Jokowi approval rating climbs on infrastructure development

Indonesian President Jokowi’s approval rating has improved in the last nine months, according to a report by FT Confidential Research published in the Nikkei Asian Review. According to the report, the President’s approval rating climbed from 39.7 per cent in the third quarter of 2016 to 53.7 per cent in Q3 2017 despite the rise in religious tensions, particularly in Jakarta, over Jokowi-backed former Governor Ahok.

FT Confidential Research believes the rise in support is due to the government’s progress on infrastructure development, which is being attributed to President Jokowi.

Respondents were asked to rate Jokowi’s two-year performance based on eight areas of development. Jokowi’s approval rating on infrastructure was 65 per cent, followed by healthcare at 57.6 per cent. The World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said only last week that Indonesia still needs to nearly double its public spending on infrastructure and bring in more private investment to fill a gap of US$500 billion in the next five years.

According to the research, President Jokowi’s approval was lowest for political stability and reducing poverty. It also showed that Prabowo Subianto remains Jokowi’s biggest potential rival for the 2019 presidential election. Jokowi defeated Subianto in the 2014 presidential election with just over 53 per cent of the votes.