'Officials in Pondok Kopi sell state land illegally'
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Residents of Pondok Kopi subdistrict in East Jakarta revealed on Friday that several plots of land designated for public and social facilities had been sold illegally by subdistrict officials.
"The plots that total around 21,000 square meters are owned by the state, but why did the officials sell them illegally?" questioned M. Widayat, head of community unit 05 of Pondok Kopi subdistrict in Duren Sawit, East Jakarta.
Widayat revealed that the plots of land had been sold at a price lower than their taxable property sale value (NJOP) without notifying the neighborhood unit chiefs or the community unit chiefs.
"I have a document that shows the plots were sold at only Rp 400,000 (US$46) per square meter, while the current NJOP of the land is Rp 650,000," Widayat said, adding that the plots of land span from community unit 05 to community unit 09.
According to a statement signed by the five community unit chiefs, the residents also reported that the developer of a housing complex, PT Mas Naga Raya, whose land use permit (HGB) expired on Nov. 19, 2001, had failed to build social and public facilities.
"As they failed to build the facilities, the residents have had to shoulder the cost of constructing them, including mosques, a church, sports grounds, and public parks on some of the land without the contribution of a single rupiah from the developer or the city administration," the statement said.
Other plots designated for public facilities were even occupied by squatters, who pose a nuisance to local residents. "Sometime brawls erupt due to various groups' trying to occupy the plots," it added.
The residents filed a complaint with the East Jakarta mayor and Jakarta governor two years ago, but they have received no response to date.
"That's why we lodged a complaint with the City Council Commission D on development on June 14," Widayat said.
The councillors, Widayat claimed, welcomed their report and promised to facilitate a meeting with the city and mayoralty administrations as well as the developer.
"We still hope to solve the problem amicably. But, if it doesn't work then we'll have to take other action, such as filing a class action suit, to regain the residents' rights to the use of the land," he said.
He added that the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) would represent them.
There are also 15 residents who have been unable to get land certificates for land they bought several years ago although they had already paid for the land.
"I have paid off all my installments. I have also paid land and property tax (PBB) for three consecutive years. But, why has the administration refused to issue my land certificate?" said Yap Nyuk Min, one of the 15 residents.
Yap revealed that some officials at the municipal administration even asked him to pay a certain amount of money to obtain the certificate.
"How can I provide a huge amount of money for those corrupt officials, when I have been unemployed for the past three years?" Yap sighed.
Yap was dismissed from a shipping company when the economic crisis hit the country in 1997. His family currently rely upon financial support from relatives.