Malinau Regent Wempi Aligns National Strategic Programmes to Build a Superior Generation
After one year leading Malinau Regency, North Kalimantan, under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, Regent Wempi Wellem Mawa continues to build on the programmes he launched during his previous term to advance and improve the welfare of the people of Bumi Intimung. “I am simply enhancing and continuing the programmes I have already been working on. I have five programmes, the first of which is compulsory education,” Wempi said.
The Compulsory Education (Wajar) programme provides free school supplies, including uniforms and caps, batik shirts, sportswear, shoes and socks, school bags, exercise books, and stationery. The programme, which imposes no school fees, has been in place since Wempi’s first term in partnership with his then-deputy Jakaria and continues to this day.
“This is the fifth budget year in the Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD), meaning for five consecutive years every student — from early childhood education, kindergarten, primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary schools under the provincial government’s authority in Malinau Regency — has received school supply assistance,” Regent Wempi said.
The second programme is Village Graduate (Desa Sarjana), which offers at least one young person from each village the opportunity each year, selected through a process aligned with each village’s priority potential and the university course chosen, to have their tuition and living expenses fully funded throughout their studies.
“Through the Village Graduate programme, nearly 2,000 university students in Malinau Regency have had all their expenses covered,” Regent Wempi said.
Wempi explained that upon completing their studies, graduates are required to return to their villages to serve and develop them according to their skills. “They must serve for a minimum of two years and are paid in accordance with the prevailing Regional Minimum Wage (UMR),” Regent Wempi said. “This programme is separate from merit-based and means-tested scholarships, which still exist.”
The third initiative is the Millennial Independence (Milenial Mandiri) programme, designed to improve skills and entrepreneurship. This programme has also been running since the first Wempi–Jakaria term. “Through the Millennial Independence programme, we provide training, and those who are serious about starting a business receive capital to open enterprises matching their skills, thereby creating employment and entrepreneurial opportunities,” he said.
Fourth is the Healthy Agriculture programme, which develops the agricultural sector through improvements to farm roads, higher grain purchase prices, and the provision of heavy equipment such as motor graders, dump trucks, dozers, lowboys, compactors, and fuel for each sub-district. “Each of the 15 sub-districts has been given seven pieces of heavy equipment. These have been provided since the first term, and in this second term the operational budgets have been increased,” he said.
Under this programme, Regent Wempi has recruited community members into a Food Security Task Force (Satgas Pesat), who earn at least the regional minimum wage in Malinau Regency and receive bonuses when production targets for rice, maize, and horticultural crops are met.
“The Food Security Task Force cultivates idle land belonging to the local government and even unproductive community-owned land. The produce is managed and marketed to the public. Rice carrying the Regional Product label is also distributed to pre-prosperous or poor families,” Regent Wempi said.
The fifth programme is Smart Government, a new initiative Wempi is currently finalising to improve technology-based governance efficiency. “This programme gives the public access to open information channels,” he said.
Beyond these five programmes, Regent Wempi is also advancing other initiatives, including infrastructure development and National Strategic Programmes (PSN) through the Compulsory Education for a Progressive Malinau scheme. The Merah Putih Village and Sub-district Cooperatives are also being established in several villages across Malinau Regency.
Regarding the People’s School (Sekolah Rakyat), Regent Wempi said the proposal and land preparation are still under way. “We hope to build a People’s School, which is our shared aspiration,” he said. “We always collaborate with the central government to ensure the President’s programmes are implemented at the regional level.”
Regent Wempi expressed gratitude that his district has no extreme poverty. “Malinau Regency has received an award for preventing extreme poverty — zero per cent — for two consecutive years,” he said.
Regent Wempi said he is satisfied that he has been able to shape his community into an intelligent generation. “The best investment for this nation is superior human resources. If the nation’s children are intelligent, then our enormously rich natural resources will be safe. That is why my hope, my dream, is that no child should be out of school.”