Forced By Officials To Leave KSB, Residents Of Kampung Bayam: Hopefully We Will Be Given God's Protection

A number of residents of Kampung Bayam are surrounded by Satpol PP (Special DOK) officers.

JAKARTA - A number of residents of Kampung Bayam are surrounded by Satpol PP officers to the police in Kampung Susun Bayam (KSB). They were forced to leave KSB as their place of residence. A resident of Kampung Bayam, Neneng, said that his party was still trying to survive the housing they lived in even though they had not received permission so far. "Still surviving. Hopefully we will be given protection from Allah. Because here only a handful of residents. Satpol PP and the police here have been more than 300 people. It is really oppression," Neneng told reporters, Tuesday, May 21. Neneng emphasized that the remaining residents of Kampung Bayam remained demanding that they could inhabit KSB. KSB was founded by PT Jakarta Propertindo BUMD since the leadership of former DKI Governor Anies Baswedan. When inaugurated, Anies promised KSB to become a residence for residents affected by the eviction of the Jabarat International Stadium (JIS) construction. However, residents of Kampung Bayam and PT Jakpro did not find an agreement regarding the KSB rental rate. The dead end continued until the leadership was replaced by the Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono. Thus, the DKI Provincial Government offers residents to live in flats (rusun) and temporary housing. Then, Jakpro plans to make KSB a residence for JIS operational workers. Neneng admitted that his group still wanted to live in KSB. Because now they no longer have a place to live. Since the conflict with Jakpro, residents of Kampung Bayam have forcibly occupied KBS without having access to electricity and water. They worked around it by installing generators. "Where else are we going? Want to go under the bridge? Temporary housing, we have expired. We can't," he said. To the authorities, residents of Kampung Bayam demanded guarantees that they could return to temporary housing. However, neither officers nor representatives of PT Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro) could provide certainty.

"We want to be directed there, but we ask for guarantees. What is the guarantee for us? Because it's expired? They can't answer. The point is we just have to leave," he said.