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.