Batu Licin Land Dispute Heats Up: PT MBCW Objects to PT ANP's Environmental Impact Assessment
Keprionline.co.id, BINTAN – Plans to develop an industrial zone, port, and tourism area in Batu Licin and Wacopek, East Bintan District, Bintan Regency, have sparked a heated polemic. The process of compiling the Environmental Impact Assessment (AMDAL) document submitted by PT Askara Nusa Persada (ANP) has met with strong rejection from the party claiming to be the legal owner of the area.
Through their legal counsel, PT Mega Bakau Citra Wisata (MBCW) and PT Bintan Pelabuhan Batu Licin have officially sent a letter of objection to the central and regional governments regarding the ongoing AMDAL process. The objection letter, numbered 012/Eks/KP-DF/VI/2026 and dated 8 June 2026, was addressed to the Minister of Investment and Downstreaming/Head of BKPM, the Environmental Agency of the Riau Islands Province, and the Provincial Investment and One-Stop Integrated Services Agency (DPMPTSP).
The companies’ legal counsel, Dody Fernando, SH, MH, accompanied by Iwan Kadly, SH and Ahmad Fidyani, SH, MH, asserted that their clients are the holders of the valid AMDAL documents for the Batu Licin and Wacopek areas. According to Dody, PT MBCW’s AMDAL received approval from the Riau Islands Provincial AMDAL Assessment Commission in 2020, while PT Bintan Pelabuhan Batu Licin obtained environmental approval through an official decree in 2022.
“The ownership of shares and company assets has never been transferred, sold, or acquired by any party, including those currently submitting a new AMDAL process,” Dody told reporters. He also revealed that an asset takeover agreement conducted between the heirs of the late Sukardi and another party in October 2024 was never completed and became null and void by law in July 2025 due to alleged default.
On this basis, the party argues that no other entity has the legal right to apply for an AMDAL or other licensing processes for the area, which remains the object of a dispute. The legal counsel also highlighted the public consultation for the AMDAL conducted by PT ANP on 12 June 2025 at the Royal Bintan Heritage Hotel. They consider the process procedurally flawed because the party claiming rights over the area never received an invitation or official notification.
“We were never involved, never invited, and never asked for consent in that public consultation. Yet we are the party with a direct interest in the location of the activity,” Dody stated. Consequently, they are requesting the government to temporarily halt the entire examination and issuance process of PT ANP’s AMDAL documents until a final legal decision is reached regarding the land ownership status. They also demand that the results of the public consultation be annulled, as they are deemed not to have fulfilled the principles of public participation as stipulated in the legislation.
Dody stressed that his clients will not remain silent if the AMDAL process continues without considering their objection. He confirmed that legal action through the State Administrative Court (PTUN) is being prepared should the government proceed with processing the document. The legal counsel also highlighted the submission of a land rights application covering approximately 688,989 square metres to the Bintan Regency Office of the Agrarian and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN). They suspect that the land administration and AMDAL processes are being conducted in parallel as an effort to obtain administrative legitimacy over the disputed land.
As of the publication of this report, PT Askara Nusa Persada (ANP) has not yet provided an official response to the objection raised by PT Mega Bakau Citra Wisata and PT Bintan Pelabuhan Batu Licin.