Jakarta. The North Jakarta reclamation project is allegedly in breach of the law as the government has reportedly not held consultations with affected communities, a former antigraft commissioner said.

Despite protests by activists and local fishermen, the government decided to partly resume the reclamation project last month after a four-month suspension over regulatory and environmental concerns.

The government said the matters have been resolved and it will also prioritize the interests of local fishermen. Consulting fishermen on reclamation projects is required under the 2007 Law on the Management of Coastal Areas and Islets.

"The law has never been used as a reference for the project," former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) commissioner Bambang Widjojanto said on Tuesday (04/10). He added that the KPK has been monitoring the reclamation project since 2014.

"The only law that has been used all this time is the presidential decree," he said, referring to the 1995 presidential decree on the North Jakarta reclamation project.

"There may be intentional negligence here. There is a possible abuse of power," added Bambang, who is also a public lawyer.

Last month's resumption of the project came four months after the State Administrative Court ruled that the gubernatorial decree permitting the development was unlawful.

The government earlier also found that parts of the project have led to environmental degradation and disturbed shipping activities.