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City Council stops deliberation of reclamation bills
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Fishermen from the Muara Angke Fishermen's Forum protest against the reclamation project at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) headquarters in Jakarta recently. The City Council has stopped deliberation of the reclamation bills. (Antara/M. Agung Rajasa)
T
he Jakarta City Council has decided to stop the deliberation of two reclamation bylaws following the arrest of city councillor Mohamad Sanusi for allegedly receiving a bribe from PT Agung Podomoro Land (APL), one of the developers of the reclamation project.
The two bills concern the Northern Jakarta Strategic Area Spatial Plan and the zoning of coastal areas and small islands.
City Council Speaker Prasetio Edi Marsudi admitted that the arrest of Sanusi was the main reason for the city councillors’ move to stop the deliberation of the two bills that could become legal basis for the implementation of the reclamation of land in Jakarta Bay.
Besides Sanusi, the Corruption Eradication Commisison (KPK) had also named APL CEO Ariesman Widjaja and employee Trinanda Prihantoro suspects in the bribery case.
“The deliberation is important but now there is a legal problem,” Prasetio said in a press conference on Tuesday, adding that the council had told Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama about the decision.
He said developers could file lawsuits if they were unhappy with the council’s decision.
Meanwhile, City Council Deputy Speaker Abraham “Lulung” Lunggana blamed the mess on Ahok who issued reclamation permits before the City Council had even started deliberating the two draft bylaws.
Ahok previously said that the project would continue even if the City Council stopped deliberating the bylaws, saying that his administration had taken regulations issued in 1995 as the legal basis for the reclamation.
So far the city administration has issued permits for six reclaimed islets – one issued by Fauzi Bowo and five by Ahok – of a total of 17 islets planned for development in Jakarta Bay.
Legal basis for the reclamation has been a matter of public debate for a long time. Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti claims that permits for reclaiming land should come from her office because Jakarta is a strategic area. (bbn)
