Thousands Protest with 'East Kalimantan in Cronyism Emergency' Banners, Governor Rudy: Thank You
Governor of East Kalimantan Rudy Mas’ud gave an open response and appreciated feedback from thousands of people following a protest rally in front of the Governor’s Office in Samarinda, which concluded on Tuesday night, 21 April 2026.
“We express our thanks to the student brothers and sisters, community groups, as well as the TNI and Police who maintained security until the end of the aspiration delivery,” said Rudy Mas’ud in Samarinda, quoted on Thursday, 23 April 2026.
From reporters’ observations, the number of protesters at the rally in front of the East Kalimantan Governor’s Office was around 4,000 people, crowding Jalan Gajah Mada and along Teras Samarinda for nearly one kilometre. Police security involved more than 1,700 combined personnel.
Furthermore, Governor Rudy greatly hopes that all elements of society can continue to serve as the eyes and ears of the government in carrying out social control functions in the Etam Land.
According to him, various inputs voiced by the public represent the best evaluation material to accelerate improvements in the performance of the East Kalimantan Provincial Government going forward.
“I also fully realise that the direction of the future fate of East Kalimantan Province lies in the hands of the young generation who care,” stated Rudy.
Previously, the demonstration that lasted until Tuesday night had turned chaotic, marked by stone-throwing due to the crowd’s disappointment at failing to meet regional leaders.
Police officers from Samarinda Police Resort, along with combined teams, were forced to fire water cannons to disperse the crowd when the situation heated up and exceeded the time limit approaching Maghrib.
The protest, initiated by a coalition of students and civil society elements, essentially urged the East Kalimantan DPRD to immediately exercise its right of inquiry and interpellation.
Specifically, the protesters questioned the urgency of using a regional budget of Rp 25 billion allocated for luxurious renovations of the governor’s official residence amid the people’s hardships, as well as operational expenditures deemed ineffective.
The protesters also displayed large banners reading “East Kalimantan in Cronyism Emergency”, illustrating the thick nepotism during Rudy Mas’ud’s administration, which has allowed his relatives to occupy strategic positions.