Video of Jakarta Deputy Governor Scolding Public Works Officials Goes Viral

Jakarta Globe, November 16, 2012

Screen grab of YouTube video showing Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki
Tjahaja Purnama scolding officials of Jakarta's Public Work Agency on Nov. 8.

               

Related articles

• Basuki Promises Minimum Wage Increase
• Plan Mulled to Boost Housing at Jakarta’s Markets
• Ahok Asks Jakarta's Rich to Relocate to Suburbs
• Jakarta Seeking Early Results From Joko and Basuki
• FPI Demands Delay in Inauguration of Jakarta Deputy Governor-Elect Ahok

A 46-minute video showing Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama getting tough on public works officials has gone viral on YouTube, getting more than a million views since it was posted a week ago.

The video of the budget meeting posted by the official Jakarta administration YouTube account, PemprovDKI, on Nov. 8 shows the deputy governor asking Public Works Agency officials whether they have already slashed project budgets by 25 percent to remove “mark-ups,” as instructed by Jakarta Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

“The cost of public works projects are too high. Rough calculations already show that budgets can be cut by as much as 40 percent, but we're only asking for 25 percent,” Basuki told the officials in the meeting.

“I'm offering two solutions to solve this. The first is for you to cut the budget. The second is that we cancel the project. And then I'll use my own operational funds to build the same project. Just give me the specifications.”

But if he resorts to the second option, the deputy governor said he would look into all previous public works projects and ask the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and Attorney General to inspect them.

“If you don't want to open old wounds, let's start with a new Jakarta,” Basuki said. “It might not sound nice. If you disagree, then it's better for there to be no construction. We'll replace all of you, from the top to the third echelon. We might be waging an open war, but we have no other option than to cut the Public Works budget.”

Basuki said he asked that the video be posted online to let people know that from now on, under Jokowi's leadership, all Jakarta budget discussions would be made transparent. As of Friday, it had more than 6,300 mostly positive comments.

“If you insist on disagreeing, I'm going to put the budget online, so everyone can look at it, and I will have KPK investigators check,” he continued in the video. “I'm sorry, but I'm really disturbed when someone steals the people's money. You can choose: if you can adjust, you can stay in the agency. If you disagree, you can leave the agency and leave Jakarta.”

Ahok cited as examples of excessive spending the Rp 1 billion spent to create a police post in Pluit and the Rp 34 billion for constructing a fire station.

After around 10 minutes of this talk, the deputy chairman of the Public Works Agency, Tarjuki, said that he agreed to the budget being cut by 25 percent.

“The point is I agree,” Tarjuki said. “My calculations have been checked by consultants.”

But this did not immediately cool down the deputy governor.

“Don't hide behind the consultant,” Basuki responded. “We tell the consultants what to do, don't hide behind them. You're an older man with a lot of experience, but I'm 46 years old, not a child, so I also understand.”