he controversy surrounding the 30.16-kilometer-long fence installed illegally off the coast of Tangerang, Banten, has escalated into a blame game between government, private companies and local authorities. Despite the structure’s massive scale and complex logistics of its construction, no party has taken responsibility for it, raising questions about government transparency and accountability.
For weeks, the origins of the makeshift bamboo fence have remained a mystery. The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry has said the structure lacked the necessary permits, while the Agrarian and Spatial Planning Ministry discovered that land permits for nearby coastal areas inexplicably extended into the sea, raising suspicion that they were issued illegally. Meanwhile, an investigation revealed that two private companies, PT Intan Agung Makmur (IAM) and PT Cahaya Inti Sentosa (CIS), both subsidiaries of property developer Agung Sedayu Group belonging to tycoon Sugianto “Aguan” Kusuma, held right to build (HGB) permits for land that extended to the fence’s offshore location.
Despite these findings, Agung Sedayu Group has denied involvement in the fence’s construction. Its legal representative, Muannas Alaidid, insists the company obtained its permits through legal means and that they do not cover the span of the fence. Meanwhile, former Tangerang regent Ahmed Zaki Iskandar claims that similar makeshift fences have existed since 2014, suggesting that local communities had built them to combat coastal erosion.
The lack of a clear answer has fueled speculation that the fence was constructed as part of a reclamation project linked to the Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) 2 development, a controversial national strategic project initiated under former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. Critics posited that the fence’s purpose could be to artificially reclaim land, later to be converted into a site for developing high-value commercial property. However, PIK 2 developers, including Agung Sedayu Group, have repeatedly denied any connection to the illegal structure.
With no entity claiming responsibility, the Indonesian Navy has begun dismantling the fence in stages under a direct order from President Prabowo Subianto. But the move, led by Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Muhammad Ali and House of Representatives Commission IV chairwoman Siti Hedijati “Titiek” Soeharto, Prabowo’s ex-wife, has raised a question as to why the task has been assigned to the military rather than civilian authorities, such as the Indonesian Marine Police (Korpolairud). The decision to dismantle the fence also appears to be an attempt at damage control and public appeasement, at least temporarily, since it has failed to dampen allegations that the structure is linked to a future reclamation or sea wall project.
To unravel the mystery, opposition figures and anticorruption groups, such as the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Community (MAKI), have called for a full investigation into possible collusion between government officials and business actors in issuing related permits. The case has drawn the attention of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which says it is monitoring developments. Meanwhile, former coordinating minister Mahfud MD has suggested the issue be considered a criminal case. This perhaps signals the Prabowo administration’s unease over the scandal, mainly because it might be linked to a project inherited from his predecessor. The blame game among state institutions and private firms points to deep bureaucratic dysfunction, while also exposing fractures within Prabowo’s expanded coalition, which still includes numerous Jokowi loyalists.
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