REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said he would let the new Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan to stop or even shift the function of Jakarta's bay reclamation islets. He assessed it could be done, as long as it was based on rules.

Luhut argued, if Anies wanted to stop or shift the function of reclaimed islet, he should take steps in accordance with the rules. 

Anies, Luhut added, should also prepare himself to face charges from all developers who have lost their money due to cancelation of the project. 

"If provincial government has follow the rules and decide to cancel reclamation project, it's up to them because as minister I have limits, president has limits and so do the governor," Luhut said on Tuesday (October 17).

In a separate location, Anies reiterated his stance against reclamation. He said, he would not repel his vows during campaign period, including to stop reclamation.

"Insya Allah (God willing), there has been no changes," he said at City Hall, on Tuesday.

On October 5, Luhut has lifted moratorium on Jakarta's bay reclamation project. He later said, all parties, including new government of DKI Jakarta must accept his decision.

Luhut has also told Anies that the Jakarta Bay reclamation project should be continued as it is one of the central government's long-awaited projects, that date back to the former president Soeharto era. He said research on the development of the artificial islets had been conducted since the former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration.

Later, it was being continued under the leadership of President Joko Widodo. Jakarta's bay reclamation project is a project initiated by the Jakarta city administration under Basuki Tjahaja Purnama governorship.

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