GMTD Reaffirms Land Rights as Dispute Centers on Legal Documents
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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Makassar based listed property developer PT Gowa Makassar Tourism Development Tbk, or GMTD, states on Wednesday Nov 19, 2025 in Makassar that the core of its dispute with PT Hadji Kalla rests on verified state documents that establish its legal ownership of the Tanjung Bunga area. The company stresses that the argument must return to official facts, as the government decrees and certified titles form the foundation of its rights.
PT Gowa Makassar Tourism Development (Perseroan) said it regretted what it described as misleading claims by PT Hadji Kalla, arguing that these remarks distracted from the central issue of land legality.
"PT GMTD is obliged to correct the information so that the public, the government, and stakeholders are not misled by narratives that are inaccurate and not based on law," President Director Ali Said said in a written statement.
Ali said that questions regarding PT Hadji Kalla’s permits from 1991 to 1995, the existence of a governor decree granting rights, or any deed of relinquishment or lawful purchase had never been answered. "How could rights be obtained during a period when only PT GMTD had authority. There is no answer. There is no document. There is no legal basis," he said.
He argued that GMTD’s rights rested on multiple layers of legal evidence, including certified titles SHM 25/1970, SHM 3307/1997, SHGB 20454/1997, four final and binding court rulings from 2002 to 2007, a district court execution on November 3 2025, and a land use conformity decision issued on October 15 2025. All, he said, were recorded in GMTD’s audited statements as a public company and had never been refuted.
Ali said the claim that the 1991 decree had been revoked in 1998 was legally inaccurate. He said the 1991 decree by the Minister of Tourism and the 1991 decree by the Governor of South Sulawesi remained valid and established Tanjung Bunga as an integrated tourism zone with land acquisition rights assigned solely to GMTD.
He also rejected the accusation of so-called greed economics, calling it a baseless allegation without legal relevance. "PT GMTD since 1991 has carried out a development mandate from the Government of Indonesia. All land acquisitions were lawful, transparent, and conducted through state procedures. Political rhetoric does not change legal facts," he said.
Ali said that the claim that GMTD was allowed only to develop tourism and not real estate contradicted its articles of association, which covered tourism industries as well as additional business sectors including investment and equity participation.
He said the accusation that GMTD contributed only Rp 50 million to Rp 100 million in local tax revenue was false. GMTD contributed more than Rp 538 billion in regional revenue between 2000 and 2022, excluding business taxes and broader economic multipliers.
He argued that the development of Trans Studio Makassar only became possible after GMTD built key infrastructure including main roads, bridges, utilities, rights of way, and land preparation. "The historical fact is that Chairul Tanjung came directly to request approval from PT GMTD. Trans asked for permission to use the road built by PT GMTD. Even the access was redesigned to pass through the Trans Studio entrance at Trans request," Ali said.
He said the 16 hectare plot at the center of claims was legally GMTD’s asset, never owned by Lippo and never sold. He added that the land was recorded in GMTD’s audited statements and could not legally have been transferred to any other party.
Ali said fencing and land intrusion incidents were illegal acts documented through photos and field witnesses. GMTD reported the incidents covering 5,000 square meters to the South Sulawesi Police and the National Police on September 30 2025 and October 8 2025. "This is a violation of law, not a dispute of perception," he said.
He said GMTD carried a mandate from the government and acted as a public company owned by the provincial and municipal governments and the Gowa regency. It was established to develop the area and contribute to regional revenue, making accusations that it obstructed development entirely opposite to the facts.
"The statements from PT Hadji Kalla contain misinformation, lack relevance, and do not address the core dispute. We affirm that the legal facts do not change, the 1991 Government Decree remains valid, GMTD’s ownership is lawful based on certificates, rulings, execution, and land use conformity, and the claims from PT Hadji Kalla do not touch the legality of ownership," Ali said. He urged all parties to stop obscuring legal facts for the sake of public interest and regional order.