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Jakarta Post

Ahok, Sylviana in row over integrated public parks

Sylviana Murni, Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama’s assistant for culture and tourism, now running against the governor as a candidate for deputy governor, has criticized the city’s new parks in an apparent attempt to undermine Ahok

Indra Budiari and Corry Elyda (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Thu, October 20, 2016

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Ahok, Sylviana in row over integrated public parks

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ylviana Murni, Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama’s assistant for culture and tourism, now running against the governor as a candidate for deputy governor, has criticized the city’s new parks in an apparent attempt to undermine Ahok.

The governor has won applause for the city’s ambitious integrated, child-friendly public space (RPTRA) project. The project has led to the development of dozens of integrated public parks across the city. But Sylvi, still formally serving as Ahok’s subordinate, has blatantly called the project “nothing more than a recycled idea” of the interactive parks that were introduced by past administrations.

Sylvi also said the projects were the result of “repackaging” existing parks. She said past governors, including Sutiyoso and Fauzi Bowo, had built various interactive parks in densely-populated areas. Sutiyoso was governor between 1997 and 2007, while Fauzi served from 2007 to 2012.

“Let me ask you, what was the purpose of those [old] parks? [It is] exactly the same as RPTRA parks,” Sylvi said as quoted by kompas.com.

It might be Silvi’s first harsh comments on the project in 17 months after the first-ever integrated public park was launched in May 2015 in Sungai Bambu, North Jakarta.

The city currently has more than 50 parks under the project. The latest to be inaugurated is in Marunda Rusunawa in North Jakarta. Ahok previously set a target of 300 parks by 2017.

Ahok, who takes part in almost every single RPTRA inauguration event, denied Sylvi’s statement. He claimed the parks he inaugurated offered many more functions compared to the old parks.

The old parks were no more than “small parks in the corner”, Ahok said on Tuesday.

Based on data from the City Public Parks and Cemetery Agency, more than 90 percent of the 53 RPTRA parks opened by June were built by private companies, including those involved in the controversial Jakarta Bay reclamation project such as PT Agung Podomoro, PT Agung Sedayu and PT Intiland.

Cideng Park in Central Jakarta, considered one of Jakarta’s more successful parks, offers various activities including medical checkups, disease counseling and monthly cooking classes for women and occasional story-telling events for children.

Della Febriana, the park’s administrator, said hundreds of people flocked the area every day. “You don’t have to pay anything here. This is one of the most popular hang-out areas in this neighborhood,” she told The Jakarta Post.

However, some parks are facing resistance from locals. Residents in the Finance Ministry’s housing complex in Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta, for example, have voiced their opposition to the construction of new parks because they were not permitted much involvement in the development process.

The city administration is thought to have ignored public participation out of fears that public input could prolong the development of the parks.

Hario Wicaksono, a 53-year-old resident who has lived in the complex since 2002, said none of the residents knew that their existing park would be altered into an RPTRA.

In addition, Hario said, locals did not agree with the construction of a concrete building in the middle of the park.

“We are okay with open area facilities like plazas, but we do mind if they construct a permanent building and chop down the trees,” he said, adding that it would reduce the open green space of the park.

Hario said the residents who lived near the park were also worried that it would be used for events that invited crowds. “Our roads are already small and it is already hard for motorists to park their vehicles. We don’t want crowded events here. It may result in problems such as noise,” he said.

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