, the National Monument is home to the first red-and-white flag flown at the Proclamation of Independence on August 17, 1945. This flag is now threadbare, and so on Independence Day ceremonies, the original flag is taken out but only to accompany the replica flag to be flown in front of the National Palace. (*) Reporting by Cornea Khairani Translating and Editing by Amie Fenia Arimbi EDITED BY INE