logo
Jakarta Governor Pramono targets over 1,000 ‘rusunawa' units by next year to ease housing backlog

Jakarta Governor Pramono targets over 1,000 ‘rusunawa' units by next year to ease housing backlog

The Star14-05-2025
JAKARTA: The Jakarta administration plans to build two additional rusunawa (low-cost rental apartment complexes) and revitalise an existing one in the coming years to address the capital's housing backlog, with experts stressing that the projects must be easily accessible and located near economic hubs to attract tenants.
The initiative was announced by Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung last week during the launch of Rusunawa Jagakarsa in South Jakarta, targeting low-income residents earning between Rp 2.6 million (US$157) to Rp 7.4 million per month.
The complex, made up of three 16-story towers, contains 723 apartment units, each measuring 36 square meters and featuring two bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom, and a balcony.
Monthly rents will range from Rp 865,000 to Rp 1.8 million, based on resident's income levels, as stipulated in Jakarta Regulation No. 1/2024 on regional taxes and retributions.
The Rp 382 billion project also includes various supporting facilities, such as a sports field, clinic, playground, library and an early childhood education center (PAUD).
'We will build [new towers at Rusunawa] Rorotan and Padat Karya and revitalise Rusunawa Marunda,' Pramono said, acknowledging the city's responsibility to provide affordable and decent housing for its citizens.
According to the Jakarta Housing Agency, the city is currently facing a housing occupancy backlog affecting at least 288,393 families, while the homeownership backlog has reached approximately 1.86 million families.
Meanwhile, a 2024 report by Statistics Indonesia (BPS) revealed that only 54 percent of Jakarta households own their homes, marking the lowest homeownership rate in the country, which is well below the national average of nearly 85 percent.
Another 2024 BPS report showed that, amid rising home prices, an increasing number of Jakartans are choosing to rent, making the capital the province with the highest proportion of households living in rental housing.
Chico Hakim, special staffer to Governor Pramono, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday (May 13) that the city plans to provide 1,153 additional apartment units by next year, comprising 865 new units to be built at Rusunawa Padat Karya and Rorotan IX, and 288 units to be revitalised at the currently idle Rusunawa Marunda.
All of them are located in Cilincing, North Jakarta, which has the highest number of poor households among the municipality's six districts.
'[The rusunawa programme] targets Jakarta residents with a monthly income below Rp 8 million,' Chico said, while also noting ongoing issues with rent arrears.
According to the city's Public Housing Agency, outstanding rent payments have accumulated to Rp 95.5 billion.
To prevent similar issues in the future, Chico said the city administration plans to implement stricter documentation and eligibility checks during the application process.
Yayat Supriatna, an urban planner from Trisakti University, argued that the problem also stems from the remote locations of many rusunawa, making it difficult for residents to maintain stable incomes and afford rent.
'What Jakarta needs are integrated housing complexes. Building more rusunawa is essential, but they must be linked to economic activities,' Yayat said on Tuesday.
Given that rusunawa residents are typically low-income individuals, Yayat added that the government should also offer them social assistance programmes and employment opportunities.
'This way, the rusunawa programme can not only provide affordable housing, but also help improve residents' livelihoods,' he said, adding that such improvements would attract more residents and change the perception of rusunawa from being seen as a last resort.
Mohammed Ali Berawi, a civil engineering professor at the University of Indonesia, echoed similar concerns.
While supporting the need for integration, he emphasised the importance of moving away from negative stereotypes.
'[In] the design of rusunawa, [...] crucial–mobility, accessibility and available facilities all play a role,' Ali said. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Singapore rail operator to pay lower fine of S$2.4m for line disruption; must invest at least S$600k to boost reliability
Singapore rail operator to pay lower fine of S$2.4m for line disruption; must invest at least S$600k to boost reliability

The Star

time3 minutes ago

  • The Star

Singapore rail operator to pay lower fine of S$2.4m for line disruption; must invest at least S$600k to boost reliability

