President Jokowi 'Syerah' Moves The Capital Before Retiring, PKB: We've Said It From The Beginning, It's Not Easy

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) seems to have given up on moving the capital city to East Kalimantan before his term ends at the end of October. The reason is, Jokowi has submitted a decision regarding the capital city of the archipelago (IKN) to the next President, Prabowo Subianto.

Member of the DPR from the PKB faction, Daniel Johan, said that his party had warned from the start that moving the capital city from Jakarta to East Kalimantan was not easy.

The legislator for the West Kalimantan electoral district also agreed with Jokowi's latest statement that it would take a long time to move the capital city to Penajam Paser Utara which is in the middle of the forest.

"From the start, we have said, it is not easy! Moreover, this starts from scratch and in the middle of the forest as well, plus crossing the ocean," said Daniel Johan to reporters, Monday, October 7.

The chairman of the PKB DPP also compared the experience of moving the capital city in other countries. According to him, moving in one mainland only takes a long time, especially since the islands are different.

"The experience of other countries that are still on the same land and not too far will take a long time," he said.

Daniel also assessed that the success of moving the capital city depended on planning from the government.

"It depends on the thorough study and planning," he concluded.

As previously reported, Indonesian President Joko Widodo or Jokowi failed to issue a presidential decree to inaugurate the relocation of the capital city from Jakarta to the State Capital (IKN) Nusantara ahead of the end of his term of office.

Jokowi even said that the decision regarding the presidential decree would be determined by the next government led by Prabowo Subianto.

"Yes, it should be like that (the presidential decree was visited by Prabowo). The new President Pak Prabowo (who signed)," said Jokowi, after opening the "Nusantara TNI Fun Run" event at IKN Nusantara, East Kalimantan, Sunday, October 6, morning.

The former Mayor of Surakarta and the Governor of DKI Jakarta admitted that they could not make strategic decisions when there were only three weeks left.

Jokowi finally admitted that moving the capital took a long time.

"In this archipelago, what is called a crowd, the crowd must be created continuously, it must be held continuously. So once again the ecosystem has become built. Now how many weeks ago there was no cafe, now there is an Excelso. Later it will be in a simple restaurant," said Jokowi.

"Everything is there, it takes time, moving the capital city once again needs time!", he added.