PPP DPR Members Want IKN Don't Be Like Batam, Failed To Become A Developed City

The DPR Commission II Meeting with the Head of the IKN Authority. (Nailin / VOI)

JAKARTA - Member of Commission II of the DPR from the PPP faction, Syamsurizal warned not to let the capital city of Nusantara (IKN) in East Kalimantan have the same fate as Batam City, Riau Islands Province. Namely, it failed to become a city that is projected as a developed city. This was conveyed by Syamsurizal in a hearing (RDP) with the Head of the Archipelago Capital Authority (IKN) in the meeting room of Commission II of the DPR, Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Monday, March 18.

"Earlier, it was called the city of Sensen, which is a very advanced city in China there. Sensen was built simultaneously with Batam, both at that time, but as a result, Sensen developed rapidly tremendously until the population reached 17 million. If Sensen shot (harusnya, ed) Batam missed. (But) What Batam wanted at that time was not realized at all, even though Batam has a kind of changing concept, Batam's progress is normal, then we hope that like Sensen it doesn't happen," said Syamsurizal.

Syamsurizal asked the Head of the IKN Authority to study the context of building IKN. According to him, Batam's failure to become a developed city was driven away by Singapore. Singapore, according to him, considers Batam to be its rival.

"But Sensen was fully supported by his government at that time, his PRC at that time. The one who supported him the most was the community, businessmen who were number one in the world. This is different from Batam and of course this is different from IKN because there are no people who are business people there," he said.

Therefore, continued Syamsurizal, IKN must be a common concern so as not to become a failed city like Batam. One of them is anticipating the arrival of people who actually bring prosperity to IKN. "Because what caused Batam (fails to advance) was, when we tried to learn because I lived in Batam there were many things that ideally became that way, first, the arrival of Batam residents could not move because they were busy with people who came who brought prosperity, perhaps this should be anticipated for IKN," said the Riau electoral district legislator.