PRIME NEWS POST
LABUAN BAJO — Amidst the rapid investment growth and soaring land values in the super-premium area of Labuan Bajo, alleged practices have emerged causing anxiety among residents regarding the processing of Land Ownership Certificates (SHM). Reports indicate that obtaining these certificates allegedly requires the approval of certain parties claiming to represent traditional authorities.
Suspicion is now pointing to two individuals, Haji Ramang Ishaka and Muhamad Syair. According to public reports, they are the parties issuing what is referred to as “traditional endorsement” (pengukuhan adat).
This document is alleged to be an unwritten requirement in the process of managing land certificates at the Office of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning / National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) of West Manggarai.
This growing public concern has finally led to official action. The Joint Secretariat of Youth and Community of West Manggarai (Sekretariat Bersama Pemuda dan Masyarakat Manggarai Barat / Setber PM-MB) submitted an official report to the West Manggarai District Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
The complaint letter was received directly by the prosecutor’s representative, M. Hilman Anfasa Maroef, during a meeting with demonstrators at the prosecutor’s office.
Through a media release issued on Thursday, April 9, 2026, Setber PM-MB revealed that numerous residents feel forced to follow extra-legal mechanisms if they wish to process their SHM.
Unwritten Requirements, Yet Determine Land Status
The Secretary-General of Setber PM-MB, Florianus Surion, described this practice as a dangerous dependency on informal power structures.
“Residents complain that without the endorsement from parties claiming to be traditional functionaries, the SHM process cannot proceed. This is not merely an additional requirement; it has become a decisive factor,” he asserted.
In practice, he explained, this endorsement acts as a mandatory gateway that the community must pass through, despite never being regulated in any official legislation.
Alleged Hotbed for Extortion
More concerning is the allegation that this practice opens wide opportunities for illegal levies (pungli).
According to Setber PM-MB, several residents reportedly had to pay significant sums of money to obtain the endorsement. In some cases, there were even allegations that residents were asked to surrender a portion of their land.
“This is highly prone to abuse. When access to land rights is controlled by certain parties, the potential for misuse becomes enormous,” Florianus stated.
The emergence of the names Haji Ramang Ishaka and Muhamad Syair in public complaints raises a fundamental question: where does this authority originate?
Setber PM-MB emphasized that no national regulation legitimizes specific individuals to determine the validity of land registration processes.
They refer to various laws, from the Basic Agrarian Law to the latest regulations in the land sector, all of which emphasize legal certainty and procedural simplification.
“There is no legal basis mandating such an endorsement. If this is being forced, it is strongly suspected to be an unlawful act,” Florianus stressed.
At a time when the government is pushing for accelerated land certification through strategic programs such as the Complete Systematic Land Registration (PTSL) and service digitalization, such practices are viewed as a step backward.
Instead of speeding up processes, the requirement for traditional endorsement actually prolongs bureaucracy and increases the social costs borne by the community.
Through this complaint, Setber PM-MB urges the West Manggarai Prosecutor’s Office to intervene immediately. They demand that allegations of abuse of power and extortion be thoroughly investigated, and that the implementation of these deemed-illegal requirements be halted.
“If allowed to continue, this will no longer be merely an administrative violation, but toleration of practices that harm the wider community,” Florianus emphasized.
He added that this case reveals another side to the glitter of development in Labuan Bajo. Behind the large-scale projects and incoming investments, fundamental issues such as legal certainty over land remain unresolved.
“When access to land certificates is allegedly controlled by parties outside the official system, what is at stake is not just the rights of the people but also the credibility of the state in guaranteeing agrarian justice,” he concluded.(Ed)
#@Reported from various media sources //photo from Google documents // contribution by Prime News Post international online media // news.paper
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