Jakarta. Housing and Resettlement Minister Maruarar Sirait has come under scrutiny after proposing the conversion of Cipinang Penitentiary in East Jakarta into residential units. On Thursday, senior lawmaker Lasarus called on the minister to abandon the plan, warning that it could potentially violate existing state regulations.

Lasarus, a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and a House of Representatives member since 2009, said that such a project would likely require amendments to Jakarta’s spatial planning regulations, in addition to posing potential legal issues related to land ownership.

"To put it simply: never violate existing regulations,” Lasarus told reporters at the parliamentary complex. “Every policy must rest on strong legal foundations, particularly when it involves land ownership. When state funds are in play, regulatory compliance is non-negotiable,” he added.

Minister Maruarar recently revealed that the repurposing plan had been approved by President Prabowo Subianto, and claimed the inmates at Cipinang could be relocated to a new facility outside urban areas. He also said the proposal had been discussed with Immigration and Correctional Institutions Minister Agus Andrianto.

The Cipinang project is part of a broader presidential mandate for Maruarar to build 3 million new homes, including through the conversion of underutilized government properties, such as prisons located in densely populated urban areas.

Maruarar also said the government is considering reclaiming land and buildings seized from corruption convicts and repurposing them for affordable housing developments.

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