Mahfud MD: Presidential Institute Survey 82 Percent Of Papuans Ask For Regional Expansion

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD/DOK via personal Instagram

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD, said that amid the pros and cons of the expansion of the Papua region, this step was supported by the community. This statement is based on the results of a survey conducted by the government.

"The results of a survey conducted by the presidential institution are that 82 percent of the Papuan people actually ask for expansion, ask for it to bloom", Mahfud said at a press conference after accompanying the Papuan People's Assembly and the West Papuan People's Assembly to meet with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Monday, April 24.

This, continued Mahfud, was also explained by President Jokowi to the delegations of the Papuan People's Assembly and the West Papuan People's Assembly at the meeting.

Even so, the government does not have a problem if there is the further discussion regarding the expansion of this region. Because the pros and cons often occur in every policy issued.

According to him, people in Papua have often voiced the pros and cons directly and without prohibition.

"There is nothing in this country that everyone immediately agrees on", he stressed.

However, Mahfud emphasized, many regions are actually asking for expansion. At least, 354 requests have been submitted to the government, including West Papua also asking for the same thing.

"In fact, asking for expansion in various regions is a struggle. There are 354 requests for expansion and based on interests in Papua we have granted them for three provinces", explained the former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court.

As previously reported, the division of territory in Papua is contained in a draft law (RUU) proposed by Commission II of the House of Representatives.

The bill for the three new Papua provinces was approved in a decision-making plenary meeting on the results of the harmonization of the bill in the Legislation Body of the House of Representatives. The three new provinces are South Papua Province, Central Papua Province, and Central Highlands Papua Province.