By: Indra Fajar Mahendra )*
The Government of the Republic of Indonesia (RI) has been very correct in trying to handle cases on Rempang Island. With various steps, the main ones are a persuasive approach and good communication, and done in gentle ways.
A number of ministers have held meetings to discuss the conflict that occurred on Rempang Island, Batam. The meeting was chaired directly by the Minister of Investment or Head of BKPM, Bahlil Lahadalia, which resulted in the decision that handling in Rempang must be carried out in a gentle manner.
Not only the Minister of Investment, but the meeting was also attended by several other parties such as the Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning or the Head of the National Land Agency (ATR / BPN) Hadi Tjahjanto, Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, Deputy Chief of Police Komjen Agus Andrianto, Governor of the Riau Islands Ansar Ahmad and Mayor of Batam.
Bahlil said that related to the dynamics occurring in the Riau Islands, especially regarding how to invest in Rempang Island, several agreements had been agreed upon at the meeting which would continue to be discussed by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia (RI) with the entire community, one of which was the agreement This is related to the process of dealing with Rempang residents, which must be done in a gentle manner.
Not only that, efforts are being made to ensure that the process of handling investment in Rempang is carried out in a good manner and the Indonesian Government will give appreciation to the people who have been there for generations. Apart from that, the government also promised to continue to build good communication with all residents in Rempang.
In this communication, there will be discussions about the development of national strategic projects with all local residents. So it is clear that in deciding on a policy that is still related to the environment in Rempang, the government is not doing it alone, but is establishing good communication with the community so that it can create a policy that is able to accommodate the aspirations of the residents as well.
Discussing the commotion regarding the relocation of 16 villages in Rempang, it is strongly suspected that this was carried out by individuals outside the original community working on the land there, whose permit for the project belonging to this individual had apparently previously been revoked.
So it is clear that several individuals whose permits have been officially revoked are then suspected of carrying out provocations, causing problems to occur. So the Indonesian government admitted that special treatment was needed to be able to find a solution.
Apart from that, the Minister of Investment and Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) also promised that all projects implemented in Rempang Eco-City will clearly have a very positive impact on all communities around Rempang Island, Batam City, Riau Islands Province.
Until now, the RU Government is still continuing to prepare plans for resolving the conflict on Rempang Island so that the best solution can be found for all parties. Basically, the entire investment plan, including on Rempang Island, will certainly provide many benefits to the community.
Because with investment, it will be able to help improve people’s welfare, apart from that it can also increase the creation of job opportunities which also has a direct impact on increasing people’s income as well.
Then for the people who will be relocated from the island, the Indonesian Government has promised to continue to provide all their rights in terms of land. Regarding the process of handling problems on Rempang Island itself, the Government continues to strive so that these problems can be resolved using a persuasive approach.
Regarding the relocation of Rempang residents, it is also clear that Bahlil emphasized that this would be done in various good ways. For the deadline for the plan itself, registration for relocation is September 20 2023, and the latest vacation of the island is September 28 2023. The thing that is very important and most important is how to communicate well with all the residents on Rempang Island.
For information, it is appropriate that Xinyi’s investment worth 175 trillion Rupiah can continue to be monitored until it is successful and runs smoothly. The reason is, currently Indonesia is continuing to compete with all other countries in the Southeast Asia region to be able to attract investment from foreign parties.
The competition in question is that the largest global Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is currently still held by neighboring countries. Meanwhile, Indonesia continues to strive to progress and rise, including investment that must occur as soon as possible because foreign parties themselves are also reluctant to wait too long for confirmation, which in fact if investment succeeds in coming in, it will improve people’s welfare. Therefore, the entire handling of the case on Rempang Island which is currently occurring has indeed been carried out very appropriately by the Indonesian Government.
)* The author is a contributor to Ruang Baca Nusantara
