Soeharto's new house 'built without permits'

JAKARTA (JP): A controversial house belonging to former president Soeharto in Purna Bhakti Museum complex in Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, East Jakarta, was reportedly built without any permits, a City Hall official said yesterday.

The official, who asked not to be named, said the city planning agency had never received any permit applications for the construction of the house.

"Soeharto or his family have never gone through the required steps, including paying the obliged levy to get a building permit from the City Building Control and Supervision Agency," he said.

News about Soeharto's 3,000-square-meter house on a one- hectare site in Taman Mini hit the headlines early this week following the government's decision to give Soeharto a housing allowance amounting to Rp 26.5 billion (US$1.92 million).

The allowance would be in lieu of a house which the former president is entitled to for services rendered to the country. The Taman Mini house was built in 1993.

The decision to give an allowance is in accordance with Law No. 7/1978, which stipulates that former presidents and vice presidents are entitled to certain gratuities, including a pension, appropriate housing, a car and chauffeur, security guards and a waiver on paying telephone, water and electric bills.

The 120-hectare Taman Mini is a recreational site and home to a number of various museums. It was established in 1972 and inaugurated by Soeharto in 1975.

The City Hall official said that Taman Mini land was earmarked for public buildings with big green areas, but houses could be built in its surrounding areas.

According to him, someone intending to process building permits should report to the city planning agency to have their building site measured.

The agency also checks the land use appropriation before asking the applicant to pay a levy, he said.

However, the official reiterated, he had no information on whether Soeharto managed to obtain a building permit without going through the standard procedures.

City councilor Lukman Mokoginta, a member of Commission D for development affairs, said Governor Sutiyoso should take punitive action against owners of any illegal buildings.

"The governor should maintain the regulation which applies to everybody," he said.

However, he said the governor should first thoroughly check the building and if he was sure that it was illegally constructed, "the governor could impose a penalty or even demolish the structure". (ind)