Bahlil Sindir Paslon Rejects IKN Development: Suitable To Be The Governor And Deputy Governor Of DKI Jakarta

Ahead of the Kendi Nusantara ritual at the zero point of the State Capital (IKN) Nusantara in Sepaku District, North Penajam Paser, East Kalimantan, in March 2022. (ANTARA-Hafidz Mubarak A)

JAKARTA - Investment Minister/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia strongly quipped the statement of one of the presidential-cawapres candidate pairs (paslon) who rejected the development of the State Capital (IKN) Nusantara in East Kalimantan (Kaltim).

Initially, Bahlil said that there was a vice presidential candidate who said he was comfortable living in the city of Jakarta and then felt that he was suddenly told to move to the forest. According to Bahlil, the vice presidential mindset is more appropriate if you run as governor or deputy governor of DKI Jakarta only.

"There is a vice presidential candidate saying that 'we are comfortable living in the city, why do we want to be told to move to the village or in the forests'. This means that you are suitable to think about leading the Governor of DKI Jakarta and become the deputy governor of DKI Jakarta, not becoming president and vice president," Bahlil said in front of Prabowo-Gibran volunteers in Surabaya, Sunday, December 2.

Bahlil, who is also the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Pilar 08ini, emphasized that IKN has been regulated in law. Moreover, one of the candidate pairs who rejected the IKN development was the general chairman of the party who also supported the passing of the law.

"Earlier I said that IKN is an order of the law and there is already a law. And of all parties that have supporters of the government, all support including PKB, that's one. Second, because it's a law order, it is mandatory for anyone's government to carry out IKN," he said.

Bahlil continued, the relocation of the capital city from Jakarta to Kalimantan had gone through various scientific studies and considerations. One of the considerations is why the government moved the capital city, he said, as an effort to build a centris Indonesia.

"Because that's the middle point. The point of getting closer (to the government) in Sulawesi, Bali, NTT, Maluku, Papua and Java is also close to it," said Bahlil.

Not only realizing a critical Indonesia, but IKN development is also said by Bahlil to create a new economic growth area, where economic equity will reach all corners of the country. Therefore, he emphasized to certain parties to study President Jokowi's vision and mission in the development of the Nusantara IKN.

"So I was wrong in my view what certain groups of people said that IKN did not give birth to equity. Where did the theory come from? It's just a matter of paper hallucinations," he said.

The former chairman of HIPMI also said that various investors had started to enter IKN. Bahlil said, Prabowo-Gibran will focus on continuing the development of IKN if elected in the 2024 General Election. Because this is an effort to realize equitable development.

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