Vice Chairman of Indonesian Regional Representative Council (DPD RI) Mahyudin said that one of the biggest challenges of East Kalimantan as a buffer zone for the Nusantara State Capital (IKN) is how to build quality and competitive human resource potential.
This was conveyed in a focus group discussion (FGD) forum themed “East Kalimantan Economic Transformation After the Presence of IKN” at the University of Balikpapan, Wednesday (15/5).
“The presence of IKN in East Kalimantan is expected to make it a new center of economic growth outside Java that invites many people to come. Therefore, East Kalimantan residents must be brave enough to compete with the newcomers,” he said.
Mahyudin, who is said to be running in the 2024 East Kalimantan regional election, also advised the approximately 100 students present to be willing to work hard and have a tenacious attitude as a generation that will benefit from the existence of IKN in the future.
According to him, East Kalimantan residents should not only expect priority because they feel they are indigenous, but must have a competitive spirit and strengthen their skills.
“If you want to succeed, you have to be tenacious. We must learn how migrants feel they have to be urged by circumstances, so they want to work hard. We, as East Kalimantan residents, must be willing to work hard too, not spoiled and not whiny, so that our lives are successful in utilizing the presence of IKN,” he said.
At the same forum, Director of University of Balikpapan Isradi Zainal said that East Kalimantan people must be willing to utilize the multiplier effect of the presence of IKN.
According to him, East Kalimantan residents must be willing to cultivate the skills needed in the development of IKN so that they can occupy important positions in the IKN Authority.
“The existence of IKN requires extraordinary job opportunities, so how can East Kalimantan residents occupy high-skilled job opportunities? We want East Kalimantan residents to have good competency standards, so that they can fulfill jobs with top positions in the IKN Authority,” he said.
Indrayani, who was also one of the speakers at the forum, said that the existence of IKN has had a positive impact on East Kalimantan’s economic growth.
However, according to her, the positive impact must be utilized by local governments by improving the quality of human resources so that economic transformation can occur.
“East Kalimantan’s focus on economic transformation includes developing the quality of human resources, economic diversification, and technological innovation. So that East Kalimantan residents can fill important positions in the existence of IKN,” she said.
