Unique Facts about the Mandalika MotoGP, Riders Fall at a Disputed Bend, "This is Sacred Land"
HOLIDAY NEWS - MotoGP Mandalika 2024 was marked by many racers who fell and failed to continue the race.
In fact, Marc Marquez's motorbike also caught fire so he failed to finish. Looking at the previous year's event at the same location, Marc Marquez also failed to finish because he fell. Local residents attributed the number of riders to crashing at disputed corners.
Yes, there are residents who still feel that their land dispute has not really been resolved.
Marc Marquez's motorbike after it caught fire - Marc Marquez experienced serious problems again at the 2024 Indonesian MotoGP. This time his motorbike even caught fire badly due to the marshals' inadequate equipment at the Mandalika Circuit. (Crash.net)
This was experienced by Amaq Bengkok (90) and Sibawaeh (50) as well as 40 heads of families who still remained on their land.
The distance from the circuit track to Amaq Bengkok's yard is only about 500 meters.
Meanwhile, the distance from Sibawaeh's yard is around 700 meters. Like the MotoGP event in previous years, Sibawaeh and Amaq Bengkok's house was guarded by security. Not because there are lots of trees, but in anticipation of Sibawaeh and Amaq Bengkok not putting up posters demanding that their land dispute be resolved immediately.
"As usual, they will be on guard here. It's just that this year there won't be as many as 2 years ago."
"I prepared a place for them to be comfortable while looking after us, afraid that we might break through the circuit fence," said Sibawaeh, quoted by Kompas.com when met at his house, Sunday (29/9/2024).
A number of police and TNI officers were seen standing guard at the houses of Sibawaeh and Amaq Bengkok.
Sibawaeh was busy accompanying the audience at Tribune G, bends 13-14 or the festival stand for those who couldn't stand the heat of the sun. "They had tickets, they had bought them, but they couldn't stand the heat, so they chose to watch from the Sibawaeh stands," he said with a smile. Sure enough, Kompas.com tried the Sibawaeh tribune on the second floor of the house he built from wood he had grown himself for many years.
The tribune is not permanent but is right in front of Bukit 360 where premium spectators, businessmen and bank leaders throughout Indonesia will watch MotoGP from 2023 and 2024.
A number of Moto3 riders fell almost at the same time, one of which was at corner 9-10, known as the Amaq Bengkok corner.
Residents call it the Amaq Bengkok bend because for the sake of that bend, Amaq Bengkok's simple little house with a blue door was transported by heavy equipment or kato.
The area must be immediately leveled to continue making corners on the MotoGP circuit.
At that time, this media journalist also witnessed the incident on November 29 2020.
"It was at turn 9 towards turn 10 that (Marc) Marquez fell early in this MotoGP starting here, I saw it directly from my own land, which they haven't paid for." "This land is sacred land, if it is not finished, the riders will not be calm at every corner," said Sibawaeh as he walked and climbed the steps of his grandstand. For Sibawaeh, it is not a mystical ghost but the angry energy of residents who have been deprived of their rights over land disputes in Mandalika.
Sibawaeh hopes that after 2024 they will truly accept the seriousness of the government and ITDC to resolve the unfinished land problem. "We can only hope, we will never even disturb their event in the slightest, even though we are still disappointed by the uncertain promises," he said. A group of spectators from Mataram admitted that they were watching Sibawaeh's place because they read news about land disputes in online media and television, both national and international.
"We couldn't stand the heat in the stands without roofs, it was really hot, but on the disputed land of Sibawaeh we were very well received, we could pray, bring our own food, watch the race while eating," said Pande, a resident of Mataram.
Not only residents, officials also feel comfortable in the Sibawaeh yard. They can watch while resting, praying and eating.
Residents also watched from their yards, not approaching the circuit fence, so as not to disturb them. Another unique thing is Seger Hill, which was busy with visitors the previous day, paying IDR 5,000 for the entrance ticket to the hill. However, on the last day of MotoGP, Sunday (29/9/2024), the hill was quiet.
