Asked About Cawe-cawe It Means Leading HIPMI To Support One Of The Candidates In The Election? Jokowi Says This

President Jokowi at HIPMI (Photo: DOK president.go.id)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) explained that the statement made at the XVIII National Working Meeting forum for the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI) 2023 in its capacity as a senior member of the organization. "I am HIPMI too. The category may be senior HIPMI. Pak Abdul Latief (Senior founder of HIPMI) said that I entered the senior HIPMI. If you give a briefing to my younger siblings, it's okay," said Jokowi after attending the XVIII HIPMI National Working Meeting in Tangerang Regency, Banten, quoted from Antara, Thursday, August 31. Jokowi said the form of direction presented in the forum was about downstreaming policies and industrialization of raw materials to packaging for added value of products in market competitions. According to Jokowi, the policy already has a clear calculation to give Indonesia a leap to become a developed country. "The calculations are clear. That downstreaming, industrialization will jump us into a developed country. The calculations are there, the calculations are there, if those who want to argue, go ahead," he said when asked if downstreaming should be continued by the next president. When asked by reporters, will it direct the HIPMI organization to support one of the candidates in the political contestation? Jokowi said that the HIPMI National Working Meeting agenda is a business affair. "This is a business matter, HIPMI is a business matter. If later it is a political matter, yes it can be done too," he said. Previously in his opening speech at the XVIII HIPMI National Working Meeting, Jokowi conveyed the request of HIPMI General Chair Akbar Himawan Buchhari for the President to give directions in the forum. "So earlier, Mr. Ketum asked for the President's direction, if I directed it not to be wrong, Mr. Latief told me earlier, you were in the senior HIPMI category, so if you direct it's okay. If it's a mess, it's okay, because it's in our own family, right," said Jokowi. Jokowi said that there are many HIPMI alumni who are now taking part in the Advanced Indonesia Cabinet, including Sandiaga Uno as Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Erick Thohir as Minister of SOEs, Bahlil Lahadalia as Minister of Investment/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board, to Dito Ariotedjo who is now Minister of Youth and Sports. "I thought about it, maybe HIPMI has become the set of Indonesian ministers, because from HIPMI there are a lot of ministers, too many," he said.

Jokowi also asked all HIPMI members not to forget themselves as part of the HIPMI extended family. "Don't forget, I am HIPMI, but HIPMI is a region, HIPMI is a village, it has not yet entered the Central HIPMI, HIPMI is a region. But once again, the President is still HIPMI," he said.