Three Times Risma Blusukan, Deputy Governor Of DKI: We Respect That, Homeless People Are Not Only In Jakarta

JAKARTA - Three times Social Minister Tri Rismaharini blusukan met scavengers or vagrants in Jakarta after taking office. Risma invited them to chat and offered them a place to stay.

Responding to this, Deputy Governor of DKI Ahmad Riza Patria said that Risma must understand the social problems for residents who do not have a proper place to live. However, according to him, this condition does not only exist in Jakarta.

"Those who are homeless, scavengers, who sleep under bridges occur everywhere, in almost all provinces. Not only in Jakarta, but throughout Indonesia," said Riza at the City Hall of DKI, Monday, January 4 evening.

Even so, Riza admitted that what Risma did was a good thing. "Social Minister blusukan is indeed good. Every official is important to see directly. We respect that," he said.

However, said Riza, it does not mean that the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government is ignorant of social problems in DKI. The Social Service, said Riza, already has a program for handling people who do not have permanent residences.

"We have programs made by the DKI Provincial Government, which have been approved by the DPRD, and have been coordinated with the central government through this DPRD," said Riza.

For information, Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini on Monday, December 28 started his work at the Ministry of Social Affairs with blusukan. Risma visited the Ciliwung River basin, behind the Ministry of Social Affairs office. While heading to the Pramuka fly over area, Risma met several families who lived under the bridge.

The blusukan action was resumed on Wednesday, December 30th. Risma went to the residents who lived illegally in the Panjang Gedong toll road area, Pluit.

Then, Risma returned to blusukan by walking along the pedestrian lane on Jalan Thamrin, right on the right side of Plaza UOB, Central Jakarta on Monday, January 4. Risma met a number of beggars.

Of the three blusukan actions, Risma offered one program to the residents she met, namely a proper place to live. The location is the Social Rehabilitation Center for the Ex-Homeless and Beggars Pangudi Luhur in Bekasi, West Java.

A political observer from Al-Azhar University, Ujang Komarudin, captured a political message from Risma's blusukan action. According to Ujang, this was Risma's maneuver to increase her electability in front of DKI residents.

Because, Ujang saw a scenario that was being arranged by the PDIP to win Risma in the election contest for the Governor of DKI.

"It is possible that the scenario is that Risma will be predicted to be the next candidate for the Governor of DKI when the local election is held in 2022 or postponed to 2024. Because, so far, almost no minister has left any kind of blusukan," Ujang told VOI.

Moreover, some time before, the DPRD DKI from the PDIP faction had compared the handling of waste between DKI and Surabaya. At that time, Risma was still the Mayor of Surabaya. "So, at that time, they were still testing the water," he said.

In addition, currently the DKI Provincial Government is still focusing on handling COVID-19. This condition also made it easier for Risma to raise her electability by intensifying her image with the lower class.

"Usually people like imaging. That is politics. We are in the imaging industry. The one who can do imaging, he is the beneficiary. Moreover, the position of Social Minister is very beneficial for Risma to increase her electability," he concluded.