Jokowi Regrets The Debate Of The Presidential Candidate Serang Personal, Anies' Camp Denies: We Have Comparison Data

Spokesperson for the National Team for the Winning of Anies-Muhaimin (AMINAn National Team) Billy David Neututumilena (DOK VOI/Diah Ayu)

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the National Team for the Winning of Anies-Muhaimin (AmIN National Team) Billy David Neututumilena responded to President Joko Widodo's comments regretting the course of the third debate for the 2024 presidential election because it was considered a place to attack each other between presidential candidates. According to Billy, the argument for presidential candidate number 1 Anies Baswedan was not a personal attack. Because, Anies is claimed to have comparative data. The comparison data in question was when Anies commented on the area of land belonging to presidential candidate number 2 which is also the Minister of Defense, Prabowo Subianto. On the other hand, there are still many TNI soldiers who do not have official residences. "I don't think it's personal because we have comparative data. For example, 340 thousand (hectares) are compared to houses owned by soldiers and they are still in the corridor. That means it is in the rules and substance. Why is it still relevant to discuss? Because it shows a significant comparison," said Billy at the AmIN National Team Winning Headquarters, Central Jakarta, Monday, December 8. Billy then presented the comparison data that Anies meant in the third debate. Prabowo, said Billy, owns 340,000 hectares of land with details of 220 thousand in East Kalimantan and 120 thousand in Central Aceh. Meanwhile, the comparison is the need for land for the official residences of all TNI soldiers covering an area of 220 hectares and 115 million hectares for 12.7 million backlogs of houses throughout Indonesia. "So, it should be, the priority should be as mentioned by Mr. Anies is a house for soldiers. And that has not been fulfilled until now. The data is very unequal. Even if it has to go through a mechanism, why is it not proposed for the procurement of houses. That's the context," he explained. Moreover, the spotlight on the area of Prabowo's land was also mentioned by Jokowi when he collided with Prabowo in the 2019 presidential election debate. "If the president remembers, that is also the criticism he made during the 2019 debate. And Mr. Anies has been disclaimer from the start that it was a quote when Pak Jokowi held the 2019 debate," said Billy. Previously, Jokowi considered that the third debate specifically for the 2024 presidential candidate was more seen as an event to attack each other and lose the substance of the debate as a debate over the vision and mission and program of each presidential candidate. This was revealed by the former Governor of DKI Jakarta at the small Serang Village restaurant, Banten, Monday, January 8. "Indeed, I see that the substance of his vision is not visible. What seems to be attacking each other is actually okay as long as (about) policies from policy, the origin of vision," said Jokowi.

"But if it has attacked individuals, individuals who have nothing to do with the context of last night's debate about international relations, about geopolitical relations, about defense, etc., I don't think it provides education, it educates people who watch it," he continued.