NTT Governor blames ‘poor people mindset’ as province’s main problem
Viktor Laiskodat, the governor of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), is back at it again with a controversial statement, this time suggesting that “poor people mindset” is the main issue plaguing his province.
“The main problem in NTT is a way of thinking that characteristically belongs to poor people,” Viktor said today.
Bear in mind that the governor has said things of similar nature in the past, including last November when he said that poor tourists should not visit NTT.
Read Also: ‘Send them to Bali’: Poor tourists shouldn’t visit East Nusa Tenggara, governor says
Just two weeks ago, Viktor said he’ll be spending more time in NTT’s Sumba and Timor islands because they make up “the most stupid and poor people” in the province.
The statement quickly became a hotly discussed issue on social media, prompting a clarification from NTT administration spokesman Marius Ardu Jelamu.
“The statement was an invitation; let’s change and fix ourselves so that we are not left behind,” Marius said.
Just to be fair, Viktor also shared his plans and ideas to further develop NTT in the near future earlier today, such as to boost tourism and improve infrastructure, while also developing other sectors in the province.
According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), there are 1.15 million poor residents in NTT as of March 2020, making up nearly 21 percent of the total provincial population.
Whether or not those ideas and plans will turn into reality are yet to be seen, but we certainly hope the administration has got a lot more going on than upsetting statements to help uplift the people of NTT.
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