By: Dwi Cahya Alfarizi )*
The capital city, which is currently located in Jakarta, is considered to be too crowded, Jakarta is considered not ideal to be a Special Capital Region. On the other hand, the circulation of money in Jakarta is faster than outside Java, so the transfer of the State Capital from Jakarta to East Kalimantan is a form of equitable development.
Dahlan Wattihelu as a socio-political observer said that the relocation of the State Capital (IKN) to the island of Kalimantan was a step forward for equitable development in Indonesia.
Dahlan said that this was a step by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) for equitable development between East and West Indonesia or in other words shifting the portion of development growth from West to East or Indonesia-centric.
The prospect of IKN in the future is a sustainable city in the world, as well as as a driver of the Indonesian economy in the future which will include new centers of economic growth with various clusters.
Dahlan said the clusters include the clean technology industry, integrated pharmacy, sustainable agriculture industry, ecotourism and health tourism, chemicals and their derivatives and low-carbon energy.
The placement of IKN in Kalimantan is certainly very strategic for the progress of Indonesia as a whole. Therefore, this big step must be supported by all Indonesian people.
Kalimantan’s position is very potential to be used as a logistics superhub for the eastern and northern central regions of Indonesia.
On the previous occasion, President Jokowi had said that Indonesia as a big country must have the courage to step up and have a big agenda for the progress of the country. One of the big steps is to welcome development in the Capital of the Archipelago (IKN).
IKN is a form of change, Indonesian civilization by presenting the concept of Indonesia-centric development. Through the development of IKN, equitable development and high regional economic figures will no longer be concentrated in Java.
Through his speech broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel, Jokowi said that Indonesia needs economic justice, once again there are 17,000 islands, not just one island. We need equality of development, we need equitable development.
Although Indonesia consists of 17 thousand islands from Sabang to Merauke, in fact the GDP value of 58% of the economy is centered on the island of Java.
Jokowi also said that the public should not have doubts about the sustainability of IKN development because the legal basis and the approval process for the construction of the new capital city project are very strong, which have legal force and are approved by almost all factions in the Indonesian House of Representatives.
On a different occasion, an Economic Observer from the University of Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY), Achmad Ma’ruf, said that the transfer of IKN has multidimensional aspects for economic equality, geopolitics and national security, as well as security issues from natural disasters.
Ma’ruf said that we must think for the entire archipelago. Indonesia includes Kalimantan and Papua as well. Many people do not understand the insight of the archipelago, their minds are not clear, they make useless criticisms such as creating divisions.
Kalimantan as an IKN location is a geopolitical consequence of Indonesia, considering that in front of Kalimantan, especially East Kalimantan, lies a strategic trading area from the Sunda Strait to the Makassar Strait.
Hasto Kristiyanto as a Doctoral Student at the Defense University (Unhan) said that the design of the New IKN must reflect balance. Not only modern, but also in accordance with Indonesian culture and culture.
In addition, IKN can also symbolize the bridge between Indonesian history. Basically, IKN is a bridge between Indonesia’s past and Indonesia’s dream of building a world civilization. This is what is expected as a core value in building urban planning and architects of the new capital city.
Japanese architect Kengo Kuma hopes that the IKN in Kalimantan can be used as an example or model for capital cities, especially in Asia.
With the transfer of IKN to East Kalimantan, Jokowi hopes that people will not only focus on Java Island to earn a living. Thus, the burden on the islands of Java and Jakarta is not expected to be heavier.
On a different occasion, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said that the transfer of IKN from Jakarta to Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan, was one of the strategies to shift the portion of economic growth and development from the west to the east.
He considered that the government was well aware of the gap in economic development between Java and Outside Java.
Airlangga also hopes that IKN can be immediately built according to the plan and there is an active role for the community such as the delivery of information, public communication, and dissemination on preparation, development, to providing spaces for participation and public consultation to support the sustainable development of IKN.
Equitable and Indonesia-centric development is something that the Indonesian government wants to achieve. One of the concrete steps to achieve this is the relocation of the capital city to Kalimantan.
)* The author is a contributor to Persada Institute
