Three-way fight: Three vice-presidential candidates (from left) Muhaimin, Gibran and Mahfud take part in the second of five vice presidential election debates at the Jakarta Convention Center in Jakarta. — AFP
President Joko Widodo’s millennial son coolly fended off criticisms in a highly-anticipated election debate on Dec 22, as his vice-presidential opponents blasted his father’s biggest legacy project to move the country’s capital from Jakarta to Borneo.
Gibran Rakabuming Raka surprised the audience with his calm delivery, laced with stinging sarcasm as he squared off against political heavyweights – chief security minister Mahfud MD and seasoned politician Muhaimin Iskandar.
Gibran, 36, defended his father’s economic policies that he said had reduced unemployment, poverty and economic inequality.
He hailed Nusantara, the new administrative capital currently being built from scratch in East Kalimantan, as a “symbol of equality” that would create jobs and distribute economic growth more evenly to regions outside Java island, where Jakarta is located.
Muhaimin, 57, criticised the high cost of the project, estimated at nearly 500 trillion rupiah (RM151bil), saying even one to three per cent of the outlay would have been better used to develop infrastructure such as schools and roads across Kalimantan, which is the Indonesian part of Borneo.In response, Gibran reminded Muhaimin that he had celebrated the launch of the capital project by “slicing the nasi tumpeng”, a yellow rice dish prepared for special occasions in Indonesia.
“Mr Muhaimin, I remember the last time you too visited Nusantara to celebrate the project, but you are now saying otherwise. You are not being consistent.
“Nusantara is not only about building government buildings, it’s a symbol of equality, a symbol of transformation of Indonesia’s development,” he added.
Addressing criticism from Mahfud, 66, about the absence of investors channelling funds into the new capital, Gibran said few investors have come forward as they are waiting to see who will form the new government and the level of political stability in the country.
Gibran also pressed Mahfud for a reply to his question about how he would regulate carbon capture and storage technology to reduce emissions from the atmosphere.
“You haven’t answered my question, Mr Mahfud,” he said sharply. “You should not ramble. I asked how you would draft the stipulations.”
Mahfud replied that it needs an academic paper to answer that question, adding: “We need to identify the problems to address first and only then we could discuss the substance.”
During the debate, Gibran laid out his plans to improve the economy, from developing the downstream industry in the areas of mining, agriculture and fisheries, to supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises. These measures will create 19 million jobs, he said.
The debate was the second of five election debates, with the Dec 22 discussion focused on the economy, finance, trade, investment and infrastructure. — The Straits Times/ANN
