TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indigenous Chief of the Balik Tribe in Sepaku Village, Penajam Paser Utara Regency, East Kalimantan, Sibukdin, has urged the local government to swiftly address the rampant presence of commercial sex workers near the Nusantara Capital (IKN). Sibukdin voiced concerns that the IKN area could become like Kalijodo in Jakarta before its revitalization.
"We must not let it become like Gang Dolly in East Java and Kalijodo in Jakarta," he said when contacted on Thursday, July 10, 2025.
The Public Order Police (Satpol PP) of Penajam Paser Utara (PPU) Regency reported apprehending 64 commercial sex workers in 2025, but Sibukdin expressed skepticism about that data.
Based on his observations, the PPU area itself remains generally safe. However, the ongoing development in IKN has led to an influx of newcomers, and he believed that it is possible some have resorted to sex work. "They might be pretending to be innocent so that no one suspects," he remarked.
Sibukdin does not blame those who choose to work as sex workers, attributing their circumstances to economic factors. "There is no other way. They choose to work like that," he said.
He also urged the government not to create issues that disturb the community, as he believed this particular issue tarnishes IKN's reputation. Even if an increase in prostitution is confirmed, Sibukdin called upon the local government and law enforcement to resolve the matter peacefully.
Last Tuesday, the Head of the IKN Authority, Basuki Hadimuljono, said that the new capital city area has been cleared of commercial sex workers and cockfighting. Basuki mentioned that the IKN Authority and law enforcement officials had demolished approximately eight "red-light district huts" last Ramadan.
The former Minister of Public Works further added that those issues in the IKN area are "old news" that has been "recycled and reposted on social media."
Daniel Ahmad Fajri contributed to this report
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