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Solo Mayor Praised for Using Student-Built Car
Arientha Primanita & Hangga Brata | January 04, 2012

Solo Mayor Joko Widodo, left, arriving in a new official police car, which was built by local vocational students, while attending an event in the city on Tuesday. (JG Photo/Ali Lutfi) Solo Mayor Joko Widodo, left, arriving in a new official police car, which was built by local vocational students, while attending an event in the city on Tuesday. (JG Photo/Ali Lutfi)
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DrDez
2:41pm Jan 4, 2012

Fabulous :) I like it a lot !! Well done to he students.. Maybe a huge potential to become a genuine national project??

Well done students & the Mayor & the Education Ministry


jimtoyz
11:31am Jan 4, 2012

see, the group of people who can see no good in Indonesia..

JakartaDean
9:44am Jan 4, 2012

JG: I would have thought that good journalism practice might suggest exploring the 80% claim a little. Is that 80% by number of components or by value of components + direct labor? Personally, I don't believe there is even 40% local content if you use, say, the same basis as is used in international trade and tariff rules. Maybe time to try your hand at investigation, rather than mindlessly repeating?

Which bits are locally made?

notreadeeyet
9:35am Jan 4, 2012

JG... These are the types of stories that offer a breath of fresh air and at least a little pride in Indonesia and its people after being relentlessly exposed to the daily grind of corruption, ineptness, violence, bigotry, fundamentalism and downright jealousy that seems to be the staple diet of Indonesian society. Indonesia, we need more positive stories like this....

jchay
9:34am Jan 4, 2012

Good initiative, good PR. Smart mayor! Now let's see if this whole Kiat Esemka is the real thing..

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The Solo mayor’s decision to ditch his Toyota Camry for one assembled by vocational students garnered praise on Tuesday, and possibly plans for emulation by his peers.

Various government officials at the Presidential Palace for the first cabinet meeting of the year commended Solo Mayor Joko Widodo, who on Tuesday officially began using the car, branded “Kiat Esemka.”

The name is a reference to how SMK (vocational high school) is pronounced, and Kiat Motor, one of the biggest car repair shops and dealerships in the city.

“This should be imitated by other [government officials] as this is one of the efforts to support our children to be more creative,” said Syarifuddin Hasan, the minister for small and medium enterprises.

None of the officials present outright pledged to follow the mayor’s example, but Industry Minister M.S. Hidayat said he had asked for the details of the car to determine whether it could be mass-produced.

Syarifuddin added that his ministry would help the students buy the spare parts if it could be produced on a large scale.

“We will support the ministers to use this car one day,” the minister said.

Joko Widodo, or Jokowi as he is better known, is now using a car assembled by SMK 2 Solo students along with Kiat Motor, while his deputy, F.X. Hadi Rudyatmo, is using a car assembled by the students of SMK Warga Solo, also in cooperation with Kiat Motor.

The cars, assembled using 80 percent locally produced components, were financed by the Education Ministry.

Education and Cultural Minister Muhammad Nuh said the use of the car by the Solo mayor would increase people’s confidence in products made by the country’s students.

“I also use a [locally made] laptop and UHP [ultra high performance] projector,” Nuh said at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday.

In Solo, Jokowi said he was impressed with the car’s engine and interior.

“The features are pretty good. What else do you want? Local products can compete with those from other countries,” he said, pointing out the air conditioning, stereo and seats.

“This Esemka car is powered by a 1.5-liter engine, costs Rp 95 million ($10,500) and will surely sell in the market.”

Meanwhile, his driver, Suliadi, said he was relieved that the mayor now had a new vehicle to replace the 11-year-old Camry that often broke down.