President Prabowo Urges Regional Heads Not to Mobilise Citizens for His Welcoming Ceremonies
President Prabowo Subianto’s arrival in Batang Regency, Central Java, to witness the mass signing of mortgages for 62,000 subsidised homes drew public attention. During the visit, the President made a number of statements that attracted attention, particularly regarding the welcome given to him by local residents.
Based on observations on Thursday (30/7), thousands of residents had been preparing since the morning to greet the President. Members of the public and schoolchildren lined up neatly along the road leading to the event venue at Puri Delta City Side, Wonotunggal District, Batang Regency. Along the route, residents cheered as the President passed by in a white presidential Jeep. President Prabowo stood and waved in response to the residents’ enthusiasm despite the scorching heat.
The warm welcome along the road apparently drew the President’s particular attention. When delivering his remarks at the mass signing ceremony for the Sejahtera mortgage scheme under the Housing Financing Liquidity Facility (FLPP), Prabowo issued a gentle rebuke to regional heads.
“I am happy when I visit the regions, as I experienced today in Batang, and recently in West Java, East Java, Gorontalo and everywhere else — I feel the warmth of the people,” Prabowo said.
However, he said he felt sorry for residents who had to be mobilised to stand by the roadside and endure the blazing sun just to welcome him. He emphasised that what matters most is the government’s presence to serve the people.
“Once again I say to the governors and regents: there is no need to mobilise so many people for me. I am happy to meet the people, but if they are mobilised, I feel sorry for them standing there in the heat. Take it easy — what matters is that we work for the people,” he asserted.
During the event, the atmosphere lightened when the President greeted Attorney General ST Burhanuddin and National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who were seated side by side. “Attorney General, Police Chief — I repeat, the Attorney General and the Police Chief are always close together,” Prabowo joked, drawing laughter from the audience.
Beyond the matter of the welcome, President Prabowo held direct dialogues with several recipients of subsidised mortgages and Housing People’s Business Credit (KUR) from various regions, from Aceh to Papua. He asked in detail about the monthly instalments residents had to pay.
The President stated that the government would continue to expand the housing provision programme through various financing breakthroughs and cross-sector collaboration. He emphasised the importance of the “Indonesia Incorporated” spirit in resolving the housing backlog.
“Collaboration between the government, banks, developers and the private sector is one of the main strengths in accelerating housing provision for the people. This is what is meant by Indonesia Incorporated — the spirit of mutual cooperation in building together,” he explained.
Closing his address, the President stressed the importance of innovation and the courage to make breakthroughs by learning from best practices in other countries. He expressed optimism that with strong collaboration, the government can accelerate the provision of decent housing for low-income communities across the farthest corners of Indonesia.