In view of the land mafia’s mode of operation, it is worth restating that one of the solutions is the acceleration of digitalization of land documents as promised by the government.
By
KOMPAS EDITOR
·3 minutes read
HUMAS POLDA METRO JAYA
The Agrarian and Spatial Layout Minister Hadi Tjahjanto (second from left) and the Head of the Polda Metro Jaya at a press conference at the Polda Metro Jaya, Jakarta, Monday (18/7/2022). They expressed their commitment to eradicate the land mafia case, especially in the DKI Jakarta area and its surroundings.
Almost 20 years ago, the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute acted in defense of a land-mafia victim. Double certificates were the root of the problem that caused such a headache.
Nearly all attempts were made. Legal action already reached the Supreme Court. Letters were sent to all parties; they were approached and asked for help. Perhaps only God did not yet receive any note. However, the settlement of the case remained difficult.
The land mafia has endlessly created troubles in the country. The editorial of Kompas, on Tuesday, 2 August 1977, was entitled “DII Land Mafia”. It described the overcontrol by companies of people’s land. Meanwhile, the process, that was not always carried out pursuant to the law, gave rise to social issues.
After more than one decade, on Thursday, 25 February 1988, Kompas also reported that the police seized forgers of land certificates in Bekasi, West Java. Two forgery suspects were personnel of the Bekasi Agrarian Office.
Last week, after decades had passed, the police again revealed the alleged involvement of officials of the National Land Agency (BPN) in four land-mafia cases in Jakarta and Bekasi. Ten BPN employees were arrested.
We appreciate the police action, although we hope the National Police will not only promptly deal with cases that involve public figures, such as ex-officials or artists. We hope all land cases can be settled immediately.
KOMPASCOM/ANDRI SETIANTO
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Based on the annual report of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia 2021, it is also indicated that in terms of substance, agrarian reports were at the top of the list with 1,227 reports or 17.08 percent of all reports received by the Ombudsman. The Agrarian and Spatial Layout Ministry/BPN was the institution with the second-most reports from society.
In view of the land mafia’s mode of operation, it is worth restating that one of the solutions is the acceleration of digitalization of land documents as promised by the government. Certificates in physical-paper form are easy to manipulate. The blockchain technology seems to be more effective, so that it is worth studying in order to break the chain of land-document problems that keep arising despite changing times.
In one case under investigation, for example, the suspect was found to have changed the name of the person listed on the complete systematic-land registration (PTSL) with a cloth-bleaching liquid and a small piece of wood coated with tissue paper or a cotton ball for ear cleaning. After being erased, the certificate is so easily printed with the name of another party.
Without technology, it is not easy to break the chain of such forgeries. Is it true that punishment of perpetrators is capable of producing a deterrent effect? Sweden has, over the last few years, tried to apply the blockchain in the agrarian sector.
If the mass media, like Kompas, is trying to explore the blockchain to introduce the non-fungible token (NFT) of Kompas archives, why does the government not explore the blockchain for its land-document affairs?
