BALINEWSID.COM, DENPASAR May 4, 2026 — A public hearing held by the Bali Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD Bali) was abruptly halted on Monday after PT Bali Turtle Island Development (BTID) failed to attend, drawing sharp criticism from lawmakers who accused the company of disrespecting a formal state forum.
The hearing, organized by the Special Committee on Spatial Planning, Assets, and Licensing (Pansus TRAP), was intended to scrutinize issues surrounding the Kura-Kura Bali Special Economic Zone (KEK) project on Serangan Island, May 4, 2026. A key agenda was the controversial mangrove land swap involving BTID in Karangasem and Jembrana.

However, the absence of BTID’s management rendered the discussion ineffective, forcing the session at the DPRD Bali’s joint meeting room to be discontinued.
Chairman of the Pansus TRAP, I Made Supartha, who led the session, expressed strong disappointment over the company’s no-show, calling it irresponsible and a failure to respect a state institution.
“BTID’s absence from this official DPRD Bali hearing is deeply regrettable. This is not an ordinary forum, but a formal state institution proceeding. We view this as irresponsible and disrespectful to the ongoing process,” Supartha stated firmly.
He emphasized that the company’s presence was crucial to provide direct clarification on various public concerns, particularly the polemic surrounding the mangrove land swap.
“We expected a clear explanation from BTID. Their absence only raises bigger questions among the public,” he added.
Meanwhile, Secretary of the Pansus TRAP, I Dewa Nyoman Rai, also criticized the reason cited for BTID’s absence—namely, the concurrent visit of Commission VII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) to the KEK Kura-Kura Bali project site.
He argued that the justification reflected poor institutional ethics, noting that the company should have at least sent a representative to the hearing.
“This is about ethics and responsibility. DPRD is also an official institution. At the very least, there should have been a representative present,” he stressed.
Rai further warned that such absence could lead to negative public perception, suggesting that the DPRD’s work is being hindered by a lack of cooperation from relevant stakeholders.
“Moving forward, this must be taken seriously. The public should not perceive that DPRD cannot function effectively simply because summoned parties fail to attend,” he concluded.