Security remains a concern for PIK residents
Security remains a concern for PIK residents
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Living in a plush housing complex may be the dream of many. But,
residing there doesn't necessarily mean life is a fairy tale, at
least for some residents of the upmarket Pantai Indah Kapuk
housing estate near the coast in Kapuk, North Jakarta.
They admitted to enjoying all the creature comforts but they
did not feel totally secure, even though there was 24-hour
security.
Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK, the Kapuk Beautiful Beach) housing
complex made headlines earlier this year when many blamed its
development as a factor that worsened the floods that hit the
capital in January and February.
In 1998, the housing complex was the target of looting and
burning during the May riots.
"We do enjoy all the comforts from facilities available in the
housing estate. But, we are still scared of possible looting and
burning like what happened during the May riots in 1998," said
Ninik, 31, who has been living in the complex for five years.
She said an unidentified group of people had looted her house
even though before the riots occurred. The neighborhood unit
chief had collected money and given it to the poor people living
nearby.
The poor live in a number of shabby huts on one of the banks
of the Muara Angke River. On the other side, there are the huge
and regal buildings that make up PIK.
PIK is located at the right and left sides of the Soekarno-
Hatta airport toll road. The 1,160 hectare area where PIK is now
situated used to be a lush mangrove forest before a concession
was granted in 1989 by the city to developer PT Mandara Permai.
Early this year, a part of the toll road was inundated by
flood water. A few days later, many parts of the city were hit by
huge floods.
PIK was not affected, but Ninik worried that something bad,
such as riots, might happen, even though she and other PIK
residents had collected money to help the flood victims outside
the housing complex. Fortunately, her fear has not materialized.
Ninik, who has one child, claimed that she was not aware that
the development of PIK contributed to the recent floods. She did
not know, either, that the estate's retention dams might also
cause flooding in other areas of North Jakarta.
And she had no intention to move to another place as she
believed that PIK was quite safe compared to other housing
estates.
Besides, Ninik said, PIK offers all the comforts to live like
a royal family, including the ever-green golf course, a tennis
court, a swimming pool, as well as entertainment and recreation
spots, besides a hospital.
"All we need is here," she said.
The facilities, however, fail to make Hariyati, 50, live
peacefully.
She worried about theft or robbery that might occur at anytime
even though there were security guards in the complex.
"They are too materialistic. They often ask for 'cigarette
money' when we pass their gates," she complained.
Hariyati, who moved to PIK following the recent floods that
inundated her house at Pluit, North Jakarta, said she might move
back to Pluit.
Meanwhile, Vanessa Sutanto who has a palatial house at PIK
Mediterania said that the comforts she obtained were greater than
the discomforts.
"It's nice to stay here and I have no intention at all of
moving," Vanessa said.
She added that the land price also continue to increase year
by year.
When she purchased the land in 1996, the price stood at Rp 1.4
million a square meter. "But now, it jumps sharply four times to
Rp 4.5 million a square meter."
Outside the luxurious PIK Mediterania, the land is priced at
Rp 3.5 million a square meter.
As for the accusation that PIK had contributed to the recent
floods, Vanessa said it had nothing to do with the residents.
"Just ask the developer," she said.