Construction at heritage landmark illegal: Official<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): City Secretary Fauzi Bowo said on Monday that
\nthe construction of a four-story office building which demolished
\npart of a heritage landmark, the former Supreme Court building on
\nJl. Lapangan Banteng Timur in Central Jakarta, was illegal.<\/p>\n
\"The construction activities have been carried out in the
\nabsence of a building construction permit (IMB),\" Fauzi told
\nreporters in his office.<\/p>\n
He said the city administration would consider filing a
\nlawsuit with the Central Jakarta District Court if the owner
\ndisobeyed the administration's instructions.<\/p>\n
\"All parties should bow to the existing regulations,\" said
\nFauzi, who then called on Central Jakarta Mayor Andi Subur
\nAbdullah and deputy head of the city development control agency
\n(P2K) Djumhana to immediately issue an order to stop the
\nconstruction.<\/p>\n
Fauzi instructed the two officials to draft a press release to
\noutline the unlawful tactics of the government institution which
\nowns the new building, the Budget Directorate of the Ministry of
\nFinance.<\/p>\n
As of Monday, the construction activities continued on despite
\nthe city administration's official warning letter to the
\nDirectorate to halt construction. The letter was sent last
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
The damage to the protected building violates the 1992 Law No.
\n5 on Heritage, which carries a maximum 10 years in jail or a Rp
\n100 million (US$14,286) penalty.<\/p>\n
The former Supreme Court building was constructed in 1828 in
\nthe Dutch colony's new government center called Weltevreden (now
\nthe Lapangan Banteng area), after moving from its initial
\nlocation in the then downtown Kota area in West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The construction of the office complex has damaged several
\nparts of the historical building, including some old pillars.<\/p>\n
No request<\/p>\n
Contacted separately, Djumhana confirmed that P2K had yet to
\nreceive any official request for a building construction permit.<\/p>\n
\"My subordinates said the owner acquired the building's block
\nplan certificate (released by the city planning agency), but they
\n(my subordinates) have not obtained any request for the building
\nconstruction permit,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Djumhana said it has become common that a government-owned
\nbuilding was constructed before the permit was completed.<\/p>\n
\"They usually continue the work while processing all necessary
\ndocuments,\" he said, adding that such action was actually
\nillegal.<\/p>\n
Djumhana did not elaborate further as he was still collecting
\ndata on the building construction permit application.<\/p>\n
Separately, an expert on historical buildings, Grace
\nPamungkas, lambasted P2K for failing to act when protected
\nbuildings in the city were systematically being demolished.<\/p>\n
\"Such damage to protected buildings would not have occurred if
\nthe control mechanism ran well. Every construction activity in
\nthe city should obtain a building construction permit released by
\nthe agency. So should they (officials), who play a role in
\npreserving the buildings,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Grace said the agency had reportedly been connected with
\ncorruption and collusion cases which contributed to the damage of
\nthe city's built history.<\/p>\n
\"For instance, so many old buildings in the preserved areas of
\nMenteng in Central Jakarta have been changed into modern ones.
\nThere are reports that the demolition of the old buildings was
\ncarried out because of rampant collusion with agency officials,\"
\nshe said. (ind)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/construction-at-heritage-landmark-illegal-official-1447893297",
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