REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The central government and the Jakarta regional administration must totally stop the Jakarta Bay reclamation project to create 17 islands, stated Andi Akmal Pasluddin, the legislator in charge of marine affairs.

Andi of Commission IV of the House of Representatives remarked that although the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry and Vice President Jusuf Kalla were in favor of halting the project, yet there was a possibility of the reclamation work being continued.

He noted that work on the Jakarta Bay reclamation project could still be continued if it followed the required procedures and did not violate public rights.

"As part of Commission IV, I do not consider the Jakarta Bay reclamation project 'too big to fail.' It is so poorly managed that even very simple decisions are hard to make," Andi noted in a written statement here on Monday.

He suggested that the government should not give any opportunity for the project to continue the huge reclamation in Jakarta Bay.

"The government should tighten policies, so that the Jakarta Bay reclamation project will be closed permanently," the lawmaker affirmed.

The people from the low-income group and communities in North Jakarta's coastal areas will become helpless in the face of the project if no party defended them.

Several parties have offered inputs to the government to put a stop to the project.

"The provided inputs include legal flaws, environmental impact analysis, minister's recommendation for its stoppage, lack of supporting infrastructure, and the fate of coastal communities. So, there is no reason to continue the project," he pointed out.

Earlier, Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti had remarked that the regional government of Jakarta should stop the project until it met the requirements based on the regulations.

"The reclamation was being carried out without any recommendation or taking into account the coastal area zoning regional regulations," the minister informed the press here on Friday.

A reclamation project needs a recommendation from the Maritime Affairs and Fishery Ministry.

Susi stated that her ministry, the Environmental Affairs and Forestry Ministry, and Jakarta Administration will hold a meeting to discuss the controversial project.

In the meantime, Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama alias Ahok earlier remarked that President Joko Widodo had no objections to any reclamation project as long as it did not harm the environment.

"I think, in principle, the president, who himself had been a governor, sees nothing wrong with reclamation. All over the world, reclamation projects are being implemented. The president says the important aspect is that it should not damage the environment," Ahok noted here, Friday.

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