Presidential Candidate Anies Promises Samarinda To Enter 40 Developed Cities Equivalent To Jakarta

Anies Baswedan took a selfie at the Desak Anies forum in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Thursday (11/1/2024). (ANTARA/Hanivan Ma'ruf)

SAMARINDA - Presidential candidate number 1, Anies Baswedan, promised the City of Samarinda, East Kalimantan Province to be included in the list of 40 developed cities equivalent to Jakarta.

"Today I had the opportunity to greet the people of Samarinda and also put forward the idea of equitable development," Anies said in Samarinda as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, January 11.

He is committed that if he is elected president, he will make Samarinda City a driver of the economy.

"The equitable development is not only built in one city, but we encourage it to be able to build 40 cities equivalent to the capital city of Indonesia. Well, in East Kalimantan, one of which is carried by the city of Samarinda," said Anies.

Anies explained that basic infrastructure such as clean water, flood control, and waste processing are his priority for Samarinda.

"There are frequent overflowing river water, Mahakam River, which causes flooding which is very burdensome," he said.

Regarding the waste processing system, the basic urban infrastructure in Samarinda was promised by Anies to be improved.

Anies admitted that he had his own memories of Samarinda, since he was still a student and held training with young people from East Kalimantan.

"When I got to Samarinda, reminded me in 1994, when holding training activities. Some of the participants came for four days to get to this location," he recalled.

Anies said he watched closely what was called inequality, when he saw children with unhealthy health conditions, at the same time behind them there was a coal barge passing by.

"We don't want that inequality to be allowed to continue, we see this must be resolved," he said.

Anies returned to Samarinda to invite residents in East Kalimantan to work together to make changes so that this inequality can be resolved.

Anies also wore a t-shirt that read "there is no heirloom that is just as valuable as honesty", which is one of Bung Hatta's quotes, one of Indonesia's proclaimers.

"I deliberately wore this shirt, because I want to remind all of us that honesty is the most valuable asset, and we must maintain this honesty in politics, in the nation, and in the state," he said.