Safeguard Land Boundaries During Eid Return Trips to Avoid Neighbour Disputes

JAKARTA - Maintaining land boundaries is an important step to protect ownership rights while preventing potential conflicts between neighbours. The public, particularly those returning to their hometowns to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, is advised to ensure their land boundaries are clearly visible and securely installed to avoid future legal or social issues. Head of the Public Relations and Protocol Bureau of the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN), Shamy Ardian, stated that land boundaries, often referred to as boundary markers, offer numerous benefits. These benefits not only secure the land but also simplify land transactions. “Why must land boundaries be maintained? We need to maintain land boundaries to prevent conflicts with neighbours, protect ownership rights, facilitate buying and selling and inheritance, and avoid legal problems,” Shamy said, as quoted by Kompas.com on Monday (23/3/2026). This is regulated under Government Regulation (PP) No. 24 of 1997 on Land Registration. The regulation states that to obtain physical data for land registration, the land parcel to be mapped must be measured after determining its location and boundaries, with boundary markers installed at each corner of the land parcel. According to him, neglecting land boundaries can trigger disputes that not only lead to lengthy legal processes but also financial and social losses. “Do not neglect maintaining land boundaries because it will result in land disputes that cause prolonged legal processes and even financial losses. And what is most undesirable is that social relations with neighbours become damaged,” Shamy explained. Therefore, Shamy advises the public to start ensuring their land boundaries through several simple steps. One of them is installing permanent boundary markers. This process should involve neighbouring landowners during the measurement. Shamy emphasised that the existence of a land certificate is very important because it contains official information regarding the location, area, and boundaries of the land parcel recognised by the state. “It is hoped that the public will begin checking their land boundaries to protect assets and avoid problems in the future,” he concluded.