View of the Senen Railway Embankment Visited by Prabowo, No Longer Crowded with Squatter Homes

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - President Prabowo Subianto conducted an incognito visit to the railway embankment in Kramat Ward, Senen District, Central Jakarta, on Thursday (26/3/2026). The location visited by the President is right next to Gaplok Market, Kramat Ward. According to Iis (45), one of the vegetable traders, the vehicle carrying the President initially stopped in front of Gaplok Market. The Head of State then entered the market and shook hands with the traders. “The gentleman arrived in the afternoon. The market was already closed, but some traders were still packing up. I was still at my stall,” Iis explained when met by Kompas.com at Gaplok Market on Friday (27/3/2026). “After entering the market, the President passed in front of my stall to exit and view the railway tracks. He went through this small door,” she added. Kompas.com traced the embankment along the tracks following the directions given by Iis. After exiting through the small door at the northern end of Gaplok Market, Kompas.com observed remnants of boards, wood, and tarps scattered along the edges of the tracks. In addition, residents’ household items such as buckets, foam mattresses, blankets, pillows, dippers, plastic chairs, and mirrors were piled up at several points. On the eastern side across the tracks, piles of recently cut climbing plants and shrubs were visible, left in place and already wilting under the sun. “Our houses are gone. They were illegal squatter homes. We had no choice but to live here, building shacks from boards and tarps,” said Satiah. Kompas.com’s observations showed that the remnants of the residents’ squatter homes were about three metres from the railway tracks at the Senen crossing. The location of these squatter homes was adjacent to the wall of Gaplok Market building. Before being evicted, the residents’ squatter homes lined up for about 300 metres along the embankment. For information, the Senen railway embankment is located on the western side opposite Senen Market Station, Central Jakarta.