Regarding The Island Of Rempang, The Indonesian Ombudsman Calls The Issuance Of A Land Management Right Certificate

The Indonesian Ombudsman also highlighted the issue of Rempang Eco City which is still controversial today.

RI Ombudsman member Johanes Widijantoro found the potential for maladministration carried out by the Batam Free Trade Area and Free Port Entrepreneurship Agency (BP Batam) and Batam City Government (Pemkot Batam) on the plan to relocate the residents of Kampung Tua on Pulau Rempang.

The reason is, the Indonesian Ombudsman received information that BP Batam had blocked the allocation of land for Pulau Rempang for around 16,500 hectares (ha).

This land will be developed as a National Strategic Project (PSN) 2023 into industrial, trade, and tourism areas under the name Rempang Eco Park Pulau Rempang.

Regarding the provision of land allocation or the allocation plan, Johanes said, this was not in accordance with the provisions, because the Ministry of ATR/BPN had not issued a Land Management Rights certificate (HPL) to BP Batam.

"The issuance of HPL must be in accordance with the applicable mechanism, one of which is the absence of control and buildings on the requested land (clear and clean). As long as the HPL certificate on Pulau Rempang has not been obtained, the relocation of residents will not have legal force," Johanes said in a written statement received by VOI, Monday, September 18.

Johanes assessed that the development of PSN needs to pay attention to the mechanisms and stages regulated in Government Regulation (PP) Number 19 of 2021 concerning Land Procurement for Public Interests.

So, he continued, the Ombudsman will check whether the construction of Rempang Eco City has been carried out according to the stages of the regulation or not.

"The Ombudsman will also explore the physical control of the community's land sector, which has been on the island of Rempang for decades, whether there is an element of state negligence that does not give people access to property rights on land that have been occupied for generations," he said.

It is known that there are 16 Old Villages spread across Pulau Rempang, namely Tanjung Kertang, Rempang Cate, Tebing Tinggi, Blongkeng, Langga, Pasir Panjang, Melayu Beach, Tanjung Kelingking, Sembalang, Kitchen Six, Tanjung Banun, Sungai Raya, Sintung, Air Lingka, Kampung Baru and Tanjung Pengapit.

Based on the Ombudsman's search, the people in 10 Old Villages on Pulau Rempang supported investment on Pulau Rempang, but refused to be relocated.

They are more supportive if the arrangement of Kampung Tua is carried out with investment development.

"The socialization carried out by BP Batam is still relatively not massive and it will take longer to convince the public that they want to be relocated or have a dialogue to find a middle ground," he said.

In addition, there are allegations that the socialization carried out was not right on target so that based on the findings of the Ombudsman, there were minimal number of Rempang residents who registered for relocation.

"The Ombudsman will ask for clarification from BP Batam, Batam City Government, Ministry of Investment/BKPM, Team for the Acceleration of Development of Pulau Rempang and other related parties. Furthermore, a Final Examination Result Report (LAHP) will be issued in the form of Corrective Actions to be carried out by the Reported Party," said Johanes.

Previously, the Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) Hadi Tjahjanto said that the 17,000 ha area on Pulau Rempang is mostly a forest area and there is no right to land on it.

Currently, on the island there is also an application for Management Rights (HPL) by BP Batam covering an area of approximately 600 ha which is another Use Area (APL).

"So, there are no certificates for the people who live there," said Hadi Tjahjanto in the DPR RI Commission II Meeting Room, Jakarta, on Tuesday, September 12.