Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Ridwan Kamil recently asserted his ambitious plan to establish a Disneyland theme park in the Thousand Islands, Jakarta, promising to boost tourism and economic growth, while his rival, Pramono Anung, raised questions about its feasibility.
Jakarta gubernatorial candidate number 1, Ridwan Kamil, once again presented his plan to build a Disneyland theme park in the Thousand Islands during the 2024 Regional Head Election (Pemilihan Kepala Daerah or Pilkada) debate taking place on Sunday, the 27th of October.
This ambitious proposal, according to Kamil, aimed to attract both domestic and international tourists to Jakarta while advancing the local tourism sector. The candidate also explained that, although he had previously voiced a similar idea back in 2018, he felt confident now that this particular vision can finally be realised in Jakarta, believing that the Thousand Islands area has immense potential to generate foreign exchange if developed into a world-class destination.
“I have met with several parties, and they said this idea is very feasible. Jakarta needs an area with special economic zone status in the Thousand Islands so that foreign exchange can flow in,” Kamil stated during the debate.
On top of that, Kamil emphasised that a leader must be courageous enough to keep trying, even if the projects they aspire to accomplish may not always be easy to achieve.
“The role of a leader is to imagine. The worst leader is one who only follows what already exists without imagination,” he remarked.
However, Kamil’s vision was immediately questioned by gubernatorial candidate number 3, Pramono Anung, who raised doubts about its feasibility.
“In 2018, Kang Emil [Ridwan Kamil] mentioned that he would build Disneyland in Cikarang. Now, as a gubernatorial candidate in Jakarta, he says he will build Disneyland in the Thousand Islands. Will it actually be built in Cikarang or the Thousand Islands?” Anung questioned his rival during the same debate.
Anung acknowledged the importance of imagination, but he also underscored his conviction that a leader should carefully consider the risks before making promises.
“The public believes what we convey in the public sphere, and that is why I am addressing this issue,” he added.