The Cilegon City Government has once again demonstrated its\ncommitment to opening spaces for public participation through the\nMerdeka Bicara forum, held at Paradiso Garden Cafe on Wednesday, 22\nApril 2026.<\/p>\n
Merdeka Bicara serves as a platform for open dialogue between the\nlocal government and Cilegon students to directly convey aspirations,\ncriticisms, and suggestions to policymakers. One of the key topics\ndiscussed was the issue of women\u2019s and children\u2019s protection.<\/p>\n
One of the student representatives present, Sarinah Hani from GMNI\nCilegon City, expressed her aspirations and concerns. Sarinah\nhighlighted the security emergency situation in Cilegon City due to the\nprevalence of reported sexual harassment cases. She emphasised the\nimportance of serious action from all parties to address the issue\ncomprehensively. \u201cCilegon is currently in a security emergency regarding\nsexual harassment cases. We hope for concrete and firm steps from the\ngovernment and law enforcement to prevent these cases from recurring,\u201d\nshe stated.<\/p>\n
In addition, Sarinah questioned the existence and accessibility of\nthe Women\u2019s and Children\u2019s Protection Office (PPA), so that the public,\nespecially victims, can easily access counselling and protection\nservices.<\/p>\n
She also spotlighted the condition of child-friendly parks in Cilegon\nCity, which she assessed as not yet fully meeting safety standards.\nAccording to her, there are still various damaged facilities and\ninfrastructure, a lack of breastfeeding-friendly facilities, and\ninstances of smoking activities in areas that should be safe spaces for\nchildren. \u201cThere must be more serious supervision and improvements,\nbecause child-friendly parks should truly be safe, comfortable, and\nhealthy spaces for children,\u201d she asserted.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Sarinah touched on the recently enacted Domestic Workers\nProtection Law (UU PPRT) and urged optimal socialisation and\nimplementation at the local level.<\/p>\n
Besides women\u2019s and children\u2019s protection issues, infrastructure\nproblems and improvements in education quality were also highlighted.\nCilegon Mayor Robinsar explained that for women\u2019s and children\u2019s\nprotection, his administration has coordinated with relevant parties to\naccelerate handling.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegarding cases of violence and harassment, we have coordinated with\nlaw enforcement agencies, both police and prosecutors, to open\ncommunication channels and speed up handling through DP3AKB and the PPA\nunit,\u201d he clarified.<\/p>\n
In the infrastructure sector, the Cilegon City Government continues\nto improve drainage, address flooding, and develop child-friendly parks.\nMeanwhile, in the education sector, the government has optimised budgets\nfrom both the Regional Budget (APBD) and CSR funds from industries.<\/p>\n
In addition, Robinsar outlined an innovative agriculture programme\nthat will soon be implemented. This programme includes the use of\nsuperior seeds projected to significantly increase harvest productivity.\n\u201cWe invite students interested in agriculture to participate in this\nprogramme as a form of collaboration to promote regional food security,\u201d\nhe added.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Robinsar stated that around 70 percent of the\naspirations voiced by students are essentially already included in\nplanning or in the implementation stage of the local government\u2019s\nprogrammes. \u201cThis forum is not a platform for self-defence, but a space\nto report progress and strengthen two-way communication,\u201d he\nemphasised.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, Deputy Mayor of Cilegon Fajar Hadi Prabowo\nappreciated the high enthusiasm of students in this event. \u201cThis Merdeka\nBicara shows very high enthusiasm, evident from the numerous questions\nand inputs provided. This indicates the students\u2019 great concern for the\ndevelopment of Cilegon City,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The presence of this forum is proof that the Cilegon City Government\nis open to constructive criticism. Through dialogue spaces like Merdeka\nBicara, the government seeks to build more transparent and participatory\ntwo-way communication with students as part of the community.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/cilegon-city-government-opens-space-for-student-aspirations-through-merdeka-bicara-forum-1777017132", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }