Sukarno moved to Merdeka Palace the day after the Dutch recognized the sovereignty of the country, which was then named the United States of Indonesia (RIS), on Dec. 27, 1949.
The name Merdeka Palace was given by Sukarno because on the day RIS was declared sovereign, people shouted "merdeka" (freedom) near the palace. It used to be called Gambir Palace.
Inside Merdeka Palace, visitors are guided through the rooms where the President often holds meetings with honorable foreign guests and his ministers. The tour includes the credential room, the ministers' waiting room, the Jepara room, the First Lady's guest room as well as the reception room.
Several private rooms used during Sukarno's presidency are not open to the public. Sukarno's old bedroom is now where the original national flag, the Sang Saka Merah Putih, remains.
The flag has not been hoisted since 1998 because of its frail condition.
In his old bedroom, there are two Czechoslovakian chandeliers weighing 500 kilograms, a Persian rug, a Balinese wood carving depicting part of Ramayana story and Sukarno's painting collections.
"Those paintings were taken from the palace in Yogyakarta just two days before this public tour began. There are still many more of Sukarno's painting collections at the other four palaces in the archipelago," Ni Ketut a tour guide said.
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