Mental Revolution an Uphill Struggle

CRITICISM was on the lips of every regent at the town of Samarinda's Convention Hall last Wednesday. The occasion was a conference concerning the East Kalimantan Province. In attendance was the the head of the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas), Andrinof Achir Chaniago. And the regents were airing their grievances about the yearly and five-yearly government program plans.

For instance, acting regent of Mahakam, M.S. Ruslan, posed probing questions to Andrinof. According to Ruslan, Bappenas's medium-and long-term development plans, which had been ratified under Presidential Regulation No. 2 Year 2015 on January 8, 2015, were overambitious. "We're curious to know what the government is going to do to the Mahakam River, since we depend heavily on the waterway," he said.Besides the Mahakam issue, according to Ruslan, the Development Plan (RJPM) did not offer a government policy for border areas, like his regency which directly faces Malaysia. Ruslan invited Andrinof to visit Mahakan and take a look at the conditions in the field. "Even before [you] invited me, I had every intention to visit," said Andrinof appeasing Ruslan.