Bupati Lombok Tengah, Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB), Lalu Pathul Bahri, has urged the Injourney Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) and local vendors at Tanjung Aan Beach in Sengkol Village, Pujut District, to come together for a discussion. This meeting is deemed essential to prevent prolonged unrest within the community. “We may need to sit down together to resolve these issues,” Pathul stated in an interview on Wednesday, June 25, 2026.
Pathul acknowledges that any government-led development initiative often stirs controversy among the public. Therefore, he believes that open dialogue will be a constructive approach to address current concerns. “There will inevitably be challenges that require thoughtful consideration. We must engage with the community and ITDC to ensure a safe outcome,” he emphasized.
ITDC, the managing body of the Mandalika Special Economic Zone (KEK), plans to construct a five-star hotel and a beach club at Tanjung Aan Beach, which is part of the area under its management. So far, PT ITDC has secured commitments from two investors to develop the Tanjung Aan area, including PT Kleo Mandalika Resort, which aims to invest approximately Rp 2 trillion in the five-star hotel project.
However, local residents around Tanjung Aan have expressed their opposition to the proposed demolition of their stalls, fearing it will adversely affect their livelihoods. One vendor, Kartini, recalled the painful experience of previous demolitions at Kuta Mandalika Beach, stating that the community’s life was completely disrupted afterward. “What happened was that the livelihoods of the people in Lombok (at Kuta Mandalika) were entirely devastated,” Kartini shared with journalists at Tanjung Aan Beach on Friday, June 20, 2025. She worries that a similar fate could befall the residents of Tanjung Aan and urges ITDC to prioritize local economic development, job creation, and community welfare. “Currently, no international tourists are interested in visiting Kuta Mandalika, which negatively impacts our tourism,” she added.
In response, Wahyu Moerhadi Nugroho, General Manager of The Mandalika, refuted the residents’ claims. He explained that the land within the Mandalika KEK, spanning approximately 1,350 hectares, is state-owned property. This land was allocated to ITDC by the Indonesian government under Government Regulation No. 50 of 2008, including the area at Tanjung Aan. “The activities currently taking place at Tanjung Aan involve the clearing and reorganization of land that is legally owned by ITDC,” Wahyu clarified.
He further stated that the land at Tanjung Aan is legitimately owned by ITDC, as evidenced by Management Rights Certificates (HPL) No. 49, 64, 80, 82, and 83, issued by the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/BPN as part of the tourism development in the Mandalika KEK. There are no disputes or claims regarding ITDC’s ownership of this land, which is being cleared for reorganization to facilitate construction by collaborating investors.
Wahyu asserted that the development will adhere to the Mandalika KEK Masterplan and comply with all relevant regulations. He believes that the construction efforts align with the original goals of the Mandalika KEK development and are expected to yield social and economic benefits for the surrounding community. “We emphasize that this initiative is not intended as an act of forced eviction, but rather as part of the area’s reorganization to meet the designated planning and zoning requirements,” he concluded.
