T

he management of PT Tirta Wahana Bali International (TWBI) has questioned Udayana University'€™s conclusion that the reclamation of Benoa Bay is unfeasible.

'€œThe conclusion of the study is quite strange. The Udayana University team has repeatedly confirmed that the reclamation plan was conditionally viable, but the final result has totally changed,'€ Hendi Lukman, director of TWBI, said to Bali Daily on Tuesday.

On Aug. 3, the company met with the team, Governor Pastika, Benoacommunity leaders and many other parties, Hendi stated.

During this meeting, the team presented their study confirming that the reclamation plan was conditionally feasible.

'€œThe government, the public and experts must acknowledge the study'€™s previous result,'€ Hendi said.

The company also sent an official letter to the editors of The Jakarta Post on Tuesday afternoon expressing their objection to the result of the university'€™s study.

The company said in its letter that it had asked the leader of the Udayana University team, Ida Bagus Putu Adnyana, to explain the matter.

Adnyana confirmed that the result of the study, as previously presented on several occasions, had revealed that the reclamation plan for Benoa Bay was viable with certain conditions.

Hendi wrote in the letter that as the study was supposed to be based on science, the company would certainly question the scientific basis used to produce the new result.

The study was commissioned by TWBI, the primary investor for the reclamation plan '€” which reportedly has ties with influential businessman Tomy Winata '€” at a cost of more than Rp 1 billion (US$91,300).

'€œThe company chose Udayana University to conduct the study because we thought that the university'€™s team would be professional and independent,'€ said Hendi, who was suspicious that the final conclusion had been made due to mounting public pressure.

On Monday, Udayana University Rector Ketut Suastika declared that the university found the Benoa Bay plan to be unviable.

The conclusion was in stark contrast to the result of a feasibility study several months ago carried out by a team of 15 experts, mostly from Udayana University.

'€œI will be responsible for any consequences. The final conclusion of the study was based on strong scientific grounds. We will be open to any discussion with the investor,'€ the rector said to The Jakarta Post in a phone interview on Tuesday night.

The previous feasibility study results and the recommendation letter from the Bali Legislative Council (DPRD), were two key documents used by Pastika to issue the controversial decree that granted management rights to TWBI over more than 800 hectares of land generated through the reclamation.

The decree, and later on the feasibility study and the council'€™s recommendation, triggered public uproar as academics and activists rallied public support to oppose the plan.

Udayana University'€™s top brass tried to dodge the public'€™s anger by initially claiming that the result was still preliminary. When that failed they formed a team consisting of 13 experts tasked with reviewing the result of the feasibility study.

The results of both teams were presented in the Monday meeting attended by 105 members of the university'€™s senate. After a three-hour meeting, the senate decided to side with the team of reviewers and concluded that the planned reclamation was unviable.

Suastika added that the final conclusion was purely scientific. '€œThere was no pressure from other parties. The study is the university'€™s scientific work,'€ the rector confirmed.