Antara, Jakarta – Former President Joko Widodo or Jokowi denied allegations that he inaugurated the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) Airport in Morowali, Central Sulawesi.

"No, I never inaugurated the IMIP Airport. As far as I remember, I inaugurated Maleo Airport in Morowali. That [Maleo Airport] was constructed by the government," said Jokowi when approached at his residence on Friday, November 28, 2025.

He clarified that the IMIP Airport, situated within the industrial park, is a private facility. "I think that one is privately owned," Jokowi stated.

Jokowi's name surfaced after the airport's existence went viral on social media. The circulating narrative alleged that the IMIP airport served international flight routes despite lacking state facilities like Customs and Immigration on site.

Related to the polemic surrounding the IMIP Airport, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Bahlil Lahadalia, previously stated that President Prabowo Subianto had directed him to enforce regulations regarding activities at the IMIP Airport impartially.

"The President's direction to us, as the task force and as the Minister of ESDM, is to enforce regulations. We must not show favoritism, because the state must not lose sight of what is happening that is inappropriate or violates regulations," Bahlil said at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday, November 26, 2025.

Bahlil is also awaiting reports from his team concerning allegations of illegal mining activities. He assured that any illegal mining would be processed according to the law. "Mining in areas where there is nickel or mines but without permits will be processed according to the law," he confirmed.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin previously viewed the airport, which is not supervised by Customs or Immigration, as an anomaly. The Secretary General of the National Defense Council considered that Indonesia's economic sovereignty could be threatened by the existence of the airport.

He stated that he would report this finding to President Prabowo Subianto. "This republic should not have a republic within the republic. We must enforce all regulations without looking at the background of where they come from," said Sjafrie in a written statement quoted from the Ministry of Defense's website on Wednesday, November 26, 2025.

– Dian Rahma Fika and Hendrik Yaputra contributed to the report

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2069383/jokowi-refutes-claims-of-inaugurating-imip-airport-in-morowal