Residents who did not have tickets were directed to buy and go to the Mandalika Bazar to exchange their tickets so that on that day no one would watch MotoGP from the top of Bukit Seger.
The atmosphere at the ticket checking area at gates 1, 2 looked very busy since 08.00 WITA because the audience had already arrived. Most of them had just arrived from various regions, watched and immediately returned that evening or tomorrow morning. There are also those who have been in Mandalika since Friday (27/9/2024) because they are waiting for their idol, Francesco Bagnaia.
Fendi, from Kediri, East Java, and his two children received VIP Royal Box tickets which cost up to IDR 30 million. "But I was given it by a friend, I didn't buy it, it was a gift from my friend, so I was satisfied being able to take a photo with the rider who is my idol, Pecco (Francesco Bagnaia)," he said happily. He even made Jorge Martin proud. Fenddi admitted that he was happy that Jorge Martin won the 2024 Mandalika MotoGP because his efforts were very hard and serious.
"Everything was according to my predictions, watching this time was the best I felt, Jorge Martin was the champion, my greatest idol was also second, Pecco," he said. VIP spectators do have excellent facilities. They can tour the paddock, see the activities of the riders and their teams in the garage, receive premium food and five-star service.
All the luxury presented at the Mandalika Circuit is in contrast to what unpaid land owners are waiting for. They witnessed disputed corners, as the drivers struggled to complete each lap.
The roar of the racers' motorbikes was like the citizens' cries for justice. Community land owners and activists from the NTB Agrarian Reform Movement Alliance (AGRA) held a silent demonstration while holding a number of posters of their demands.
Some of what they wrote was that the Mandalika Project took away our land, homes and future.
Pay for our land, resolve land disputes. They also carried posters that read AIIB Funded Mandalika Project Causes 7 years and 10 months of extreme poverty now. They also insinuated that the MotoGP event had absolutely no positive effect on local residents.
"Residents just want their land dispute case to be resolved," said Harry Sandi from AGRA NTB.
This action did not last long because they only wanted to show their response to the MotoGP event. Sandi also explained that this action was carried out by AGRA and residents at the same time responding to BPP's letter asking The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to postpone its final loan disbursement.
The suspension comes as a guarantee that the Mandalika project will not cause further irreparable harm to the Sasak Indigenous communities affected by the Mandalika project and who have been arbitrarily displaced and cut off from their livelihoods. Regarding this, the Commercial Director of PT Pengambangan Wisata Indonesia (ITDC) Troy Reza Warokka, who was confirmed after the main race, denied there was a demonstration. "There was no such thing, I didn't get a report about that, so there wasn't any action during the MotoGP event," he said. Troy was also reluctant to answer questions regarding AIIB receiving a letter from BPP regarding the disbursement of further funds of 150 million US dollars.
"Sorry, I can't answer that, ask someone else, ask someone else," he said. The chaotic land dispute in Mandalika has not yet found a resolution, residents are still holding on to their land, bend after bend the dispute is always questioned when it will end.
Jorge Martin surprisingly said turns 11 and 16 at Mandalika were haunted. This statement was made after he climbed to the podium as champion of the 2024 Mandalika MotoGP. Not only Martin, Marc Marquez seems unable to erase the curse that always falls on the Mandalika Circuit.
In 2022 he crashed at corners 9-10 in quite serious condition, in 2024 his motorbike caught fire.
The Main Director of the Mandalika Grand Prix Association (MGPA), Priandhi Satria, responded to what the racers experienced on the circuit.
According to him, this was not because of the circuit but a technical problem with the racers' vehicles.
"The International Motor Racing Federation (FIM) has granted Grade A homologation so that the circuit is in good condition and there are no complaints regarding the condition of the circuit, Dorna considers the circuit suitable for racing use," said Priandhi. (*)
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