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Govt is ignoring Rempang's strategic security role in Malacca Strait
Beyond the iron-fist response to the residents’ protests against the Rempang Eco-City project, it seems as though the government is turning a blind eye to Chinese investment on the island, which could be a pawn in Indonesia’s claims to the territorial waters abutting the South China Sea.
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A caricature illustrates the issues at play on Rempang Island as local residents protest against the government’s planned development project, which involves evicting them from their homes. (JP/T. Sutanto)
P
resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo rose to national political stardom in a relatively short time, partly due to his exceptional track record in “development without eviction” during his terms as Surakarta mayor in Central Java and Jakarta governor.
But just before entering the final year of his second and final term as president, Jokowi is putting his reputation at risk by emulating the iron-fist approach of authoritarian president Soeharto in dealing with members of the public opposed to the lucrative Rempang Eco-City project on its namesake island in Riau Islands province.
Jokowi seems so set on leaving his mark as the father of “infrastructure development” that he has instructed his ministers to complete the 50 national strategic projects, before he leaves office in October 2024.
The government included the Rempang Eco-City project on its priority list only last month. The project is among the fruits of the July meeting between President Jokowi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Rempang’s development is intended to support the Batam Free Trade Zone and Free Port that span the islands of Batam, Bintan and Karimun.
I just wonder whether the companies awarded the projects will have enough time to conduct a thorough environmental impact analysis (AMDAL) before beginning construction. They also seem unaware of the projects’ relevance to national security.
In the case of the Rempang Eco-City project, the government simply wants to make sure it proceeds unhindered because of the huge investment involved and if necessary, those who stand in the way should be silenced.
Total investment for the project is expected to reach Rp 43 trillion (US$2.81 billion) and is led by developer PT Makmur Elok Graha (MEG) in cooperation with China’s Xinyi Glass.
