Eviction plan upsets dwellers of apartment
JAKARTA (JP): Occupants of low-cost apartments owned by city- owned property developer PD Sarana Jaya in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, are protesting the company's branch manager's plan to evict them.
"A total of 25 occupants should leave the apartment on Oct. 8 because they cannot afford to pay a certain amount of money to Ardjan, the branch manager," said Gunadi, spokesman of the delegation, to City Council commission A.
He explained that Ardjan has ordered the occupants of Block D, 2nd floor to leave the apartment on Oct. 8 saying that they do not have Jakarta identity cards.
"He used that as an excuse to evict us. The real reason is because we could not afford to pay Rp 600,000 (US$275)," Gunadi said.
The low cost apartment in Penjaringan, occupied in 1986 by fire victims and people whose land had been appropriated, implemented a daily rent system in which occupants should make monthly payments.
The apartment has three sizes of rooms; 18, 36 and 54 square meters, and there are a total of 1,200 rooms. Rents vary according to floor.
Occupants of 18 square-meter apartments on the first floor should pay Rp 51,000 while those living in 36 square meter rooms on the second floor should pay Rp 140,000.
Supardi, one of the occupants, said that he and 24 other people have occupied three rooms in the apartment for three years and the problem arose when the branch manager asked the occupants to pay up if they intend to continue staying in the apartment.
Bribe
Gunadi said that justice is all they want because most of the new occupants are Indonesians of Chinese descent who do not have the Jakarta identity cards but are willing to pay a "bribe" ranging from Rp 250,000 to Rp 5 million.
"I am not a racist but I am concerned that indigenous Indonesians could not get a place to stay because they could not afford to pay the bribe and would give it up to people who can," Gunadi said.
He explained that this is an act taken by the manager because the regulation drawn by the company does not require occupants to pay that kind of money.
"The manager refused to take this month's payment," said Supardi.
Councilor M.U, Fatommy Asaari said that the commission will summon the management of the company as soon as possible to solve the problem.
"We will ask the management of PD Sarana Jaya to settle the matter before Oct. 8 because it concerns corruption in that company," Asaari said.
He expects the delegation to submit more evidence, such as monthly payment receipts and rental contracts, to the commission. (yns)