5 Days Kunker, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin: If You Have An Islamic Language, I Am Tawaf In Papua

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin had an audience with regents or representatives in the Saereri/ANTARA traditional area

PAPUA - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin admitted to tawaf in the Papua region during his five-day working visit in four provinces of Tanah Papua. "I call my working visit to Papua, if the Muslim language, I am doing tawaf in Papua, rotating around Papua. Usually, tawaf is in the Kaaba, the Ka'bah is playing around, but I am tawaf in Papua," said Ma'ruf Amin at Parai Beach, Biak Numfor Regency, Papua, Antara, Friday, December 2. During his visit to Biak Numfor, Ma'ruf Amin had an audience with the Regent of Biak Numfor Herry Ario Naap, Acting Regent (Pj) Regent of Yapen Cyfrianus Y. Mambay, Deputy Regent of the Waropen Islands Lamek Maniagasi, Regional Secretary of Supiori Regency Ferra Wanggai, and a number of members of the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda). Also attending the hearing were Deputy Minister of Home Affairs John Wempi Wetipo and Regional Secretary of Papua Province Ridwan Ruikutun. As the Head of the Steering Committee for the Acceleration of Special Autonomy Development for Papua (BP3OKP) or the Papua Steering Committee (BPP), Ma'ruf Amin made a working visit to Papua since November 28, 2022. Ma'ruf Amin visited Jayapura City, Papua Province, Merauke Regency in South Papua Province, then continued a working visit to Timika City in Central Papua Province, Kaimana Regency in West Papua Province, and finally to Biak Numfor Regency in Papua Province. "Today, December 2, is the fifth day of my journey as Chair of the Steering Committee for the Acceleration of Special Autonomy Development in Papua or the Papua Steering Committee. So, it has been five days since I have returned home, this is only in Papua," he said. He added that the presence of BPP is a manifestation of the central government's commitment to organize Papua for the better. "Kunker to Jayapura, Merauke, Mimika, Kaimana, and Biak (Numfor) is my longest visit in the country," he added. During his visit, Ma'ruf admitted that he received a number of inputs from a cultural perspective. "I am very happy to be able to come to Papua, meet local governments, traditional leaders, community leaders, and especially the Papuan people I love," he explained. He has also recorded various impressions, aspirations, suggestions, and valuable inputs. "Including today, all of which have been recorded," he added. During the hearing, regional heads and regional officials who attended agreed to propose a new autonomous region (DOB), namely the northern Papua province, as the Dat Saereri region. Ma'ruf Amin said the proposed formation of the DOB would see an evaluation of the formation of four new provinces in Papua, namely Central Papua, South Papua, Mountains Papua, and Southwest Papua. "Later in the process. Now the government is prioritizing these four DOBS, which is new so that this goes well; so that if it is good, it has gone well, we will see if there may be another new expansion which they think is a customary area. There are two customary areas that have not been mapped," said Ma'ruf Amin. Previously, Thursday (1/12), Ma'ruf Amin received an audience from the Regent of Kaimana Freddy Thie, the Regent of Fakfak Untung Tamsil, the Regent of Teluk Wondama Hendrik Mambor, and the Chairman of the Kaimana Customary Council Johan Werfete. During the meeting, they proposed to Ma'ruf Amin to make the Bomberai Raya or Central West Papua region a new province. "Well, we'll see about this. So, we're not apriori and we're not apriori rejecting it. Let's just process it according to the demands of the situation, but the government has indeed prepared four," said Ma'ruf Amin.