West Java lawmakers urge halt to Cihapit land clearance plan

West Java’s provincial legislature has asked the education department to stop, for now, a planned clearance of land in Ciliwung Dalam, in Bandung’s Cihapit neighborhood. Lawmakers say the land’s ownership and history must first be established through a joint review.

The request came from deputy speaker Ono Surono after he met residents from RT 02/RW 03 on September 7, 2026. At least 26 plots or homes are involved. Residents say they have lived in the area since around the 1960s, and some are current or retired education workers.

The dispute began after residents received notice of a planned clearance linked to the assets of SMKN 2 Bandung. They questioned the legal basis for the move and said they held ownership certificates issued in 1978. Documents associated with the school, however, reportedly date from 1994.

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We need to cross-check the various information and documents. We will invite the residents, the Education Department, regional agencies handling finance and assets, the National Land Agency, as well as Commission I, which handles asset issues, and Commission V, which handles education.

Ono said the legislature could not determine the land’s status from one side’s account. He said residents, the West Java Education Department, agencies handling public finance and assets, the National Land Agency, and the legislature’s education and asset committees should examine the documents together.

“We need to cross-check the various information and documents,” Ono said. He added that the legislature would write to the education department, asking it not to proceed with clearance while the clarification process continues. He said educational land needs must also be weighed against legal requirements and the social circumstances of residents who have occupied the area for decades.

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Hopefully, while this process is underway, there will be no action related to the clearance. Let us wait until a meeting is held with all parties and the issue is truly clear and understood.