"Certain councilors want to change the 15 percent requirement to 5 percent. We can't do that," Ahok said, referring to the portion of the land produced by the reclamation projects that the developers are supposed to hand over to the city administration.

The figure of 15 percentage was included in the original draft bylaws on coastal area zonation and small islands and in the Spatial Plan for Jakarta’s Strategic Northern Coastal Areas submitted by the city administration to the City Council for deliberation.

The change to 5 percent occurred when the draft bylaw was discussed in the City Council. "I wrote 'crazy' in the disposition. I told them that it was an act of corruption. I threatened them by saying that I would send to jail whoever opposes my disposition," Ahok said on Monday.

There are 17 islets to be developed in the reclamation project. Then governor Fauzi Bowo issued one permit, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo did not issue any permits and Ahok issued five. The project is part of the Giant Seawall project intended to prevent the city from being hit by high wave flooding.

During the deliberation in the City Council some councilors, Ahok said, even wanted to take out the requirements from the bylaw, saying that such a ruling could be stipulated in a gubernatorial regulation.

City councilor Mohamad Sanusi was arrested by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators on Thursday when he allegedly took a bribe from an official of Agung Podomoro Land in connection with the reclamation bill deliberations.

The anticorruption body has also named two other suspects -- Agung Podomoro Land president director Ariesman Widjaja and a company employee, Trinanda Prihantoro. In connection with the case, the immigration office had also imposed a travel ban on the chairman of property giant Agung Sedayu Group, Aguan Sugianto.

Meanwhile, city secretary Saefullah said the administration will use its land from the reclamation projects to develop low-cost apartments, improve the river capacity for flood mitigation and develop other city infrastructure.

"We consider that the percentage [15 percent] is quite fair for the city administration. With it the city administration will have additional funds to develop, particularly in North Jakarta,” he added.

Jakarta Development Planning Board (Bappeda) head Tuty Kusumawati said that the legal basis for the reclamation, as the city administration pointed out, was Presidential Decree No. 8/1995 on the reclamation of Jakarta's northern sea.

Ahok said he could not revoke the reclamation permits he had issued, saying that what he could do is to require the developers to allocate 15 percent of the land to the city administration.

"I can't annul the reclamation. I can't occupy the land either. Therefore, I asked for the money from the 15 percent of the land they will produce with the reclamation projects,” said Ahok. (bbn)  

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