Jakarta – Presidential candidate Anies Baswedan has criticized the Jakarta administration for denying former residents of Kampung Bayam the necessary permission to occupy the Rusun (low-cost apartment) intended for them.
The Kampung Susun Bayam apartment was built near Jakarta International Stadium (JIS) during Anies' governorship, and was originally intended for the former residents of Kampung Bayam in Cilincing, North Jakarta, who had been relocated for the JIS development project.
The apartment "was purposefully built and prepared there. I think it's heartless to not give it to the [former] residents of Kampung Bayam, who should have the right to occupy it", Anies said on Friday, as quoted by CNN Indonesia.
Anies said the low-cost apartment was finished and ready for tenancy, so the residents only needed permission from the relevant authorities to move in.
"In my opinion, [the permission] should be given, and my authority [as Jakarta governor] indeed ended on October 16, 2022. I hope the current leaders will fulfill the rights of Kampung Bayam residents so they can live in the place we built [for them]," he said.
Responding to his criticism, city-owned developer PT Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro) said that historically, the former residents of Kampung Bayam merely cultivated public land and therefore they did not have the right to occupy the land.
"Even so, all 642 families of Kampung Bayam residents have received compensation for their houses in Kampung Bayam. Furthermore, this compensation was also result of discussions with the former residents of Kampung Bayam," Jakpro president director Iwan Takwin said on Sunday, as quoted by digital media IDN Times.
He added that the Jakarta administration had prepared the Nagrak low-cost apartments in Cilincing as housing for the former residents of Kampung Bayam.
Iwan also said the administration had provided rent subsidies for the former residents. "The [Nagrak] apartment residents included in this program are only charged for water and electricity according to usage per unit," he said.