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Ahok starts ‘blusukan’ as part of his campaign
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Incumbent Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama speaks to residents in Lentang Agung, South Jakarta, when he visited the area as part of his campaign for the Jakarta gubernatorial election on Feb. 15, 2017.
(JP/Callistasia Anggun Wijaya)
L
ike other candidates running in next year’s gubernatorial election, incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama has started his campaign with blusukan (impromptu visits) to residential areas, a legacy of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in how he approached Jakartans when he led the capital.
Ahok on Monday visited residents of Lenteng Agung in Jagakarsa, and Kebagusan in Pasar Minggu, both in South Jakarta.
Kebagusan is a subdistrict, where Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri resides.
The governor listened to the people’s complaints about flooding in their area. "It's flooding here pak Ahok," a female resident of Lenteng Agung told the governor when he visited her village.
Ahok asked the residents how severe the flooding was that affected their houses. “The flooding has moved from North Jakarta to South Jakarta,” he said, adding that the occupation of rivers and riverbanks by many residents was contributing to the annual disaster.
Ahok said there are a lot of houses in South Jakarta built too near rivers. He promised to develop a retention basin in the area to prevent flooding.
"If we can develop a retention basin, we don't have to evict [the residents of the offending] houses. The residents can raise gold fish or catfish there [in the basin]," Ahok said.
Unlike Jokowi, blusukan is not Ahok’s style in dealing with people. However, he argued that during the election campaign, blusukan was necessary to seek feedback from the people about his accomplishments as governor in the last two years. (bbn)
