Kebon Ayu Village Office Sealed for Two Weeks, Residents Confused Over Administrative Services
The Kebon Ayu Village Office in Gerung District, West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), has been sealed for two weeks due to a land dispute. The entrance to the village office remains sealed off with bamboo. The situation has made it difficult for local residents to take care of administrative matters.
One resident, Dani, said he has been confused about handling paperwork since the village office was sealed. Dani has been forced to seek out village officials at their homes so that administrative matters can still be processed.
“If this drags on, we won’t know how to sort out anything because there is no village office. We’re forced to look for service officials at their homes,” said Dani on Tuesday (8/9/2026).
Dani said the Kebon Ayu Village Office has been sealed twice by residents claiming ownership of the land. He hopes the West Lombok District Government (Pemkab) can find a permanent solution so the issue does not disrupt public services.
“It was sealed before as well, but it was eventually opened. Now it has been sealed again, so services are disrupted,” he said.
Ali Hidayat, a member of the West Lombok Regional Parliament (DPRD), urged the West Lombok District Government to take concrete steps to ensure public services in Kebon Ayu Village continue to run. Ali asked West Lombok officials to go down directly and resolve the land dispute.
“We hope the regional government — here we have Deputy Regent Hj Nurul Adha and, with the new Acting Regional Secretary, Pak Saepul Akhkam — will take swift steps to handle the Kebon Ayu Village issue,” said Ali.
Ali stressed that the West Lombok District Government must be present and provide a solution to the long-running issue. The PPP politician also pushed the district government to immediately mediate between the disputing parties to find a resolution.
“This issue involves public services that people need every day. It would be a pity if residents continue to be the victims,” said Ali.
“Summon the village government and the related parties who claim the land. This has been left unresolved for far too long,” he concluded.
It is understood that a number of residents sealed the Kebon Ayu Village Office by erecting bamboo at the office gate on 25 August. The sealing was carried out at night. As a result, services at the Kebon Ayu Village Office were temporarily halted as all staff were unable to enter the office.
Kasim, the head of Kebon Ayu Village, said the office was sealed by a resident of Penarukan Lauk Hamlet named Si’in. According to him, Si’in claims the location of the Kebon Ayu Village Office belongs to his family.
Kasim said he could not yet verify the truth of the land ownership claim. “It’s not clear — that’s just a claim,” said Kasim on Wednesday (26/8/2026).