Anies Baswedan: IKN is not yet a priority

According to Anies, instead of building IKN, international support should be directed at helping develop infrastructure and basic community needs.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Anies Baswedan: IKN Belum Prioritas

DENTY PIAWAI NASTITIE

Presidential candidate number 1, Anies Baswedan, gave a press statement after attending the Conference on Indonesian Foreign Policy (CFIP) 2023 in Jakarta on Saturday (2/12/2023). On this occasion, Anies assessed that the development of the Indonesian Capital City (IKN) is not a priority.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Presidential candidate number 1, Anies Baswedan, believes that the development of the Indonesian Capital City (IKN) is not yet a priority. Anies conveyed this when talking with former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dino Patti Djalal at the 2023 Conference on Indonesian Foreign Policy (CIFP) in Jakarta, Saturday (2/12/2023).

Anies gave an example, there was a mother who still had to cover the costs of her children's education, health care and vehicle installments, but at the same time had to borrow money to build a new house. "If in a situation we have to complete urgent homework, that is what we must prioritize," said Anies.

He added that building healthcare, education, and infrastructure facilities for the people is far more urgent than constructing a new city. "Building healthcare facilities will be felt by the entire Indonesian people. If the construction in IKN (the new city) is only felt by state officials who work for the country, then what we need to do is to have the country work for the people," he said.

Also read: Jokowi denies Anies' criticism, claims IKN can create equality

According to Anies, instead of building the IKN, international support should be directed towards helping to develop infrastructure and basic needs for the community. "By 2045, three-quarters of the population will live in urban areas. The most important thing is to build public transportation infrastructure to reduce living costs, reduce congestion potential, and curb carbon emissions," Anies said.

Building healthcare facilities will be felt by all Indonesian citizens. If the construction in IKN is only felt by state officials who work for the government, then what we need to do is to make sure that the government works for the people.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Heavy equipment was used to flatten the ground for the development of the new capital city in Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan, on Friday (22/9/2023). President Joko Widodo stated that the construction of the new capital city has already reached approximately 40 percent completion.

Previously, in a meeting with the Indonesian Journalists Association on Thursday (1/12/2023), Anies also mentioned that amid budget constraints, development must be focused on important and urgent matters.

"Not only a matter of rejecting IKN, but we also have a limited budget. We must prioritize and make a scale of priorities. There are more urgent issues that need to be addressed," said Anies.

This is not the first time Anies has voiced criticism of the development of IKN. As you may know, Anies has previously stated that the development of IKN could create new inequalities, contrary to the government's frequent proclamation that the development of IKN is a form of equalization.

BIRO PERS SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN/LAILY RACHEV

Jokowi at IKN

With the construction of the new national capital city, it is hoped that new centers of economic growth will not only be limited to Java island, but also extend to other regions. On the contrary, we do not want it to be Java-centric, but rather we want it to be Indonesia-centric.

President Joko Widodo dismissed criticism from presidential candidate number 1, Anies Baswedan. Moving the capital city to East Kalimantan could actually create new economic equality and growth.

Following a joint tree planting event at the JIEP Urban Forest in the Pulo Gadung Industrial Area, Jakarta on Wednesday (29/11/2023), President Jokowi mentioned that 58 percent of Indonesia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is located on the island of Java.

"With the development of the Nusantara Capital, it is hoped that the point of new economic growth will not only be on Java Island, but also outside of Java Island. On the contrary, we do not want Javacentrism, we want Indonesiacentrism," said the President.

Geopolitics

In his presentation at CIFP, Anies also explained about four global challenge areas, namely geopolitics, economy, environment, and democracy. In terms of geopolitics, he said there are military and non-military threats. In terms of the economy, there is an increasing global economic competition. Another issue is the environment, which causes greater suffering for the poor community.

We must export ideas and breakthroughs and be an inspiration.

Another challenge related to democracy that causes many people to live under authoritarian systems is the declining practice of democracy within and outside of the country, as well as the increasing cases of corruption.

Also read: President Jokowi Calls IKN One of the Solutions for Reducing Jakarta's Pollution

Regarding foreign policy, this emphasizes the importance of the five pillars of development, namely adaptive defense, a just economy, a sustainable environment, building Indonesia's branding, and proactive and inclusive diplomacy.

Anies emphasized that Indonesia should not be a passive spectator in world political developments. "We have to export ideas and breakthroughs and be an inspiration," he said.