TEMPO.CO, Yogyakarta - Jakarta Governor Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo said the goal ofblusukan(impromptu visit) that he oftenly do is not only to understand the residents' problems but also to raise social awareness of the officials. "You will cry if you do blusukanin Jakarta," Jokowi said during Public Dialog Seminar themed "Forests for People's Prosperity" at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Yogyakarta yesterday.

The statement above was made when a university student asked him why he doesblusukan and what the benefits are.

The governor answered the question by allowing UGM academicians to follow his footstep to do blusukan in Jakarta. He said UGM academicians can first blusukan to the top floor of the luxury buildings in Sudirman Street, Jakarta. After visiting those luxury buildings in Jakarta, he suggested UGM academicians to visit one of the slums in the city, such as the one in Penjaringan. "If you don’t cry (when you visit those places), you’re not human," Jokowi said.

The former Solo Mayor also showed the seminar participants one picture of a slum area in Penjaringan, Jakarta. The photo portrays rundown houses with cardboard as the walls and roofs made of zinc, located above river full of garbage. "In Jakarta, there are 360 places like this," Jokowi said.

ADDI MAWAHIBUN IDHOM