Anies Criticized over Issuing Building Permit on Reclaimed Island

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The building permits (IMB) for buildings on D Island issued by the administration of Anies Baswedan was considered a law violation since its legal basis, a regional regulation on Spatial Plan for North Coast of Jakarta Strategic Areas and Plan of Coastal Zoning and Small Islands, has yet to be released.

Jakarta Legislative Councilor (DPRD) of the commission overseeing development, Manuara Siahaan, made the statement. “The issuance of this IMB is wrong,” said Manuara as quoted from Koran Tempo newspaper edition of Thursday, June 13.

Manuara determined to encourage other commission members to form a special committee to discuss the IMB issuance for the island currently named Maju Beach. According to him, the issuance of IMB showed indecision state of the city administration toward unlawful developers.

“The government should not give in to developers,” said the PDIP politician.

An attorney of Save Jakarta Bay Coalition, Nelson Nikodemus Simamora, shared the same statement. The IMB issuance, he opined, violated the law because of the mentioned regional regulations (Perda) yet to be ratified. During Jakarta gubernatorial election, Anies Baswedan and Sandiaga Uno vowed to halt the reclamation island project.

The coalition urged the Governor to revoke Gubernatorial Decree No. 121/2012 concerning Spatial Plan for North Coast of Jakarta Strategic Areas and No. 2016/2016 on Plan of Coastal Zoning of Island C, D, and E resulted from the reclamation project.

The legal revocation was considered an instant way for Anies Baswedan to stop the project. “But then, it becomes the legal basis to issue IMB,” said another attorney of the coalition Tigor Hutapea.

GANGSAR PARIKESIT

Read: Anies Team Finds Two Environmental Impact of Reclamation Island