HMPI Chairman Mardani Maming Shouts 'Continue', Jokowi: Be Careful This Is A Political Year, I'll Be The One Being Demonstrated

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the inauguration of the XVII National Working Meeting of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI) 2021, at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, Friday (5/3/2021). ANTARA via Twitter @setkabgoid/pri.

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo answered the question "continue" conveyed by the General Chairperson of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI), Mardani H Maming, from the stage.

"Many people said 'continue, continue'. Be careful this is a political year, ladies and gentlemen who say 'continue, continue', I am the one being demonstrated", said President Jokowi while delivering remarks at the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of HIPMI 2022 in Jakarta, as reported by Antara, Friday, June 10.

Before President Jokowi delivered his remarks, the General Chair of HIPMI Mardani H Maming called for "continue, continue, continue" regarding President Jokowi's government on stage.

"I have to give confidence to Mr. President Joko Widodo, he is a member of the HIPMI family, he is the first President of HIPMI, whatever his policy is in 2024, the HIPMI family is ready to support and follow whatever his instructions are. Continue, continue, continue!" said Mardani.

"The incident has already happened, the first (who) conveyed (continued), Mr. former chairman of HIPMI, Mr. Minister of Investment, for this reason, this, this is 'continue'. The next day, I didn't have a day of massive demonstrations. After all, it wasn't me who was speaking, it was me who was demolished. Please demo, Mr. Bahlil", said the President while joking and was greeted by laughter from the audience.

Investment Minister, Bahlil Lahadalia, was known in the event the release of the findings of the Indonesian Political Indicators survey on January 10, 2022, to say that business actors in Indonesia wanted the 2024 election to be postponed because the business world situation began to rise again after being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in the last two years.

"Later, if I don't answer, it's not HIPMI that is being demonstrated, but me. Be careful, once again this is a political year", added the President.

Jokowi also said that what he understood from Mardani's "continue" statement was about the sustainability of government programs.

"But I catch what is meant by continuing in the program. It's up to whoever the leader is, but what is continued is the programs, so that there is continuity", said the President.

The President said that when one leader has already worked on a program, but when there is a change of leader, it is not continued.

"This is the dangerous one, and it's always like that, starting from kindergarten again. Going to middle school, already going to high school, changing leaders starting again from kindergarten. When will we get to university graduation?" said the President.

Moreover, the problems facing countries today, according to President Jokowi, are not easy.

"All countries experience the same thing, uncertainty. Don't let it happen because we will have an election and regional election that uncertainty will be added", added the President.

President Jokowi believes that the problem of uncertainty is experienced by all state leaders.

"All heads of state, I assure you, are experiencing (uncertainty). The business of economic recovery due to the pandemic has not been completed, it has not been completed, plus the war in Ukraine, does not add more domestic affairs, agree? Because of political problems in 2024, agree?" said the President.

The President also warned of a reduction in the World Bank's projected economic growth rate for developing countries, which was previously estimated at 6.6 percent to 3.4 percent.

"It really fell, but thank God we were able to grow 5.01 percent in the first quarter yesterday. No G20 countries grew 5.01 percent", said the President.