Hercules and PT KAI Set to Meet to Resolve Land Dispute

The controversy over ownership of 34,690 square metres of land in the Bongkaran area, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, has sparked a dispute between two parties amid the government’s plans to build housing on vacant land in Jakarta.

The two conflicting sides are GRIB Jaya General Chairman Jaya Rosario de Marshall, alias Hercules, representing the heirs, against PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) or KAI.

Hercules previously claimed the land near Tanah Abang Station based on the Eigendom Verponding document Number 946 from 1923 in the name of Iljas Radjo Mentari.

Meanwhile, PT KAI also claims the same land. The state-owned railway company holds a Land Management Rights Certificate (HPL) issued in 2008.

Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Advisor Paulus Totok Lusida revealed that the GRIB Jaya side is actually quite cooperative in seeking a resolution to the Tanah Abang land dispute.

Based on Hercules’ open attitude, according to Paulus, both parties can sit together to clarify the land ownership documents in Tanah Abang.

“It’s just a matter of explanation, what KAI holds, how they got the HPL and so on, then we’ll sit at one table. And there’s already a team appointed by the minister to follow up,” he said.

For information, GRIB Jaya is currently managing the disputed land because it was mandated by the heirs in the name of Sulaiman Effendi who holds ownership documents in the form of Eigendom Verponding.

Deputy Head of GRIB Jaya’s Legal and Advocacy Division and Heirs’ Expert, Wilson Collin, stated that they object to being accused of occupying the land illegally.

He emphasised that the heirs of Sulaiman Effendi, who hold the Eigendom Verponding, have never once sold the land to PT KAI.

“It was never released; if it had been released, we would be occupying it wildly. Now there’s no buy-sell transaction, so how is it wild occupation,” said Wilson.

According to Wilson, GRIB Jaya regrets the statements from PT KAI’s Director General and Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Maruarar Sirait, which are considered highly tendentious.

“Therefore, I emphasise that if they want to resolve it civilly. This case has already been civilised by us because there are tendencies to blow it up as if we are occupying it; on Wednesday we already registered it at the Central Jakarta District Court,” said Wilson.