Anies Baswedan: We are Experts on Letting Down the Pessimists

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan revealed that he is not concerned upon the criticisms aimed at him from social media users, which he deemed are mostly baseless accusations.

“I am a public official, so I must know what the public has to say. But I am not concerned if there are uninformed criticisms,” said Anies to Tempo in an exclusive interview at City Hall on Monday, October 15. 

However, Anies asserted that he still appreciates the criticism since it reveals the elements that he needs to correct and improve. 

Read: Anies Baswedan Speaks of Biggest Challenge in One-Year Office

One example from the public criticism according to Anies is his campaign pitch of providing Jakartans’ with the option of purchasing a house without any down payment called citizen’s housing solution (SAMAWA).

Prior to the program’s release, Anies received many criticisms on online platforms that pressured him to introduce such program, which he introduced on October 12. “We are experts. We are good at letting down the pessimists,” said the governor.

Another criticism that he deemed baseless was the one coming from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH) that released a study upon the evictions that happened from January 2017 to September 2018 under Anies Baswedan’s leadership.

“Our friends at LBH love to imagine things; including when I established the reclamation board which they accused would continue the reclamation project. Was it proven? No, it wasn’t,” said Governor Anies Baswedan.

M JULNIS FIRMANSYAH