Jokowi holds an audience with East Kalimantan’s traditional leaders

Jakarta (ANTARA) – President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) held an audience with East Kalimantan’s traditional leaders at the Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman International Airport in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, on Monday (Jan 31). As informed by an official of the Ministry of National Development Planning Taufik Hanafi, the traditional leaders expressed their support to the national capital’s relocation to East Kalimantan during the formal meeting.
“Praise be to God, the president has just held an audience with East Kalimantan’s traditional leaders that have expressed their full support to the new national capital in the province,” Hanafi noted in a written statement as issued by the Presidential Secretariat’s Press Bureau and received in Jakarta on early Tuesday.
The traditional leaders have also provided valuable inputs to the president by reminding him of the necessity to respect local cultures and customs and enhance local human resources for capital development in the future. During the meeting, Sultan of Kutai Kartanegara Muhammad Arifin reiterated his full support to the development of the new national capital.
“I, the Sultan of Kutai Kartanegara, remain committed to fully supporting the development of the new national capital,” Arifin emphasized. Muhammad Jarnawi, the Sultan of Paser, also welcomed the new national capital in East Kalimantan while expressing gratitude for the opportunity to meet President Jokowi.
“The Sultanate of Paser enthusiastically welcomes the new national capital, and we hope the construction process will commence immediately. We believe the new national capital would present a new face and image of our country to the global community. We also hope that the authority will accept our request for the new Sultanate Palace close to the new capital,” Jarnawi remarked.
Meanwhile, Dayak Kenya customary leader Ajang Tedung pressed for getting the locals involved in the new National Capital Authority and during the construction process.
“We hope the authority will involve traditional communities in the National Capital Authority and during the national capital’s progress in construction. We also hope the government would respect the local customs and culture,” Tedung remarked.
Concurring with Tedung, head of the Banjar Familial Association Syarifuddin HR also urged the authority to empower traditional communities and enhance their human resources to ensure that locals are not left behind in the national capital development in future.
Moreover, South Sulawesi Association deputy head Andi Singkeru reiterated his commitment that South Sulawesi’s residents relocating to the new capital would live in harmony with the locals, as those who reside in the new capital are fellow Indonesians.