DPR Member Reminds Head Of IKN Authority To Consider Local Voices In East Kalimantan

The zero point of IKN in Penajam Paser Utara/Antara/ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - Deputy Chair of Commission X DPR Hetifah Sjaifudian reminded the Head and Deputy Head of the National Capital Authority (IKN) Nusantara to consider local voices and contributions to the success of development in the IKN area.

"Congratulations to Bambang Susantono as Head of the IKN Authority and Dhony Rahajoe as Deputy Head of the IKN Authority who was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo at the State Palace yesterday," said Hetifah, quoted by Antara, Friday, March 11.

This member of the DPR from the constituency of East Kalimantan (Kaltim) gave his appreciation for the election of these two figures because both have non-party backgrounds and work in the professional field.

As for the request that both of them always consider the voice and contribution of local East Kalimantan in the development of IKN, he said, this is intended to get input from various parties, both community leaders, religious leaders, youth leaders, and others.

He emphasized the importance of nature conservation so that you must always pay attention to the green concept, namely the environmental friendliness factor because an unattended environment can cause damage that takes a long time and costs a lot to restore.

"IKN development must prioritize the principles of sustainability and environmental conservation, in accordance with the 'Smart Forest City' concept it carries. So it must be ensured that development is sustainable and potential environmental damage can be overcome in a measurable manner," he said.

Regarding efforts to continue to listen to and fight for the voices of the people of East Kalimantan, he admitted that he was ready to bridge the various aspirations of the people of East Kalimantan with the IKN Authority in the preparation, development, and transfer of IKN.

East Kalimantan Province, continued Hetifah, who is a friend of Bambang Susantono's at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), has many qualified figures and experts so that they are believed to be able to provide their views and contribute from their expertise when involved in the IKN Authority.

He suggested that universities in East Kalimantan be involved to be the driving force of IKN development innovation, both those related to research and local education that need to be improved.

"Universities and schools in the IKN Nusantara area to the buffer zones must improve their quality and facilities. The goal is of course to produce research and higher quality human resources to support the development of IKN in the future," said Hetifah.