Security remains a concern for PIK residents<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Living in a plush housing complex may be the dream of many. But,
\nresiding there doesn't necessarily mean life is a fairy tale, at
\nleast for some residents of the upmarket Pantai Indah Kapuk
\nhousing estate near the coast in Kapuk, North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
They admitted to enjoying all the creature comforts but they
\ndid not feel totally secure, even though there was 24-hour
\nsecurity.<\/p>\n
Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK, the Kapuk Beautiful Beach) housing
\ncomplex made headlines earlier this year when many blamed its
\ndevelopment as a factor that worsened the floods that hit the
\ncapital in January and February.<\/p>\n
In 1998, the housing complex was the target of looting and
\nburning during the May riots.<\/p>\n
\"We do enjoy all the comforts from facilities available in the
\nhousing estate. But, we are still scared of possible looting and
\nburning like what happened during the May riots in 1998,\" said
\nNinik, 31, who has been living in the complex for five years.<\/p>\n
She said an unidentified group of people had looted her house
\neven though before the riots occurred. The neighborhood unit
\nchief had collected money and given it to the poor people living
\nnearby.<\/p>\n
The poor live in a number of shabby huts on one of the banks
\nof the Muara Angke River. On the other side, there are the huge
\nand regal buildings that make up PIK.<\/p>\n
PIK is located at the right and left sides of the Soekarno-
\nHatta airport toll road. The 1,160 hectare area where PIK is now
\nsituated used to be a lush mangrove forest before a concession
\nwas granted in 1989 by the city to developer PT Mandara Permai.<\/p>\n
Early this year, a part of the toll road was inundated by
\nflood water. A few days later, many parts of the city were hit by
\nhuge floods.<\/p>\n
PIK was not affected, but Ninik worried that something bad,
\nsuch as riots, might happen, even though she and other PIK
\nresidents had collected money to help the flood victims outside
\nthe housing complex. Fortunately, her fear has not materialized.<\/p>\n
Ninik, who has one child, claimed that she was not aware that
\nthe development of PIK contributed to the recent floods. She did
\nnot know, either, that the estate's retention dams might also
\ncause flooding in other areas of North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
And she had no intention to move to another place as she
\nbelieved that PIK was quite safe compared to other housing
\nestates.<\/p>\n
Besides, Ninik said, PIK offers all the comforts to live like
\na royal family, including the ever-green golf course, a tennis
\ncourt, a swimming pool, as well as entertainment and recreation
\nspots, besides a hospital.<\/p>\n
\"All we need is here,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The facilities, however, fail to make Hariyati, 50, live
\npeacefully.<\/p>\n
She worried about theft or robbery that might occur at anytime
\neven though there were security guards in the complex.<\/p>\n
\"They are too materialistic. They often ask for 'cigarette
\nmoney' when we pass their gates,\" she complained.<\/p>\n
Hariyati, who moved to PIK following the recent floods that
\ninundated her house at Pluit, North Jakarta, said she might move
\nback to Pluit.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Vanessa Sutanto who has a palatial house at PIK
\nMediterania said that the comforts she obtained were greater than
\nthe discomforts.<\/p>\n
\"It's nice to stay here and I have no intention at all of
\nmoving,\" Vanessa said.<\/p>\n
She added that the land price also continue to increase year
\nby year.<\/p>\n
When she purchased the land in 1996, the price stood at Rp 1.4
\nmillion a square meter. \"But now, it jumps sharply four times to
\nRp 4.5 million a square meter.\"<\/p>\n
Outside the luxurious PIK Mediterania, the land is priced at
\nRp 3.5 million a square meter.<\/p>\n
As for the accusation that PIK had contributed to the recent
\nfloods, Vanessa said it had nothing to do with the residents.<\/p>\n
\"Just ask the developer,\" she said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/security-remains-a-concern-for-pik-residents-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }