The Regent Rejects Prasetyo Edi's Assumption About Illegal Activities On Long Island: Originally Wanted Religious Tourism

Chairman of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, Prasetyo Edi Marsudi, visited Panjang Island, DKI Jakarta. (Diah/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Regent of the Thousand Islands, Junaedi ensured that there was no illegal activity on Panjang Island even though there was an airfield and a helicopter pad (helipad).

"It's not illegal. So like this, the plan was to build the runway and the helipad in 2005 if I'm not mistaken," said Junaedi on Pramuka Island, Thousand Islands, DKI Jakarta Province, Thursday 30 June.

Actually, his party was there to build a religious tourism destination.

"So to attract tourists, we paint. Because Pulau Seribu is a tourist destination, if we don't make it beautiful, who will come," he said.

Junaedi said that the construction of the airport and helipad which was built by the regent at that time ended up having problems because the regent did not have the authority to do so.

Junaedi admits that in 2010 there was a BPK finding that finally placed Pulau Panjang in the status quo, causing the development and operation of the location to be impossible.

However, recently improvements have been made, such as the revitalization of the sacred tomb complex of Sultan Maulana Mahmud Zakaria and the mosque by the private sector as well as repairs and painting of the helipad by the district.

"It's just beautifying for tourist destinations. We don't issue permits," he said.

However, his party allows entrepreneurs as donors to repair tombs and build mosques to help develop tourism.

Currently, the use of the airport and helipad is freely used by every citizen, especially those who want to carry out religious tourism.

"Not only that, when there is an emergency ambulance, it can also come from there," he said.

However, he said, there has been no withdrawal of retribution for the regions because there is no legal umbrella that covers them.

Previously, the Chairman of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, Prasetyo Edi Marsudi, carried out an impromptu inspection (sidak) to Panjang Island, the Thousand Islands. The inspection was carried out after receiving reports from residents that there was a helicopter pad or helipad on the island.

Sure enough. When he arrived at Panjang Island, Prasetyo found a helipad unit parked on the island, which is located in Kelapa Island Village, North Thousand Islands District.

Based on information received by Prasetyo, this helipad was built and used by a private party. However, this utilization was not recorded by the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government (Pemrov).

"I found out that one of them has a helipad that is being used by a private party. If we don't come here, where can we have a helipad. How come there is a helipad in DKI assets, but we don't report it to us. This is called an illegal helipad, a stealth helipad," he said.

Prasetyo said that there should be a permit application to the DKI Provincial Government for the use of this government-owned land or asset. Parties who use these assets must also pay a levy which will go into the regional treasury.

"If the helipad is official, every time it lands it gives income to the provincial government, right. But so far it hasn't. He doesn't report transparently that there is land use in it," said Prasetyo.