SINGAPORE: Rail operator SMRT will pay a lower fine of S$2.4 million (US$1.87 million) for a major six-day disruption on the East-West Line in September 2024, after it submitted representations to the Land Transport Authority (LTA). This is down from the financial penalty of S$3 million that LTA intended to hand out in June when the investigation findings into the incident were released. Announcing the updated penalty in a statement on July 25, LTA said the penalty will go to the Public Transport Fund to help lower-income families with their public transport expenditures. The authority added that it had directed SMRT to invest a minimum of S$600,000 to strengthen its capabilities, and address areas for improvement from the incident, so as to improve service reliability. 'In reaching this decision, LTA took into consideration the considerable challenges SMRT had faced in planning and executing their overhaul regime for the Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) trains, particularly in procuring the necessary spare parts for the overhaul due to global supply chain disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.' The incident, which involved a faulty part on a first-generation KHI train, downed MRT services between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations and affected about one in six train trips daily from Sept 25 to 30 in 2024. An LTA spokesperson told The Straits Times that SMRT will need to channel S$600,000 towards improving its capabilities within a year, and submit a declaration and documented proof of this. In a Facebook post shortly after LTA's statement, SMRT Trains president Lam Sheau Kai said the operator will strengthen its direct engagement with original equipment manufacturers of trains and systems. The operator will also deepen its technical and engineering expertise through closer collaboration with these companies. On LTA's directive to invest a minimum of S$600,000 in beefing up its capabilities, Lam said the development and upskilling of its workforce have long been SMRT's priorities. In addition, the operator will continue supporting the secondment of LTA engineers to SMRT – an initiative introduced in 2018. It will also work closely with LTA and Alstom, the manufacturer of the new R151 trains, to roll out the fleet progressively. By 2026, there will be 106 R151 trains on the North-South and East-West lines. As at June 29, 61 of these trains were in service. The last of the KHI trains will be phased out by September. Investigations into the disruption showed that SMRT had extended the interval between overhauls for the faulty train without a detailed engineering and risk assessment. On its part, the operator had flagged supply chain disruptions arising from the pandemic, which delayed the delivery of new trains meant to replace the first-generation models and spare parts needed for overhauls. LTA had originally notified SMRT of its intention to impose the S$3 million penalty on May 30, and gave the operator two weeks to submit its representations. SMRT did so on June 6. While the details of SMRT's submission were not disclosed, representations may include reasons why the operator believes it should not be penalised as well as other applicable mitigating factors. LTA reviewed SMRT's representations before a notice of the penalty was sent to the rail operator on July 25. SMRT has 14 days to appeal to the transport minister if it wishes. If that happens, the final decision lies with the minister, who can opt to reject the appeal, or allow it and change LTA's decision. Responding to ST's query, Lam did not say if SMRT would lodge an appeal with Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow. But he said the company had received LTA's notice to impose the penalty and noted that LTA had considered its representations. LTA reiterated that Singapore's rail system continues to be one of the most reliable worldwide. Since 2019, the mean kilometres between failure of the MRT network has remained above the one million train-km target, it noted. This means MRT trains travelled for more than one million kilometres between delays of more than five minutes. The revised S$2.4 million penalty is the second-highest to be levied on a rail operator, after the S$5.4 million fine that SMRT incurred over a 2015 disruption that crippled the entire North-South and East-West lines for more than two hours during the evening peak period. In June, LTA said a S$3 million penalty for the September 2024 disruption was 'proportionate' to the circumstances surrounding the incident. The authority said it also considered the cost that SMRT had borne from the repairs, and from providing free bus and shuttle train services at the affected stations. Investigations pointed to degraded grease as the likely cause of the incident. This led to a faulty part of the train's undercarriage falling out on the morning of Sept 25, 2024. The part – an axle box, which holds the train's wheels to the axle, a rod connecting a pair of wheels – was dislodged near Dover station while the train was being withdrawn from service to Ulu Pandan Depot. This caused one of the train's 12 bogies – a structure below the train carriage – to derail. The six-carriage train could continue travelling, as the other 11 bogies remained on the rails. But the derailed portion of the third carriage caused extensive damage to 2.55km of track and trackside equipment, such as power cables and the third rail, which supplies power to trains. Associate Professor Walter Theseira, a transport economist at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, told ST that in the context of rail operations, the $600,000 requirement for improvements is not a very significant amount. It could fund reviews and process improvements, but would not suffice for any substantial engineering work. He also said new trains are 'not a cure for reliability by themselves', as they will result in better reliability only after teething issues have been sorted out. Prof Theseira also believes LTA should examine its own capability to judge the quality of a maintenance regime. 'While the operator is on the ground and has first-hand knowledge, it may also be that the regulator should have a well-formed second opinion.' - The Straits Times/ANN

