Versions from Hercules, BPN, to Minister Ara on the Status of Tanah Abang Land

The land dispute in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, has become a public focus following ownership claims from two parties. The land, said to be utilised for public housing construction, is claimed as a state asset, specifically recorded as property of PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) or KAI. On the other hand, the faction of Gerakan Rakyat Indonesia Bersatu (GRIB) General Chairman Jaya Rosario de Marshal alias Hercules states that the land belongs to the heirs. This difference in views has sparked controversy regarding the legal status of the land located near Tanah Abang Station. GRIB Jaya, led by Hercules, is said to be safeguarding the land upon mandate from the heir named Sulaiman Effendi. Deputy Head of Law and Advocacy Division of GRIB Jaya, also the heirs’ attorney, Wilson Collin, refutes accusations that his side is illegally occupying the land. “The director (KAI President Director Bobby Rasyidin) also said that the illegal occupier is the mass organisation; this is not occupation because the heirs have reasons,” said Wilson, quoted from GRIB TV’s YouTube broadcast on Monday (20/4/2026). Wilson emphasised that the heirs holding the Eigendom Verponding never sold the land to PT KAI or the Ministry of Transportation. “It was never released; if it had been released, we would be squatting. Now there is no sales transaction; how can it be squatting,” stated Wilson. He also mentioned that resolving the dispute should be pursued through civil legal channels. Meanwhile, Minister of Housing and Settlement Areas (PKP) Maruarar Sirait asserted that the state must not lose to the party claiming the land. According to Ara, Maruarar’s familiar name, the land in Tanah Abang is a state asset. “Like the land in Tanah Abang, it is clearly a state asset,” Ara stressed in a video uploaded to her Instagram account.