Houses in Kampung Bayam, in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, after demolition on Nov 1, 2020. - The Jakarta Post File
JAKARTA: After being forced to leave their homes in 2020 for the development of the ambitious Jakarta International Stadium (JIS) project, the fate of the displaced residents of Kampung Bayam, North Jakarta, remains unresolved.
For years, hundreds of the affected residents moved from one place to another, while waiting the completion of Kampung Susun Bayam, a vertical housing project built close to the stadium, previously designated for them.
However, despite construction of the low-rise apartments being completed in 2022, the residents were barred from moving in.
The Jakarta administration, which saw a change of leadership from governor Anies Baswedan to acting leader Heru Budi Hartono, said there were some legal matters that needed to be settled first.
Later on, the administration revealed that Kampung Susun Bayam would be inhabited by JIS operational support workers, and they had actually paid compensation of Rp 1.17 billion (US$7.2 million) to 422 families before the development commenced, as reported by kompas.com.
Furqon, a representative of the residents and who also heads the Kampung Bayam community farming group, said the money was too little to be regarded as adequate compensation for their destroyed homes.
Dozens of families who were determined to return to the “vertical village” eventually occupied the facility in March last year.
But, this did not last long as the administration, with the help of security personnel, visited and allegedly intimidated the residents several times, which apparently culminated in the arrest of Furqon in April.
Recently, hundreds of personnel from the National Police, the military and the Jakarta Public Order Agency, raided Kampung Susun Bayam and forced the residents to leave.
They finally agreed to move out on one condition, the immediate release of Furqon.
Following the tension, the residents rushed back to the temporary shelters they previously built on Jl. Tongkol in Ancol, North Jakarta.
“The shelters need some repair work as there are holes that can allow rats and other vermin in,” said a resident, Munjiah.
In a recent development, the Jakarta Public Works and Housing Agency said it was mulling over a plan to build a brand new apartment complex for the Kampung Bayam residents.
“We have already set up the budget for it. Don’t worry,” said the agency acting head, Afan Adriansyah Idris.
He, however, stopped short of revealing the location or the schedule for the facility construction. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
