TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Anies criticized over Jakarta Bay islet projects
Change Size
Anies Baswedan (The Jakarta Post/Wienda Parwitasari)
J
akarta Governor Anies Baswedan, who has in the past been a vocal critic of the Jakarta Bay reclamation project, has adopted policies that have some questioning whether he is a man of his word.
Anies promised during his gubernatorial campaign that he would put an end to projects on several islets in North Jakarta. He initially showed good on his promise, sealing off more than 900 buildings on three reclamation islets in June last year.
The three islets, which were previously called islets C, D and G, were renamed Pantai Kita (Our Beach), Pantai Maju (Moving Forward Beach) and Pantai Bersama (Together Beach) in November after his administration argued that they did not have construction permits. Later in September, he revoked principle permits for 13 artificial islands.
However, his actions since then have raised questions.
By December, the seals had been lifted and replaced with billboards advertising luxury houses and office spaces on the islets. Afterward, a food court was reportedly allowed to begin operating on Pantai Maju.
Last week, it was reported that Anies approved buildings on artificial islets despite criticism of the issuance of 932 building permits (IMBs) on Pantai Maju and Pantai Kita.
Anies defended the issuance of the permits, saying that he went through the proper procedures and kept his campaign promise of stopping further development, with the reclaimed islets to be made available for public use.
