The Story Of Ignasius Jonan Who Repeatedly Rejected The Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Rail Project

JAKARTA - Indonesia once dreamed of having a bullet train-style fast train, Shinkansen. The owner of power from the era of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) to Joko Widodo (Jokowi) wants to present a high-speed train for the distance from Jakarta-Bandung.

Not a few investment plans have been disbursed. The narrative made Ignasius Jonan repeatedly reject the construction of the high-speed rail project. Jonan once refused the high-speed train when he was the President Director of KAI. Jonan once refused a high-speed train when he was Minister of Transportation (Menhub), even though he was fired.

There is no country that is not attracted by Japanese-style high speed road, Shinkansen. The high-speed train is often seen as a human victory over time. Shinkansen can travel 150 kilometers less than an hour.

SBY's government was amazed. The owner of power wants to build a Jakarta-Bandung fast train first. They have imagined the speed of Shinkansen 300 kilometers per hour. This means that the distance between Jakarta and Bandung will take only 37 minutes.

The government does not want to postpone the planning for the presence of the Indonesian-style Shinkansen megaproject. The fast train investment plan will cooperate with Japan. In fact, Japan is willing to provide grant funds to Indonesia to conduct a feasibility study related to the high-speed train.

The total investment in high-speed trains for the distance from Jakarta-Bandung reached Rp56 trillion. However, not all agree with the discourse of the high-speed train. Rejection is not only present from the opposition. About it actually arises from the body of the government itself.

Ignasius Jonan is the person who opposes the presence of the high-speed train the most. Moreover, if it is financed through the APBN, it is direct or debt. The Director of KAI from the 2009-2014 era considers that the construction of a high-speed train, which is too close to having no urgency.

Jonan thinks the government is better off developing Trans-Sumatra, Trans-Kalimantan, Trans-Sulawesi, and Trans-Papua trains. A series of project plans he mentioned have more urgency: equity and justice.

"Regarding the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train, I am the one who opposes the most. That's unfair. The spirit of the state budget is the Republic of Indonesia. If it's Java that advances, then just be independent Papua and others," said Jonan in the CEO of Specaks on Leadership Class at Binus University as quoted by Lawankompas.com, 30 June 2014.

The transfer of power from SBY to Jokowi did not make the echo of planning for the construction of the train subside. Jokowi insisted that the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train be realized immediately. However, Jokowi no longer cooperates with Japan. The power owner chooses China.

The cost, which was previously only Rp56 trillion, was considered insufficient. The owner of the power also planned to build with large funds reaching more than Rp120 trillion. This wish made Jokowi immediately appoint Jonan, who was previously the President Director of KAI, to become Minister of Transportation in 2014.

This position was given because Jonan was considered successful in reforming KAI. This success is considered a way to realize the presence of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train. However, this desire is not in accordance with reality. Jonan considers the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train to have many disadvantages, rather than benefits.

As a result, Jonan remained in an opposing position. This condition is because Jonan views that the fast train route is too short for Jakarta-Bandung. He emphasized that short distance alone does not need a high-speed train. Other modes of transportation are considered still adequate. It's different when the distance is Jakarta-Surabaya.

Jonan did refuse. However, if Jokowi insists, Jonan directs the government not to use the state budget. Jonan advised Jokowi to the Ministry of SOEs and investors and carry out plans commercially aka business to business (B2B).

Problems arise. Jonan is considered stubborn. Something that was revealed by an Indonesian political figure, Mahfud MD, made Jokowi remove Jonan from the post of Minister of Transportation on July 27, 2016. As a result, the construction of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train was forced to leave large debts.

"If the Jakarta-Bandung total takes for example 40 minutes, it means that the interval for each station (if five stations) is eight minutes. If it is eight minutes, can it be eight minutes from a velosity of 0 kilometers per hour to 300 kilometers per hour? I don't think you can. From one station to another five minutes, you can't accelerate it. We suggest you don't need to use a fast train. That's all," Jonan said as quoted by pagenkompas.com, September 4, 2015.