Governor Sutiyoso admits failure
Governor Sutiyoso admits failure
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
City Governor Sutiyoso admitted guilt on Thursday over his
failure to anticipate the recent floods that paralyzed the city
for almost a week and promised to take stern actions against
violators of zoning regulations, including Pantai Indah Kapuk
developer.
During a hearing with House of Representatives Commission II
dealing with law and human rights, he also acknowledged his
administration's environmental mismanagement, which was one of
the causes of the worst flooding in the city's history recently.
"We apologize for our failure to anticipate the flooding. Our
limited finances have rendered us unable to tackle the problem
thoroughly," he said.
He agreed to demolish a golf course in the luxurious Pantai
Indah Kapuk housing complex in North Jakarta and convert it into
a dam to control flooding.
"This golf course, and other golf courses in the city, will be
demolished if they violated the regulations," he noted.
He said the administration was investigating legal avenues
that would allow it to avoid a lawsuit from the housing complex
developer, which had secured permits from the previous
government.
The housing complex, which was built by developer PT Mandara
Permai, is believed to be the cause of recent floods in the area,
including on the Soekarno-Hatta toll road. PT Mandara Permai is
jointly controlled by Ciputra and Sudono Salim.
Built in a water catchment area and mangrove swamp in the
1990s, the residential development obtained permits from the
ministry of forestry, the city administration and the ministry of
environment at the time.
Legislator J.E. Sahetapy supported the demolition of the 18-
hole golf course, saying that the governor should not be afraid
of the developer.
"The houses in the complex are probably difficult to
demolish, but the golf course can be changed into a dam,"
Sahetapy of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle said in
the hearing.
Developer PT Mandara Permai has been the target of criticism
from the public and environmentalists recently due to the
complex's supposed role in routine flooding in the area.