Former regent Syaukani proves generosity counts in reelection bid

A'an Suryana and Rusman, The Jakarta Post/Kutai Kartanegara

"What do you want?" a man in his 20s asked The Jakarta Post and a reporter from Media Indonesia daily when both newspapers were trying to enter a villa-cum-ranch belonging to Syaukani, the former Kutai Kartanegara Regent who is seeking reelection this year.

The young man was one among five men guarding a small street located in Maluhu subdistrict on the outskirts of Tenggarong.

At the time, Syaukani was meeting the press in a hotel in Tenggarong, the capital of Kutai Kartanegara, to comment on the regional election where he was leading the provisional vote counting with almost 60 percent of the votes cast.

Responding to the Post's request, the young man, after conferring with his superior, gave the order to allow our car in.

After few minutes driving up a small sealed road about a kilometer long, the car reached an impressive wooden mansion on high ground, where the 48-year-old politician regularly stays.

The huge compound, a least a dozen hectares in size, boasted several luxury cottages, a helicopter pad, horse fields and a deer stall. Two imported Australian horses stood in especially air-conditioned barns, presumably to protect them from the stifling Tenggarong heat.

Four golf carts are the main transport around Syaukani's ranch, which has no high fences and borders onto less well-off residents' houses.

"This is the evidence that Bapak (Syaukani) is close to the people. He never wants put distance between himself and his constituents," said a young man, one of a dozen members of a Golkar Party paramilitary group that has helped guard the residence since Syaukani's term ended as regent last year.

According to his supporters, it is Syaukani's money and his popularist brand of politics that have helped the native of Kutai Kartanegara and long-time Golkar member win the hearts and minds of the people, especially the poor and uneducated. Residents who lived nearby said Syaukani was close to the rank-and-file long before he sought reelection.

"He is friendly to the common people. His door is always open to people," said Sri, a Javanese migrant who has been living in the regency for 14 years.

Syaukani's generosity is well-known in the regency, population 494,000. A frequent and often extravagant giver during the Muslim Idul Fitri celebrations, he was also popular with residents on Friday, with the Post seeing many people lined up at his house, hoping in some way to benefit from his good fortune in the vote.

But while some people praise Syaukani for his altruism, others question what they consider his excessive and wasteful leadership during his 2000-2004 term.

His critics deride some of his grandiose projects for the regency, the construction of a cable car, the resort on Kumala island and a Sky Tower; all developments the then-regent claimed would bring tourists into the regency and "increase pride" in the region.

And while his generosity has led some to compare him with Robin Hood, there is an unanswered question as to where the money for his gifts has come from.

Many wonder how the former regent, who started his career as a mid-level bureaucrat, managed to amass such personal wealth. They say the skillful politician, who has dominated politics in the regency since he was first elected in 2000, is still an untouchable figure.

It helps that Syaukani is running for office in one of the most resource-rich areas in the country. Autonomy status has meant the energy-abundant regency now has the highest budget in the East Kalimantan province and one of the highest per- population in the nation -- Rp 2.7 trillion this year, compared to the entire East Kalimantan provincial budget that amounts to only Rp 6.5 trillion.

A popularist stance and a huge and expensive campaign effort have paid off for Syaukani, who looks a sure bet to win the poll and become the first directly elected local body leader in the nation's history.

But doubters say he has daunting challenges to address, including the poverty of his constituents -- 20 percent who still live under the poverty line -- and the poor quality of education in the region, which ranked ninth out of 13 in the province.