July 30, 2024
JAKARTA – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo spent his first few nights at the Garuda Presidential Palace in the future capital Nusantara in an apparent attempt to dispel concerns over the city’s sluggish development, though he also complained about not getting a good night’s sleep.
The outgoing President claimed progress on Nusantara was going according to plan and that he had enjoyed an “abundant water supply, good electricity and internet connection” during his first stay at the residence that was built in the form of the mythical bird Garuda, Indonesia’s national symbol.
Some two months before the end of his presidency, Jokowi, whose Nusantara megaproject has seen a number of challenges, has doubled down on efforts to inspire domestic and international confidence in his ambitious capital relocation plan.
Weeks after announcing the project’s most recent relocation delay, resulting from incomplete key infrastructure, Jokowi set out for Nusantara to experience the residential and working experience at the palace.
He arrived at the East Kalimantan site on Sunday with a group of celebrities, internet influencers and members of the press.
“I’ll just say it as it is, I did not sleep well. Maybe it’s because it is my first time […] so I couldn’t sleep deeply just yet,” Jokowi told reporters on Monday. He later added that the palace had provided him with good facilities.
“I’ve also started working here, though only soft work. There is still a lot of construction happening. […] Everything is progressing, and today I will be holding closed meetings in the presidential office,” he continued.
Included in Jokowi’s soft work agenda on Monday was a meeting with Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, who is also acting head of the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) Authority. The two discussed investment and public participation in the megaproject, according to an official release.
The city’s transportation connectivity was also raised at the meeting, with the construction of an airport that was initially slated to be ready before an Independence Day celebration on Aug. 17, facing delays because of poor weather conditions.
Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi, who was present at the meeting, told reporters that Jokowi had ordered all construction in Nusantara to be performed properly and had advised against rushed or forced jobs.
“It was a relief [when President Jokowi said that], because we will never carry out construction knowing that it will fail in the future. We have to be professional and accountable as the government,” Budi said.
Wielding influence
President Jokowi was slated to inaugurate Nusantara in mid-August and begin working in his new office in July, when the first phase of construction of government buildings was scheduled to finish.
However, earlier this month, the President announced that the basic infrastructure of the government offices was not yet ready. He set a new goal of completing their construction by the second week of July.
Amid the sluggish progress on Nusantara, the government has halved this year’s target for relocating high-level civil servants to only 6,000 people, citing incomplete housing facilities as the primary reason.
Amid wavering public confidence in the IKN project, Jokowi brought a group of influencers along for his Garuda Palace trip, apparently for publicity, a move that has been subject to public criticism.
Upon touchdown on Sunday, the President and his celebrity guests enjoyed a motorbike convoy on the incomplete IKN toll road, before officiating the Balang Island Bridge connecting neighboring Balikpapan to the proposed new capital.
The 1,750-meter-long bridge, which cost the government Rp 1.4 trillion (US$86 million), is intended to eventually provide access to South Kalimantan.
Fried rice, roasted lamb, sushi and hamburgers were on the menu at the IKN, where the President shared a Sunday dinner with the influencers.
“Pak Jokowi has given us a tour, including of the Presidential Palace. Masyallah [God willing], once completed I’m sure that it will be incredible. This is monumental,” said Raffi Ahmad, a celebrity with over 26 million YouTube subscribers. He added that he would always support the government.
Some social media users said it was inappropriate for the government to spend taxpayer money for what seemed to be a holiday for celebrities.
Defense minister and president-elect Prabowo Subianto, who won the February election on a platform of continuing Jokowi’s policies, including the development of Nusantara, was in Paris at the time on a working visit.
Jokowi said he would likely spend the next several days living and working at Garuda Palace, adding that he had no clear plans for the week yet.