Home Affairs Minister Urges Forkopimda to Maintain Solidarity for Regional Stability

Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian has requested the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) to maintain solidarity and strengthen communication to support political and security stability as the foundation for regional development. In a statement on Thursday in Jakarta, Tito Karnavian said that cohesion among regional stakeholders is a crucial factor in maintaining political and security stability, which determines the success of development. ‘Therefore, it is extremely important for national unity, integrity, and sovereignty,’ said Tito. According to Tito, Java and Bali hold a strategic position as they are the centre of various national activities and are inhabited by nearly 60 percent of Indonesia’s population. Hence, he emphasised the importance of preserving political and security stability in every region. Development, he stated, can only progress if the regional situation remains safe and conducive. Moreover, even small-scale conflicts or acts of violence can affect the effectiveness of governance and regional development. ‘If government decision-making is disrupted, everything will be disrupted,’ he remarked. Tito urged all elements of Forkopimda to continue enhancing communication and coordination, both formally and informally. Based on various experiences, regions whose leaders are able to maintain unity tend to resolve problems more swiftly and prevent conflicts from escalating further. According to Tito, regions with an active Religious Harmony Forum (FKUB) are generally quicker to detect and prevent potential conflicts compared to regions that only activate the forum once problems have already arisen. He also encouraged regional heads, especially those with adequate fiscal capacity, to allocate budgets through the Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD) to support FKUB activities. ‘Please also enliven the FKUB. Typically, regions that are vulnerable to religious issues will prevent potential conflicts more quickly if the FKUB functions well,’ he said.