Minister Bahlil Should Explain Who Are The Entrepreneurs Who Dare To Ask For The Election To Be Postponed

Investment Minister/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board Bahlil Lahadalia (Photo: BPMI Setpres/Lukas)

JAKARTA - Member of the Indonesian Parliament, Kamrussamad, urged the Minister of Investment/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board, Bahlil Lahadalia, to reveal the names of entrepreneurs who requested that the 2024 General Election be postponed.

"We ask for a list of the names of businessmen who asked for the 2024 election to be postponed so that their contribution to development can be examined through their track records of paying taxes," Kamrussamad explained in a written statement in Jakarta, Tuesday, January 11.

He explained that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the business world had been given various incentives for loan restructuring policies in banks for four years from March 2020 to March 2023. In addition, business capital credit guarantees were also given according to PMK Number 72 of 2021.

Kamrussamad suspects that there is a phenomenon of ministers preparing a strategy at the end of the presidential term in the last period. This is done so that they can be saved again in the next government, if the regime changes.

In addition, Kamrussamad emphasized that the Ministry of Investment/BKPM is a derivative product of the Job Creation Law which has been declared "conditionally unconstitutional".

Minister of Investment/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board Bahlil Lahadalia (Photo: BPMI Setpres/Kris)

"Perhaps the impact of the Constitutional Court's decision has made investors to wait and see before realizing their investment. Therefore, Minister Bahlil is seeking new attention from President Jokowi," said Kamrussamad.

Previously, Bahlil revealed that the average business actor hoped that the 2024 presidential election would be postponed. The consideration cannot be separated from the national economic recovery due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"If we check in the business world, on average they really think how the democratic process is, in the context of the transition of leadership, if there is room for consideration for the process to be pushed back, that is much better," said Bahlil in the release of the Political Indicator survey Indonesia, Sunday, January 9th.

"Why, because they have just finished being battered with health issues. This is a new business world, just about to go up, suddenly want to be overwritten with political issues. So that's the result of my discussion with them," he continued.

Bahlil Lahadalia Harvests Criticism

Bahlil's statement immediately received a negative response from many people. They questioned Bahlil's intention of speaking like that.

Senior economist Rizal Ramli highlighted the maneuvers carried out by the Minister of Investment/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia related to his statement about the general election (election).

Rizal felt that Bahlil should not have commented on the five-year political celebration. Especially if there is an agenda to support the postponement of the election from the schedule that has been set in 2024.

"This is why the Head of BKPM takes care of the election," said Rizal Ramli via his personal Twitter page @RizalRamli, Monday, January 10.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD emphasized that the 2024 Simultaneous Elections would still be held. The government continues to carry out the constitutional agenda. "The government remains upright with the constitutional agenda that 2024 is the election schedule," said Mahfud.

The chairman of the West Java NasDem DPW Saan Mustopa also regretted Bahlil's statement. Saan then asked Minister Bahlil to focus on helping the government increase investment in Indonesia to make it even better.

"It's better for Mr. Bahlil to concentrate on how investment in Indonesia is growing. So that it encourages economic growth and also helps the economic recovery a little," said Saan.

Saan hopes that government officials will not make noise during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Because he said, the government and all Indonesian people are focusing on dealing with the pandemic.

"Officials should not make the political atmosphere more noisy. That's all! Just concentrate on their respective duties," said Saan Mustopa.