Why is GRIB Involved in the Tanah Abang Land Dispute?

The involvement of Gerakan Rakyat Indonesia Bersatu (GRIB) Jaya in the land dispute in the Tanah Abang demolition area, Central Jakarta, is linked to the organisation’s appointment as legal representatives for the heirs claiming ownership of the land. The heirs in question are Sulaeman Effendi, who is claimed to be the owner of the land based on an old document in the form of Eigendom Verponding Number 946 from 1923 in the name of Iljas Radjo Mentari. The General Chairman of GRIB Jaya, Rosario de Marshall alias Hercules, stated that his side is supporting the claim and refuting that the land belongs to PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI). “Because I know this land very well, as I have been here for decades. This land does not belong to the railway,” said Hercules at the location on Friday (10/4/2026). A member of GRIB Jaya’s legal team, Wilson Colling, said that the lawsuit has been filed at the Central Jakarta District Court on 8 April 2026. “There (KAI) they also say it’s theirs, we also say it’s ours. Therefore, we have registered it with the court so that the court can determine who owns it,” said Wilson. According to Wilson, the basis for the ownership claim comes from the Eigendom Verponding Number 946 document from 1923 in the name of Iljas Radjo Mentari, which has been inherited to Sulaeman Effendi. “Rather, the land with the basis of old ownership in the form of Eigendom Verponding Number 946 from 1923 in the name of Iljas Radjo Mentari,” he said. The location covers two administrative areas, namely Kebon Kacang Ward and Kebon Melati Ward, Central Jakarta. The boundaries of the land are as follows: According to the GRIB Jaya side, the land is currently also being used as a parking location for operational vehicles by a private logistics company.