Vice President's candidates speak on environmental issues on debate, who should be elected?

MOSAIC-INDONESIA.COM, JAKARTA -- The 2024 presidential election to be held simultaneously in 34 provinces also invites the challenge for voters to flock to the voting booths to ensure who are the candidates will be choosed.

Climate issues are one of the important factors in the midst of the Earth's uncertain conditions. The candidates' mission vision also appeared to be tested in the vice-presidential candidates' debate on sustainable development and the environment, natural resources and energy, food, agrarian to indigenous people and villages, on Sunday (21/1/2024) evening in Jakarta.

Several topics ignited the heat of debate between Muhaimin Iskandar, Gibran Rakabuming Raka and Mahfud MD. Food Estate became the 'opening dish'   attack from Vice President number 1 candidate Muhaimin Iskandar. Muhaimin said the project, which was the program of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto as defense minister, was seen as producing agrarian conflicts and damaging the environment. Muhaimin said that one of the things he would do to tackle the climate crisis would be to ramp up new and renewable energy.

One example is an investigation conducted by Tempo in Gunung Mas, Central Kalimantan, together with the Gecko Project with Greenpeace, the Rainforest Investigations Network of the Pulitzer Center and Internews' Earth Journalism Network, which showed that in the construction of food estates there were many violations of government rules committed by private companies. Forest land opening activities that increase deforestation and global warming have led to flooding in some areasof Central Kalimantan.

Vice President number 2, Gibran Rakabuming Raka admitted that there was a failed food estate program. Nevertheless, the eldest son of President Joko Widodo quipped that some regions have actually managed to even reap the harvest. “As well as successful, there are those who harvest, for example in Gunung Mas Regency, Kaltim, already harvest corn and cassava,” said Gibran, who represents himself as a successor to the government program.

Aside from the food estate issue, Gibran said he would encourage the transition to green energy so that he no longer relies on fossil energy. Gibran said this when answering panelists' questions on equitable low-carbon development to achieve net zero emissions by 2026. Gibran said he would push for vegetable energy, bioethanol, and bioavtur with President Prabowo Subianto if he is believed to be elected.

According to Gibran, the presence of B35 or a mixture of vegetable fuel from palm oil and B40 or vegetable fuel which is a mixture between palm oil and diesel fuel will be able to lower the value of oil imports, increase the added value of palm oil production in the country and be more environmentally friendly. Nevertheless, Gibran admitted that his challenge was to find an environmental balance point amid his downstream strategy.

Candidate Number 3 Mahfud MD stated that he will draft policies based on four benchmarks that concern environmental sustainability. The four benchmarks consist of utilization, equalization, community participation, respect for inherited rights descending. Based on that benchmark, Mahfud said he would propose two programs: “farmers are proud to farm, and in our seas, prosperous fishermen.” “Don't be like a food estate that fails and damages the environment. Which is just right. Lose our dong,” Mahfud said.

Reported from Walhi, the climate crisis has caused hydrometeorological disasters, characterized by extreme weather, to be even more intense. The Bureau of Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG) said El Nino (long dry season) and La Nina (long rainy season) are now increasing in intensity as a result of the climate crisis. If in the period 1950-1980 the cycle was about 5-7 annual, in the period 1980-2018 the cycle became 2-3 annual. As a result, Indonesia will experience more frequent droughts as well as floods. For that, it needs a clear mission vision from the presidential and vice presidential candidates to tackle the dangers of the climate crisis that are not just in sight, but we are already feeling.

According to the Secretary of MLH Muhammadiyah Gatot Supangkat, the environmental damage that is occurring today is not free from human hands. This was warned by Allah in His words in the Qur'an 15 centuries ago.

Not only to explain that damage on land and in the sea is not separate from humans, Allah has also forbidden us to do so. “Seek in what Allah has given you (the reward) of the Hereafter, but do not forget your part in the world. Do good (to others) as God has done good to you, and do not cause harm to the earth. Indeed, Allah does not like those who do mischief.” (QS Al-Qasash verse 77).

For that reason, Gatot said, all potential leaders and vice presidential candidates cannot escape environmental issues. For this reason, he asked that the viewing public not only fixate on the mission vision of the president-vice presidential couple as a consideration for making choices. According to Gatot, every would-be leader has a track record both as a person and while acting as a leader. The track record, he said, should be considered by the public to vote.