Appointment Of Azas Tigor As Commissioner Of LRT Is Called The Way The DKI Provincial Government Silences Critics

Jakarta LRT public transportation. (doc. Lrtjakarta.co.id)

The appointment of Azas Tigor Nainggolan as Commissioner of PT LRT Jakarta by the Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono is considered to have certain political intentions. This is said to be a way to silence the critics of the DKI Provincial Government.

Bearing in mind, so far Azas Tigor as an urban policy observer has often highlighted problems in the policies of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government and criticized him.

"It seems that (Azas Tigor's appointment as Commissioner of the LRT) seems to be to minimize or silence the critics of the DKI Provincial Government so that Pak Azas does not do much of the criticism by making him a commissioner," said a political observer from Al Azhar University. Ujang Komarudin told reporters, Tuesday, March 28.

Ujang views that giving positions to parties who often criticize government policies has occurred since the New Order era.

Where, critics are persuaded to get strategic positions, both in government structures and state or regional-owned enterprises. The goal is that they will no longer be able to criticize because they have entered the government circle.

"These may be subtle opening methods, yes. It's interesting that those who are critical of being commissioners so that they don't speak up anymore. Because, if they have become commissioners, they have become part of the party who criticized them earlier," said Ujang.

For information, Azas Tigor is an urban policy observer who often criticizes Anies Baswedan's policies when he was still the Governor of DKI Jakarta.

The appointment of Azas Tigor as a Commissioner of BUMD for transportation was carried out in the decision of shareholders (KPPS) outside the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders dated March 21, 2023.

Azas Tigor is now replacing Tatak Ujiyati who was removed from the position of Commissioner of the LRT as of November 14, 2022. Tatak is a former member of the DKI Jakarta Governor's Team for the Acceleration of Development (TGUPP) during Anies' tenure.

The composition of the board of directors for this subsidiary of PT Jakarta Propertindo (Perseroda) has not changed. The President Director of LRT is held by Hendri Saputra, as well as two Directors of the LRT, namely Aditia Kesuma Negara Dalimunthe and Sahurdi.

It is planned that the 1B phase of the Jakarta LRT for the Velodrome-Manggarai route has 5 stations with a length of 6.4 kilometers, namely Youth Station, BPKP Station, Pramuka Market Station, Matraman Station, and Manggarai Station.

So far, as many as 6 LRT stations have operated with a length of 5.2 kilometers in phase 1. So, if the 1B phase has been built, the Jakarta LRT has a route length of 12.2 kilometers with 11 stations ranging from Pegangsaan Dua Station to Manggarai Station.

In continuing the construction of the LRT Jakarta Velodrome-Manggarai route, the DKI Provincial Government provided regional capital participation (PMD) of around Rp900 billion sourced from the APBD for the 2023 fiscal year.