Governor Sutiyoso admits failure<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
City Governor Sutiyoso admitted guilt on Thursday over his
\nfailure to anticipate the recent floods that paralyzed the city
\nfor almost a week and promised to take stern actions against
\nviolators of zoning regulations, including Pantai Indah Kapuk
\ndeveloper.<\/p>\n
During a hearing with House of Representatives Commission II
\ndealing with law and human rights, he also acknowledged his
\nadministration's environmental mismanagement, which was one of
\nthe causes of the worst flooding in the city's history recently.<\/p>\n
\"We apologize for our failure to anticipate the flooding. Our
\nlimited finances have rendered us unable to tackle the problem
\nthoroughly,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He agreed to demolish a golf course in the luxurious Pantai
\nIndah Kapuk housing complex in North Jakarta and convert it into
\na dam to control flooding.<\/p>\n
\"This golf course, and other golf courses in the city, will be
\ndemolished if they violated the regulations,\" he noted.<\/p>\n
He said the administration was investigating legal avenues
\nthat would allow it to avoid a lawsuit from the housing complex
\ndeveloper, which had secured permits from the previous
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
The housing complex, which was built by developer PT Mandara
\nPermai, is believed to be the cause of recent floods in the area,
\nincluding on the Soekarno-Hatta toll road. PT Mandara Permai is
\njointly controlled by Ciputra and Sudono Salim.<\/p>\n
Built in a water catchment area and mangrove swamp in the
\n1990s, the residential development obtained permits from the
\nministry of forestry, the city administration and the ministry of
\nenvironment at the time.<\/p>\n
Legislator J.E. Sahetapy supported the demolition of the 18-
\nhole golf course, saying that the governor should not be afraid
\nof the developer.<\/p>\n
\"The houses in the complex are probably difficult to
\ndemolish, but the golf course can be changed into a dam,\"
\nSahetapy of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle said in
\nthe hearing.<\/p>\n
Developer PT Mandara Permai has been the target of criticism
\nfrom the public and environmentalists recently due to the
\ncomplex's supposed role in routine flooding in the area.<\/p>",
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