Lisye Sri Rahayu, Jakarta – Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto is known to hold land use rights (HGU) over thousands of hectares of land in Aceh and East Kalimantan. Prabowo has promised to return the land to the state within 10 days after being inaugurated as president.
“But now I have decided that within 10 days at the latest after I’m inaugurated, I will hand over the majority of shares in my companies which hold HGU to the RI [Republic of Indonesia]”, said Prabowo in a speech in front of election campaign volunteers at the Beautiful Mini Indonesia Park Self-Defense Retreat in Jakarta on Friday March 15.
The reason for this is that Prabowo wants to push for the country to become just and prosperous. Prabowo explained that the country’s natural wealth must be enjoyed by all the Indonesian people. He also responded to claims about the extent of his HGU land holdings.
“Ladies and gentlemen, there are those who continue to mock me, there are those who continue to slander me, there those who continue to insult me, it’s not a problem. Although certainly I think about it. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s said that I control 220,000 hectares of land in East Kalimantan, that’s wrong. It’s not 220,000, it’s almost 400,000”, he said.
“But as I have already said on television, as witnessed by tens of millions, hundreds of millions of people, that whenever the state asks for the land to be returned I will do so immediately”, he continued.
The former commander of the army’s Special Forces (Kopassus) said that he is ready to die for the Indonesian nation and that he has been declaring this oath since he was 18 years old.
“Since I was 18 years old I have pledged to die for this republic. Not just my wealth, not just my wealth, not just my wealth, my heart and soul belongs to the Indonesian nation. I used to be a combat soldier, I was in front. I led from in front. If we plunged in I was number one”, he said in closing. (dkp/dkp)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “Prabowo Janji Kembalikan Lahan HGU ke Negara 10 Hari Setelah Dilantik”.]
