Sutiyoso's statement

Sutiyoso's statement

From Merdeka

Merdeka daily reported on Nov. 5 that Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso would take steps against 132 unruly developers. Sutiyoso said that Jakarta needed to improve its quality of the environment.

Sutiyoso wanted Jakarta to be green and shady by the planting of trees more than five meters high. He also said that he was not willing to inaugurate a building that disregarded a green environment. I fully agree with the governor's preoccupation.

Elsewhere in the report, it was said that developers who fell short of the standard of at least a 20 percent green area for their buildings should not hope that he would inaugurate the building. He added that a mayor or a district chief would do. The governor's statement could give rise to many interpretations.

First, developers would still be allowed to disregard a green environment or the green belt. But "only" a mayor or a district chief would officiate at the opening of the buildings.

Second, Sutiyoso considers mayors and district chiefs to have no vision and mission, and not the same perception in improving on Jakarta's deteriorated environment, while they must be the spearheads of regional development.

Third, if there are buildings inaugurated by a mayor or a district chief, the community would think that the building must have violated the green belt regulations. Pity on the mayors and the district chiefs.

Ironically it was a minister who officiated at the new five- star hotel in the Senayan area while it had violated the requirements of the building permit, the limit of the building's height and the use of the sidewalk. Who is it that is actually not aware of the environment and likes to violate laws and regulations?

We can only hope that Sutiyoso's goals can be realized. In fact, the public would look forward to a Jakarta that would have clean air, a green environment, scenic beauty, birds singing again, clear river water, a clean bureaucracy, a hoodlum-free community, a smooth public service and an increased number of social and general public facilities.

M.S. WIBAWA

Jakarta