JAKARTA– Ilham Bintang, known as the king of media entertainment in West Jakarta, stated that there is no issue between PDIP and Anies Baswedan, making it natural for some within the bull party to consider pairing Anies with one of their members in the upcoming 2024 Jakarta election.

"There are no fundamental differences between PDIP and Anies; ideologically, both are nationalists. Both parties are also rational. So, if there's a discourse about pairing Anies with a PDIP cadre, there are no significant obstacles," said Ilham Bintang in an interview in Jakarta, Saturday morning, June 8, 2024.

Relations with important leaders in PDI Perjuangan are also warm. For instance, Puan Maharani has met with Anies several times openly. This includes when they happily took selfies at the Formula E racing event a few years ago in Ancol. They also met openly in front of the public when performing Hajj last year.

"Likewise, he has often met with PDIP's presidential candidate, Ganjar Pranowo. For Mahfud MD, he also has a special relationship with Anies. They are like father and son. Even Mahfud has said that Anies idolized him when he was about to go study in America," said Ilham, who also serves as a mosque committee member at At Tabayyun in the Kedoya area, West Jakarta.

Regarding the stumbling blocks in their relationship related to the discourse of 'kampret and kadrun', Ilham said this has not been proven. Even non-Muslims, who were rumored in the media to be anti-Anies, supported him when he became governor. Their support is clear because Anies helped with the construction of their places of worship, which had been stalled for decades. "All of this is evident and very clear," he said.

The strength of support for Anies among Jakarta residents has also been proven. His validation occurred twice, during the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election and the 2024 presidential election. "In the 2017 gubernatorial election, Anies already dominated Jakarta and defeated the candidate supported by Jokowi. In the 2024 presidential election, Anies proved that he lost very narrowly to Prabowo. Even now, parties that did not support the Prabowo-Gibran pair in the presidential election, such as PKS, now control this area," Ilham Bintang emphasized.

"As for concerns about potential fraud in the 2024 Jakarta gubernatorial election, this is also unlikely. Jakarta is different from other cities in Indonesia. Here, even walls can have ears and eyes, especially with the presence of internet media and social media. Moreover, Jakarta residents have proven to be more integral Indonesians and are not easily influenced. Jakarta residents are very democratic," he revealed again.

For Ilham Bintang, Jakarta residents now understand how to choose a good leader. "They know there are two conditions for rejecting a candidate in the gubernatorial election. First, they must reject if the person also refuses to run in the gubernatorial election. Second, Jakarta residents will reject candidates who are too eager to become governor because being a good leader is not about begging for the position."

"From all these facts, I must honestly admit, the figure of Anies in Jakarta, if willing to run in the 2024 Jakarta gubernatorial election, is hard to defeat. Jakarta residents still support him solidly," concluded Ilham Bintang.

A Great Honor

Anies Baswedan responded to the statement by PDIP's DPP Chairman Ahmad Basarah, who is ready to collaborate with PKB to nominate the former Governor of Jakarta in the 2024 Local Head Election (Pilkada). Anies expressed his honor and appreciation for PDIP's stance.

"I feel honored, I feel highly valued, and this is while the process flows about what it will look like in the future," said Anies to the media at Wisma Sangha, Theravada Indonesia, Jalan Margasatwa, Pondok Labu, South Jakarta, Saturday, June 8, 2024.

He expressed appreciation and felt honored if PDIP intends to nominate him in the upcoming Jakarta gubernatorial election.

"I want to say thank you. Appreciation to the parties that have given more trust, and certainly, this does not detach from the atmosphere we discussed earlier," he stated.

Anies hopes that the peaceful and tranquil Jakarta during his leadership can be felt again by Jakarta residents.

"Even though the peaceful and tranquil Jakarta of the past five years is what we want to continue into the future," added Anies.

However, the former Minister of Education and Culture has yet to reveal if PDIP is the best platform for him to run in the Jakarta gubernatorial election.

"Generally speaking, I express appreciation. Once again, thank you, it’s an extraordinary honor," he said.