The statue has found its home on Jalan M.H. Thamrin and is of none other than the native Jakartan M.H. Thamrin himself. The seven-meter tall statue was made by Ketut Winata, the winner of a statue competition held by the Jakarta city administration in 2000. It took Ketut six months to build the statue, which cost US$214,000. Born in 1894, Thamrin became a member of the city council from 1919 to 1941 and the people’s council (Volksraad) from 1927 to 1941. He was a symbol of unity and champion of independence during his time. The 7-meter tall statue was erected after a 12-year delay.