Construction Of The Jokowi Statue In Tanah Karo, Observers Question Its Urgency

People take pictures with Jokowi's statue. (Between)

JAKARTA - The construction of President Jokowi's statue on the land of Karo, North Sumatra still raises questions about the urgency of the statue being established. Why was this statue being built? According to the opinion of a polyltic observer who is also a lecturer at the Faculty of Social Science, University of North Sumatra (UMSU), Shohibul Anshor is none other than an attempt to glorify Jokowi's figure.

According to him, currently there is something more needed by the people of Karo than to establish a statue or monument that is only to be arrogant and show off splendor. Meanwhile, the direct benefits for society are still being debated.

"It's not the time for glorification like building this statue anymore. This is an attempt to pass someone's greatness on to the next generation. In today's era there is no need for a statue," VOI told VOI when contacted on November 8.

There are other ways that are more elegant and that have been exemplified by the founders of the republic and figures of this nation in the previous era. He referred to Bung Karno's idea for world peace that is still relevant for now and the times to come.

As known, Bung Karno's speech at the 1960 United Nations General Assembly (UN) was designated as Memory of the World (MoW) by UNESCO. The determination was made in a plenary session by UNESCO Executive Board on May 10-24, 2023.

That's why Shohibul Anshor questioned what was the facilitation for the construction of the Jokowi statue which was said to be a proposal from the people of Karo. "It could be a suggestion from some Karons, but how many have proposed it. Survey on how many people have the opposite idea. And most importantly, what is thefaedah to build this statue?" he said.

As previously reported by VOI, President Joko Widodo's statue is planned to be built at the highest peak of Liang Melas Datas, Karo Regency, North Sumatra. The height of the statue is planned to be 7.5 meters. The construction of the Jokowi statue is estimated to cost IDR 2.5 billion. Because the funds have stalled, reportedly Bobby Nasution contributed to the construction of this statue amounting to IDR 500 million.

Instead of building a statue or monument, according to Shohibul Anshori, building a wide and smooth road is more beneficial for the people. "People need a better and wider way to transport their produce to other areas," he said.

Apart from the land of Karo, Jokowi's statue was also built in Sunu Village, South Central Timor Regency (TTS), East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). The people of Sunu Village hope that with the establishment of the statue, Jokowi can maintain national unity.