Sports mall construction to go ahead: Developer

Sports mall construction to go ahead: Developer

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Despite strong and incessant protests by local residents
against the violation of land use regulations, the city
administration and the developer of the Kelapa Gading sports mall
in North Jakarta stated on Friday that they would continue the
project.

"It's their prerogative (the residents) to protest. I will
continue the construction after I obtain a building permit and
the results of the environmental analysis, perhaps, in a few
weeks," said Erick Tohir, head of Satria Mahaka Foundation, the
project developer, in a meeting to discuss the mall.

He claimed that there would be no problem with the analysis
result or with the building permit as he had followed all legal
procedures and met all requirements.

The developer, the city administration and Kelapa Gading
residents were scheduled to attend the meeting, which was
organized by Government Watch (GOWA). But the residents refused
to attend.

"The residents refuse to attend the meeting because we never
appointed GOWA as a mediator in our dispute (against the
developer and city administration)," said Carel Ticualu, a
community unit head of RT06 in West Kelapa Gading, who is also a
member of the team of lawyers representing the residents.

Carel said the residents would sue the developer and the city
administration should they continue with construction.

The residents have protested against the construction of the
sports mall, saying the developer had failed to produce the
required documents, including the environmental analysis. The
dispute has at times turned violent as hundreds of public order
officers, backed by military and police personnel, have been
deployed to deter the protesting residents.

"I invited the police and military to come as they (the
residents) also have backing from the military," the North
Jakarta head of public order officers, Tonni Budiono, told The
Jakarta Post.

The residents' protest is likely to account for very little as
the Rp 70 billion project has won strong support from Governor
Sutiyoso, who is also chairman of the Indonesian Basketball
Association (Perbasi).

"Our fundamental consideration is that we need a basketball
court of international standards to promote basketball in Jakarta
as well in Indonesia," Sutiyoso boasted.