Batam City officials remain tight-lipped as they react to the permits for installing banners featuring presidential candidate pair Prabowo-Gibran at the Welcome To Batam monument. Despite attempts to reach out through WhatsApp and phone calls, key officials have yet to respond.
Batam’s Communication and Informatics Agency Head, Rudi Panjaitan, and Head of Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency, Azril Apriansyah, have remained unresponsive regarding the permit for displaying banners featuring the Prabowo-Gibran presidential pair at the Welcome To Batam monument. This lack of response has left questions unanswered amid claims of permit issuance.
Rudi Panjaitan, when contacted via WhatsApp and phone call on Monday (1/1), responded with, “I’ll check tomorrow.”
Photo: Kominfo Batam (2024)
On the following day, Tuesday (2/1), attempts were made to reach out again via phone call and WhatsApp received no response.
Azril Apriansyah, Head of Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency in Batam, also did not respond to messages and phone calls. Azril declined one phone call and did not respond to WhatsApp messages sent until Wednesday (3/1).
The Prabowo-Gibran Campaign Team in the Riau Islands claimed to have obtained permission to install banners for presidential candidates Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka at the Welcome To Batam monument. The permit was issued by Batam’s Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency.
Photo: Batam News (2024)
The permit, seen in a document dated 27 December 2023, bore the reference number B/2294/100.3.12/XII/2023, issued by the agency in response to a request submitted by the Riau Islands Regional Leadership Council (DPD) of Gerindra Party with reference number KR/12-1136/A/DPDGERINDRA/2023.
The letter requesting permission was addressed to the Batam City Government and signed by Iman Sutiawan, Chairman of the Riau Islands Regional Leadership Council of Gerindra Party.
Photo: Inilah.com (2024)
Batam citizens and voters are left in the dark, with officials silent on the permit controversy, sparking concerns about transparency and accountability.
As the Indonesia presidential election approaches, the silence surrounding the Prabowo-Gibran banner permit at Welcome To Batam continues to raise eyebrows. For Batam citizens and those invested in the electoral process, this issue serves as a stark reminder of the importance of open and transparent governance. The unanswered questions underscore the need for officials to address this controversy and ensure clarity in the political landscape. The story remains ongoing, and it’s a narrative that deserves the attention of all concerned citizens.
