Krisantus Kurniawan Challenges Dedi Mulyadi to Develop West Kalimantan with Rp6T Budget: If He Can, I'll Kiss His Knees

West Kalimantan Deputy Governor Krisantus Kurniawan issued a challenging statement to Dedi Mulyadi during the Development Planning Consultation Forum (Musrenbang) at the Sintang Regent’s Office on Thursday, 9 April 2026. In the forum, Krisantus declared he would be willing to “kiss the knee” of the Jawa Barat Governor if he could develop West Kalimantan using only the Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD) of Rp6 trillion. “Go ahead, make Dedi Mulyadi the Governor of West Kalimantan. I’d like to see it, but building West Kalimantan with an APBD of Rp6 trillion. If he can do it, I’ll kiss his knee,” Krisantus stated, as seen in a video clip from Twitter/X @tijabar. The statement was prompted by a viral TikTok video featuring complaints from residents about damaged roads in several areas of West Kalimantan. “We’re from Bedayan, and we want to report that our roads are damaged because our governor works slowly, sleeps, only thinks about getting rich himself, doesn’t think about the many people. It’s pointless being governor; better if Kang Dedi becomes governor for two months,” said a child in the TikTok video @elisabetmurniw. In response, Krisantus stressed that such comparisons fail to account for fundamental differences between the two provinces. He explained that Jawa Barat has an area of around 43,000 square kilometres with an APBD of approximately Rp31 trillion, whereas West Kalimantan spans about 171,000 square kilometres with a budget of just Rp6 trillion. According to him, the size of the territory significantly impacts development costs, from road construction to electricity networks. “The larger the area, the greater the development costs. The roads to be built are longer, the electricity networks are longer too. So, society must not misunderstand,” he asserted. Krisantus also highlighted the increasing constraints on regional budgets due to efficiency policies from the central government. Nevertheless, he assured that the provincial government continues efforts to improve infrastructure, including in Sintang Regency. One road section in the Bedayan area that went viral is currently being addressed. The local government has deployed heavy equipment from the Road and Bridge Implementing Unit (UPJJ) to accelerate repairs.