Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Vice presidential candidate Gibran Rakabuming questioned rival Muhaimin Iskandar's ambitious plan to make 40 cities like Jakarta.
Muhaimin Iskandar – along with presidential candidate Anies Baswedan – have been critical of the National Capital Nusantara project. At Friday's debate in Jakarta, Muhaimin said that he would rather turn at least 40 existing cities to be on par with Jakarta.
His remarks raised Gibran's eyebrows who earlier in the debate said he wanted to carry on with the Nusantara project, even calling it a "symbol of equitable development".
"Cak Imin is kind of weird. He wants to build 40 cities like Jakarta, but he is against the idea of building Nusantara. But I guess, to each his own," Gibran said.
"But what is clear when we speak of urban development, we have to develop the public transportation, especially one that is safe and comfortable for people with disabilities, elderly, and children," Gibran, who is the running mate to Prabowo Subianto, added.
Gibran said he planned on replicating the Teman Bus initiative in other cities. Teman Bus, which only accepts cashless payment methods, is the Transport Ministry's program for developing public transport. To hop on Teman Bus, people can find the closest bus station via the app.
Gibran said he planned on implementing the so-called "buy-the-service" (BTS) scheme in smaller cities to let people try public transport for free. The BTS scheme sees the government purchasing public transportation services from an operator.
Gibran also called for collaboration between the Public Works Ministry, regional governments, and the private sector to address squalid cities.
Muhaimin was responding to a panelist's question on how the government would prepare the fiscal instruments to address overcrowded cities, which could worsen the existing transport and waste problems. If elected, Anies-Muhaimin plans on turning at least 40 cities to be as well developed as Jakarta, according to the politician.
"We have to be smart when we set our priorities. Once again, this is not a matter of agreeing or disagreeing with the Nusantara project. What is of utmost importance is prioritizing driving equality and fairness," Muhaimin said.