Malaysia's new ambassador to US pledges stronger bilateral relations
Malaysia's new ambassador to US pledges stronger bilateral relations

The Star

time3 minutes ago

  • The Star

Malaysia's new ambassador to US pledges stronger bilateral relations

Photo courtesy of Bernama KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's new Ambassador to the United States, Tan Sri Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob, reaffirmed his commitment to further strengthening the Malaysia-US bilateral relationship during a credentials ceremony with President Donald J. Trump at the White House. In a Facebook post on Saturday, the Embassy of Malaysia in Washington, D.C. stated that Muhammad Shahrul Ikram presented his Letter of Credence to Trump during the Presentation of Credentials Ceremony at the White House on July 24. The ceremony officially marked him as the 18th Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Malaysia to the United States. "During the ceremony, Muhammad Shahrul Ikram had the opportunity to briefly exchange warm pleasantries with Trump, conveying his commitment to further strengthen the Malaysia-United States bilateral relationship. "He also thanked the President for Secretary of State Marco Rubio's participation in the recent 48th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and Related Meetings, held in Kuala Lumpur from July 8 to 11, which further reaffirmed the US's commitment to the region as well as the deepening of the Malaysia-US Comprehensive Partnership,' the embassy stated. Over the past six decades since 1957, Malaysia-US's ties have grown into a multifaceted partnership encompassing political, economic, defence and security, educational, and people-to-people cooperation. Muhammad Shahrul Ikram is a former secretary-general of the Foreign Ministry and a veteran diplomat with over 35 years of service. Born in Pahang, Muhammad Shahrul Ikram holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Ecology from Universiti Malaya and completed the Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School in 2009. He began his career at the Foreign Ministry in 1988 as an Administrative and Diplomatic Officer. During his career in the public service, Muhammad Shahrul Ikram also served as Malaysia's Ambassador to Qatar and Austria, as well as Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. His previous diplomatic assignments included stints at Malaysia's diplomatic missions in Vienna, Washington, D.C., and Beijing. He also held the positions of Deputy Secretary General of Bilateral Affairs, Director General of Asean-Malaysia National Secretariat (during Malaysia's Chairmanship of Asean in 2015) and Undersecretary of Multilateral Political Division. - Bernama

Malaysia's new US ambassador pledges stronger bilateral ties
Malaysia's new US ambassador pledges stronger bilateral ties

The Sun

time3 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Malaysia's new US ambassador pledges stronger bilateral ties

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's new Ambassador to the United States, Tan Sri Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob, has reaffirmed his commitment to enhancing Malaysia-US relations during a credentials ceremony with President Donald J. Trump at the White House. The Embassy of Malaysia in Washington, D.C., confirmed in a Facebook post that Muhammad Shahrul Ikram presented his Letter of Credence to Trump on July 24, officially marking his appointment as Malaysia's 18th Ambassador to the US. During the ceremony, Muhammad Shahrul Ikram briefly exchanged pleasantries with Trump, expressing his dedication to deepening bilateral ties. He also thanked the US President for Secretary of State Marco Rubio's participation in the recent 48th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, which reinforced US engagement in the region. Malaysia-US relations have evolved over six decades into a broad partnership covering political, economic, defence, security, and educational cooperation. Muhammad Shahrul Ikram, a seasoned diplomat with over 35 years of service, previously served as Secretary-General of the Foreign Ministry. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Ecology from Universiti Malaya and completed Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Programme in 2009. His diplomatic career includes postings in Qatar, Austria, and as Malaysia's Permanent Representative to the UN in New York. He has also served in diplomatic missions in Vienna, Washington, D.C., and Beijing. - Bernama

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store