Anies Campaign In Samarinda: Kalimantan Needs Development As Needed, Not IKN

Presidential Candidate number 1 Anies Baswedan while speaking at the Anies Desak event in Samarinda Seberang District, Samarinda City, East Kalimantan, Thursday (11/1/2024) (ANTARA/Ahmad Rifandi)

SAMARINDA - Presidential candidate number 1 Anies Baswedan said Kalimantan, especially East Kalimantan, needed development that was in accordance with the needs of the people, not the State Capital (IKN) Nusantara which would only benefit government employees.

"Don't build something as if it's diverting attention from the real problem in this place," said Anies when answering a moderator question about the future of Kalimantan in Anies 2024's Desak agenda in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, January 11.

According to Anies, the polemic about the environment is real in Kalimantan. Even when the rainy season begins, Mahakam River water rises so that floods occur everywhere.

"So, I see that there are needs that I have to solve that are more urgent than building a place that is only used for government employee activities," he said.

Anies said the budget allocated for IKN development should be used to build the infrastructure needed by the community in Kalimantan.

For example, transportation infrastructure such as the railway line connecting Pontianak, Palangka Raya, Banjarmasin, Balikpapan, Samarinda, and Tarakan.

"Currently Kalimantan is not connected. To go to Banjarmasin, you have to fly to Surabaya. From Pontianak to go to Samarinda you have to transit to Jakarta. Why? Because it is not connected to a unit," said Anies.

"Once transportation is connected, the economy is connected, progress will occur in Kalimantan," he added.

In addition, Anies also highlighted the issue of education and health in Kalimantan which is still concerning.

He said there were thousands of school buildings whose conditions were damaged in Kalimantan and had to be built immediately so that children could get a decent education.

"Then health. So, these basic things that I think are much more important," he said.

According to Anies, some people in Jakarta often cannot distinguish between wishes and needs.

He is grateful that the people of Samarinda can distinguish between desires and needs.

Anies also said that development in Kalimantan must be evenly distributed and not only concentrated in one location.

He promised that if he was elected president in the 2024 presidential election, he would ensure that Kalimantan's condition was more advanced and that its people felt welfare.

"And not only one location, but all locations in Kalimantan. This place is too rich with natural resources, but for the population there are still many who have not enjoyed the results of development," he said.