“If only a figur has only a blind passion to support the boss without being supported by relevant data that can be accounted for can make his or her off-side position only ro undermine the reputation, if he or she does have it at all”
JAKARTA | KBA – Perindo Party DPP National Chair Muhammad Zainul Majdi is considered to be maneuvering. The goal is alledgedly for his party to get a ministerial seat.
The polemic centers on the comparison of the length of the road built during the former President SBY administration and of President Jokowi, in the length construction between the two, by also adding village roads as free roads, involving a figure who is familiarly called Tuan Guru Bajang (TGB).
TGB claimed that the non-toll roads built during the 2014-2024 Joko Widodo Administration were longer than that of the 2004-2014 Presidency of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
“TGB’s move to include village roads as an achievement for President Jokowi is inseparable from his political maneuvers as Chair of the Perindo Party. Perindo hopes to get additional cabinet seats to replace Minister of Communication and Informatics Johhny G. Plate who has become a suspect in the BTS Bakti case,” explained public policy observer Achmad Nur Hidayat in a release received by KBA News Tuesday, May 23, 2023.’
“But don’t force the achievements of the village heads to become the achievements of the president, OK TGB,” he said sarcastically.
Previously, he explained that the former Governor of West Nusa Tenggara was not right in adding village road data as part of the non-toll roads built during the Jokowi era, so they were longer than the roads built during the SBY era, as stated by Anies Baswedan.
“This TGB statement is wrong. In fact village roads are not President Jokowi’s discretion (policy choices), “he explained.
Achmad Nur Hidayat explained that Jokowi’s government provided village funds, which then the village head used only part of it for village roads. Others are to help with economic recovery and handling of Covid-19 in the village.
“The choice of building a village road depends on the village head, including how long and how wide it is. Obviously, the total length of village roads cannot be assessed as Jokowi’s discretion. But the achievements of the village heads nationally,” he explained.
Because of that Tuan Guru Bajang should praise village heads all over Indonesia. Because they, through the Village Conference, use village funds for village road needs.
“The village head deserves the highest appreciation. Because they are trying to go through village roads to reduce village inequality and create social justice,” said the holder of a Master of Public Policy degree from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
As previously reported, TGB criticized Anes Baswedan for not presenting the full data when comparing the free road construction during the Jokowi and SBY eras. So that the data revealed by the Presidential Decree of the Coalition for Change shows that SBY’s administration was superior.
In fact, he said through a video circulating on social media, plus village roads built during Jokowi’s nine years of administration which reached 316 thousand km, the current government is taking longer to build free roads than before as his claim.
“Thus, if we submit the data as a whole, the construction of free roads during President Jokowi’s time, starting from national roads, provincial roads, regency/city roads and village roads, the figure is around 340 thousand kilometers. Far above the construction of free roads in the previous era. Thank you,” he said in the 4-minute video.
A number of Democratic politicians themselves also denied TGB’s statement. One of them is Deputy Secretary General of the Democratic Party DPP, Irwan. Through his Twitter account, @irwan_fecho, he emphasized that he intended to refute the BPS data submitted by Anies Baswedan, but instead it was the most reckless blunder of a TGB.
Because besides failing to refute the BPS data confirming that SBY is building national roads, as well as regional roads, much longer than Jokowi’s, TBG instead shifted the debate to village road construction.
“TGB said Jokowi had built 316,000 km of village roads (TGB did not convey the source). Assuming the number is correct, then of course what is meant is not building new roads but development here includes (construction, reconstruction, preservation as well as maintenance),” he squeaked.
In fact, if you want to compare the village roads built in the SBY era, Jokowi still loses. Because, he continued, by referring to data reported by setkab.go.id, SBY’s government for 10 years actually succeeded in building village roads through the Independent PNPM (National Community Empowerment Program) along 1.13 million km, even though the Village Law had not yet been enacted.
“This is talking about taking sides with the people since the beginning of taking office,” said Irwan.
The polemic on comparing roads in the SBY and Jokowi eras began with Anies Baswedan’s speech when delivering the National Address at the 21st Anniversary of the PKS at Istora Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
Anies criticized the Jokowi administration for prioritizing the construction of toll roads compared to non-toll national roads which provide equality for all people to use them. He also compared it with the era of SBY’s government, which served for two terms from 2004-2014.
Referring to the news from Kata Data May 12 2023 edition Check Data: Comparison of Road Conditions in the Jokowi Era vs the Previous President, Anies said the Jokowi Government, which has led Indonesia since 2014 until now, has succeeded in building toll roads 1,569 km long or 63 percent of the total operating toll roads. in Indonesia, 2,499 km.
This means that Jokowi has succeeded in building the longest toll road compared to previous administrations.
Meanwhile, the construction of unpaid roads, whether national roads, provincial roads or district roads, during the Jokowi period, which will only end in 2024, 19,000 km have been built.
This figure is clearly far below the SBY government era which succeeded in building roads along 144,000 km or 7.5 times compared to Jokowi’s time.
The difference is even more striking when compared to road construction at the level of authority. The construction of national roads during the Jokowi era which was the responsibility of the central government was 590 km. While during SBY’s time, 11,800 km or 20 times as much.
“We haven’t talked about quality, we haven’t talked about standards and so on,” Anies said at the time.
However, continued Anies, both infrastructure, both toll roads and free roads, are both needed. But what needs more attention is alignment in determining policy priorities for all classes of society.
“When talking about economic infrastructure, it provides equal opportunities for all. We need to think in the future of inclusive institutions, infrastructure that builds everyday life,” said Anies Baswedan.
Source: kbanews.com
