Jokowi backs Ahok’s anger at bus blunder

JAKARTA. Jakarta Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said he fully backed Deputy Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahja Purnama’s stance on the donated buses blunder, where the latter became angry at acting city secretary Wiriyatmoko, who he deemed to have worsened the problem.

“I understand Pak Basuki’s real concerns. We both want a quick response to the people’s complaints over a lack of transportation by providing them more Transjakarta buses, but apparently the administration has not been able to catch up with our ideas,” Jokowi said on Saturday as quoted by kompas.com.

He acknowledged that he too had no idea why donating buses could have been misunderstood by his subordinates. However, he had no information on Ahok intending to fire the acting city secretary.

Earlier, Ahok complained about the city’s officials who had given a hard time to private companies that donated buses to the Jakarta administration. Despite the donations, the buses were not put into operation due to administrative issues.

He accused acting city secretary Wiriyatmoko as being behind the problem and therefore threatened to fire him if he was named governor. (dic)