BP Batam Tepis Claims Panji Gumilang Regarding Ownership Of 20 Hectares Of Land On Galang Island

The Batam Entrepreneurship Agency (BP) provided an explanation of the issues circulating through a viral video regarding the ownership of land for the head of the Al Zaytun Islamic Boarding School, Panji Gumilang, on Galang Island.

Head of the Public Relations, Promotion and Protocol Bureau of BP Batam Ariastuty Sirait confirmed that there was no data stating that the land was in the name of the Al-Zaytun Islamic Boarding School (Ponpes) leader Panji Gumilang on Galang Island, Batam City, Riau Islands.

"Regarding the video circulating, there is no data (the owner of the land in the name of Panji Gumilang) at BP Batam," he said in response to a viral video on social media about the head of Ponpes Al-Zaytun Panji Gumilang claiming to have acquired 20 hectares of land on Galang Island as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, July 25.

Ariastuty said that his party had also observed the viral video and already knew the location of the land in question on Galang Island, but BP Batam had not yet issued a Land Management Right (HPL).

"Because after all, the land in Galang must have a HPL. Now the HPL has not been published, thus there is no data on BP Batam," he said.

Meanwhile, in the 1 minute 30 second video that went viral on social media, the head of Ponpes Al-Zaytun Panji Gumilang said he bought 20 hectares of land 20 kilometers from Batam's zero point. The land, he said, would be built agricultural land, plantations, and shipyards where ships docked from Java.

"We are at the end of Galang Island, before the zero point. Approximately 20 kilometers from here to the zero point. We are standing facing the west, East and rear, we have 20 hectares, which last week we released from the initial owner Pak Ahuang or Pak Rudi," he said in the video.

Panji Gumilang also explained that the land he had just purchased was through three payment processes from the first owner. However, Ariastuty said that there was nothing in the BP Batam data as the owner of the land in Galang

"On the beach there are mangroves that are not productive there, we will use them as ports and shipyards. We plan that our ships that come from Java will dock here and we plan ships for fishermen as well," said Panji Gumilang.