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