President Jokowi: 14 Drug Convicts Execution as a Prove of Bravery

President Joko Widodo and the Chairwoman of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) at the party’s national working meeting, held at D-2 Hall JI Expo, Kemayoran, Jakarta, on Sunday (10/1) afternoon

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo denied the statement from several people saying that the President is not a brave and firm figure. The President pointed out the fact of the execution of 14 drug convicts and the act to drown 107 illegal fishing ships as the proves that the President is not as they are talking about.

“If I am not brave and firm, how can we drown 107 illegal fishing ships? If I am not brave and firm, how can we execute 14 drug convicts? If I am not brave and firm, how can Pertamina Energy Trading Ltd. (Petral) been suspended,” President Jokowi said while giving a remarks at the 1^st Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP)’s national working meeting for 2015-2020 period, at  D-2 Hall JI Expo, Kemayoran, Jakarta, on Sunday (10/1) afternoon.

Those facts, the President firmly said, are the proves of his bravery and firmness, because it is impossible for the ministers to take a brave and firm action if it was not instructed by the President.

“We want to be sovereign and independent. If I think it is the right decision, there is nothing impossible. I will do it,” the President said.

On that occasion, President Jokowi reminded all the importance to have right direction for this country. The direction will become a guidance for this country to move along. Therefore, President Joko Widodo reminded that the Comprehensive National Development Plan becomes our home work to make the direction of our future development clear.

The Government itself, President Jokowi added, currently carries on the mid and long-term development seriously. “What we will carry on in another 5, 10, 25, and 50 years, as well as our dreams in another 100 years must be designed since now, so that it will be the guidance,” President Jokowi said.

Related to the beginning of ASEAN Economic Community (MEA)’s era, President Jokowi asserted that currently the Government works hard to improve and fix the sector that is considered to have minus things.

“We are entering the era of competition that could not be avoided. Therefore, there is no other way, rather than working hard to improve and fix the sectors that are considered to have minus things,” the President said.

According to the President, we do not have to feel afraid in facing the competition era, because many countries’ leaders, inculding in ASEAN countries who do feel afraid that their domestic market will be flooded with Indonesia’s goods and labors, since they could not hold it any longer. “They are afraid too. Thus, we must believe that we could compete with them,” the President added.

President Jokowi also stressed on the commitment of the Government on the infrastructure development which is Indonesia-centrist, and no longer Java-centrist, as well as to develop border areas and villages. The President mentioned that the 2016 State Budget allocation reaches Rp 314 trillion in order to manifest equitable development, particularly on remote and border areas.

According to President Jokowi, the main problem faced by Indonesia now is the inequality in regions and noticable gap of the price of goods in the regions. The President took an example in the price of premium gas in Jakarta is Rp 7,000 per litre, while the price in Wamena is Rp 60,000 per litre.

“The price of cement in Jakarta is Rp 60,000 per sack, while in Papua is Rp 1,000,000 and Rp 2.5 million in Central Papua Highland areas due to the lack in infrastructures. We must fix the gap,” President Jokowi added while giving an example.

The President described the lack of infrastructure conditions in Papua when he visited Nduga Regency in which do not have asphalt roads. “The trip from Nduga to Wamena took 4 days,” the President said.

Therefore, the President instructed the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing and the Indonesian National Defence Forces (TNI) to construct the road from Nduga to Wamena this year. “If the road finishes, then the price could reduce by half. The nodes between islands are connected,” the President said.

The President does not only pay attention to infrastructures in remote and underdeveloped areas, but also to improve road condition in the border areas to make it better than neighbouring countries. “The road on the border is what we work on to rise the pride as a nation,” the President said.

Through the infrastructures development, including constructing dams and sea ports, President Jokowi believes it will strengthen the competition of domestic products. Moreover, the dam and irrigation are the key to food security in the future. “If there are no dam and water, how could we plant rice, corn, and soy bean?” the President said.

Sea ports are also the key to improve the competition. If the sea ports are not ready to accomodate the goods, the price will be high and make it harder to compete. “Sea ports became the key because 2/3 of our territory is water,” the President said.

The opening of the 1^st Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP)’s national working meeting was attended by the Chairwoman of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) Megawati Soekarnoputri, acting of the House of Representatives Speaker Fadli Zon, Speaker of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) Irman Gusman, Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Zulkifli Hasan, and Working Cabinet ministers. (TKP/ES) (RAS/MMD/YM/Naster)