Golf: Complicated game<\/p>\n
In a rapidly growing country, such as Indonesia, one can
\nexpect the mushrooming up of golf courses. But the trend has
\nsometimes provoked public concern and anger across the
\narchipelago because the courses are built at the cost of the
\ninterests of local villagers.<\/p>\n
Many people believe that the development of golf courses is a
\ndemonstration of arrogance amid the ugly reality of poverty.<\/p>\n
However, never has there been as controversial and complicated
\na golf-related issue as the development of the course on Big Bira
\nisland in Jakarta Bay.<\/p>\n
This time the construction caused concerned among
\nenvironmentalists first and later the concerned authorities. Last
\nyear, as the construction started, the influential Indonesian
\nForum for Environment (Walhi) condemned the activities because
\nthe developer, a private company called PT Pulau Seribu Paradise,
\nhad blatantly disregarded the disastrous environmental
\nconsequences. The forum said that the development of the golf
\ncourse was highly destructive to the natural eco-system of the
\nisland, which is among the 78-island Pulau Seribu chain that
\nbelongs to a 108,000-hectare national marine park.<\/p>\n
The case took an astounding turn on Tuesday when Jakarta
\nDeputy Governor of Development Affairs Idroes said that the golf
\ncourse had been developed without a building permit. Earlier
\nreports said the environmental impact analysis for the nine-hole
\ngolf course was still being processed by the City Environment
\nOffice. The analysis is mandatory and must be submitted by a
\ndeveloper to ensure that any development will not produce
\nunwanted repercussions in the surrounding area.<\/p>\n
So, the question now is: How could this breach of law have
\ntaken place on an island just a few miles away from the seat of
\nthe central government?<\/p>\n
At this point no one seems to be able to shed any light on the
\nconfusion.<\/p>\n
In cases like this, with the Jakarta administration too weak
\nto take concrete action, the public tends to believe there must
\nbe powerful persons -- with close relationships or affiliation
\nwith certain people in the ruling elite, or huge amounts of ready
\ncash -- behind the illegal development.<\/p>\n
The truth of this David-versus-Goliath situation has clearly
\nbeen confirmed by the fact that even the Minister of Environment
\nSarwono Kusumaatmadja had not been able to solve the problem on
\nhis own.<\/p>\n
He complained to President Soeharto last week about the poor
\nenvironmental condition of Bira Island, mostly the result of the
\nrazing of vast tracts of forest vegetation to make way for the
\ngolf course project. The head of state, according to the
\nminister, was very concerned at the destruction of the island and
\nhas threatened to prosecute the developer if it refuses to abide
\nby the law.<\/p>\n
While Minister Sarwono, with the President's statement as a
\npowerful weapon, is busy handling the case, nobody can say yet
\nwhether such a problem will repeat itself here.<\/p>\n
We sincerely hope this will not be the case. If a minister is
\nforced to go to the head of state to borrow from his authority
\nand to get support from him in every such case of blatant
\nflaunting of the law, what will be at stake is not only the fate
\nof an island, but the government's good name.<\/p>\n
The problem actually should have been solved by the Jakarta
\nadministration. If only it had been courageous enough to do its
\njob.<\/p>\n
Golf is said to be an exciting game, but the construction of
\ncourses can involve a complicated marathon of painstaking work
\nand a number of sensitive aspects like the impact on the
\nenvironment and the local populace.<\/p>",
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