TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The inauguration of MRT Jakarta by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in HI Roundabout, on Sunday, March 24 was seen similar to a campaign of 2019 presidential election. Supporters of incumbent candidate number 01 Jokowi rose one finger, while some held up two fingers, a symbol of support for candidate number 02 Prabowo Subianto.

The Jokowi - Ma’ruf campaign team spokesman, Ace Hasan Syadzili, said that the inauguration of MRT Jakarta marked the result of Jokowi’s effective leadership.

“This is a monumental milestone for Indonesia in building rail-based mass transportation in Jakarta. MRT had been drafted since the era of Soeharto when at that time Pak B.J. Habibie served as the research and technology minister,” said Ace in a press release.

Ace said that Indonesia must be proud of the inauguration of MRT Jakarta or Ratangga phase I under the governance of Jokowi, both for Jakartans and Indonesia.

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The MRT project, he added, was one of many achievements of Jokowi to bring Indonesia to be a developed country and equal to other nations. “We need leaders who are not only good at speeches and giving promises without proofs. We need leaders who work effectively for people and serve them with heart, instead of power,” Ace added.

A political observer, Pangi Syarwi Chaniago, said that the successful inauguration of MRT Jakarta phase I provided a chance to increase Jokowi’s electability rate that recently drops. “It will boost the electability of Jokowi because he is deemed as a leader with great guts,” Pangi added.

Despite the project could not solely be claimed as Jokowi’s work, Pangi said that people must appreciate him since the project of MRT Jakarta was started during Jokowi’s term as Jakarta Governor. In the hand of Jokowi, Pangi continued, Indonesia’s dream to have modern transportation comes true.

FRISKI RIANA