Facing Student Protests, Farhan Prepares Space for Dialogue and Transparency
The Bandung City Government has been urged to immediately resolve various ongoing problems, including illegal parking, the addition of green open spaces, and public safety. The demand was made by the Bandung branch of the Islamic Students Association (HMI) during a demonstration at Bandung City Hall on Thursday (27/8). They carried papers containing ten demands that were also distributed to the public.
Action coordinator Ghifari explained that the group is demanding the city government promptly address these issues, including the relocation of street vendors, waste management, HIV control, and the welfare of honorary teachers. Bandung is also facing narcotics abuse cases and the revitalisation of traditional markets. The demonstrators believe these various problems are linked to larger issues of poverty and unemployment.
“The root is poverty and unemployment. There are many derivatives, from illegal parking, leading to health, crime, green open spaces, BRT, and others,” he stressed. According to Ghifari, these problems must receive serious attention from the Bandung City Government because they directly impact people’s lives. This situation prompted HMI Bandung to voice its aspirations through a demonstration.
The students want to educate the public that there are still many problems the government must solve. “Every night the public must be haunted by robbers and night crime. Every night, every afternoon, every morning many people are still hungry, many are still unemployed,” he added.
HMI Bandung board member Ario Dwi Dalam said the green open space issue was one of the topics raised. Additionally, the street vendor issue cannot be separated from poverty and unemployment.
Mayor Meets Protesters
Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan met the demonstrators for an audience. During the meeting, he expressed openness to dialogue and to discussing the issues raised. Farhan said such a dialogue space needs to be built so that public policy debates do not stop at differences of opinion.
“If we want to debate, then we will debate data. Next we will debate data interpretation. Only then will we debate how to interpret that data into the embodiment of public policies,” he asserted.
He also opened the possibility of follow-up meetings involving relevant regional apparatus organisations. “So that the space truly becomes an inclusive dialogue space, we are open with each other.”