Prabowo's visit prompts housing plan for Jakarta railway slum area
In a social media post cited here on Friday, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said the president had assigned the housing task to several aides, including Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo and Housing and Settlement Minister Maruarar Sirait.
“Today, the government deployed a team to process the development of new housing units and washing and sanitation facilities not far from the current dwellings of the residents,” he remarked, noting that the program also involves state railway company KAI and public housing firm Perumnas.
Wijaya added that during Prabowo’s spontaneous visit to the settlement, inhabitants told the head of state they had been living in barely inhabitable homes with unreliable roofing for decades along the railway.
“In response, Mr. President conveyed an order to create more decent and proper housing and toilets for those people as soon as possible,” he stated.
President Prabowo took his time to review the living conditions in the densely populated settlement on Thursday afternoon during an unannounced visit, prompting astonishment among community members there.
According to the Government Communication Agency, the president disembarked from his vehicle upon arriving at the site and shortly greeted residents, who welcomed him with handshakes and aspirations.
“This afternoon, I explored a settlement situated along the railway in Senen, Central Jakarta. The place is three kilometers away from Jakarta’s downtown. I harbored the aspirations of people there,” Prabowo said in a Thursday statement.
He then pledged to make efforts to improve the quality of life of the slum residents by building proper housing as part of the government’s broader goal of public welfare.
“God willing, we will soon build proper housing for residents in the area. It is my determination to provide decent dwellings for the Indonesian people,” he remarked.
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Translator: Prisca T, Tegar Nurfitra