TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) assessed the speech of president-elect Joko Widodo or Jokowi on the vision of Indonesia in Sentul, Sunday, July 14, overlooked environmental issues. The forum considered Jokowi’s plan to open investment as widely as possible would cause a setback for ecological social justice.

“Encouraging investment in order to open employment and increase people’s welfare is merely seen as a trickle-down effect for common people, a logic that is forced to be logic,” said Walhi policy research manager Boy Even Sembiring at his office in Tegal Parang Utara, Jakarta, Tuesday, July 16.

According to Boy, the government should position the people as a capable subject to manage natural resources through policies that are providing protection to people's management area. Whereas during the speech, there is a conflict between partisanship to humanity and the environment and partisanship to investment.

During the speech, the President asserted he would widely open investment that he claimed a key to generate employment. He expected no more people ‘allergic’ to investment.

Boy opined this investment scheme echoed by Jokowi had been implemented by Soeharto in the New Order era. He recalled that when Soeharto invested in oil and gas sector, a lot of Riau people lost their lands and forests as their living sources.

Therefore, Boy considered the Sunday speech the President's setback visions for Indonesia. “Jokowi must realize that he creates new hope in the first Nawacita (nine priority agenda) that notes Indonesia is experiencing a humanitarian crisis due to environmental damage. We think, Jokowi must be mindful of his promises,” he underlined.

FIKRI ARIGI | BUDIARTI UTAMI PUTRI