Indonesia’s Catholic Church Leader Lauds President Jokowi

The chairman of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference (KWI) has lauded President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo’s determination to give serious attention to the welfare of people in remote and border areas.

Dec 30, 2015

JAKARTA: The chairman of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference (KWI) has lauded President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo’s determination to give serious attention to the welfare of people in remote and border areas.

KWI chairman Ignatius Suharyo said in Jakarta on Monday (28/12) that the president’s participation in the National Christmas Celebration or Perayaan Natal Nasional in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) on that day, was the latest example for Jokowi’s seriousness.

The Jakarta archbishop called the President’s visit a “highly symbolic” gesture that the government is paying serious attention to the welfare of people in the regions, especially in border areas which are far left behind economically.

NTT is one of the poorest provinces in Indonesia and is predominantly populated by followers of the Catholic religion. Its total population of five million people compares with Indonesia’s approximate total population of 250 million.

“So far, the public impression has been that the government had always given attention (mainly) to the ‘center’,” the Archbishop told Kompas daily. Indonesians refer to the ‘center’ as Jakarta or other most economically developed areas in Java.

Development projects in NTT

Adding to the Christmas and New Year mood among the people in NTT, President Jokowi on Sunday (28/12) inaugurated a new terminal at Labuan Bajo’s Komodo Airport in the western part of Flores island. The project increases the capacity of the airport by tenfold from 15,000 to 1.5 million passengers per year.

With the increased capacity of the airport, NTT may expect many more tourists to visit Komodo island, which is located off Labuan Bajo, in addition to other parts the province, thus helping boost the local economy. Komodo island, which the president also visited on Sunday (27/12) using a helicopter, is home to the world renowned Komodo dragon.

Also on Sunday, after flying from Labuan Bajo to Kupang on Timor island, the President led a groundbreaking ceremony for the development of a river dam in Belu district. The project aims to irrigate rice fields and supply raw water for the local people.

Accompanied by NTT Governor Frans Lebu Raya, President Jokowi also visited a government-financed photovoltaic power plant in Kupang. Already operational, it is the largest of its kind in Indonesia and is meant to serve a benchmark for similar projects to be built in other parts of the country.

Meanwhile on Sunday evening, when attending the national Christmas gathering in Kupang, Jokowi addressed a large Christmas audience. They yelled joyfully when the President used a few expressions in the local language in his address.

“Bae-bae sa (are you fine)? …. Kitong samua basaudara (We are all brothers and sisters),” the president said while in NTT as reported by the Jakarta Post.

A number of central government officials including national security chiefs accompanied the President during his visit to NTT.

The President then called on the people of NTT to maintain harmony, tolerance and solidarity. He also advised them to work hard because ‘hard work is a prayer’.--GIVnews.com

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