PORTALJABAR, BEKASI REGENCY - Acting Regent of Bekasi, Asep Surya Atmaja, received an audience with protesters from the Northern Student Youth Forum (Formara) in his office on Thursday (April 9, 2026). During the meeting, the students conveyed demands related to development inequality in the northern region of Bekasi Regency, covering the education sector, job opportunities, and bureaucratic reform.

In response, Asep expressed his commitment to gradually improving governance in accordance with applicable regulations. He emphasized that during his tenure, there had been no inauguration of structural positions.

"Regarding the issue of buying and selling positions, during my tenure, there have been no inaugurations for structural positions. The inaugurations that have taken place have only been for functional positions," he said.

Asep explained that the limited authority of the Acting Regent requires permission from the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) to inaugurate structural positions. Currently, he said, the permit granted only covers inaugurations of functional positions.

He also acknowledged that many vacant positions within the Bekasi Regency Government are still being filled by acting officials, a situation that existed before he took office. He added that the regional government will again submit a request to the Ministry of Home Affairs to expedite the filling of these positions.

Regarding the transfer of State Civil Apparatus (ASN), Asep emphasized the importance of transparency and a competency-based system. He stated that future policies will focus on ASN talent management, with a mechanism for nominating the three best candidates before a decision is made by the Personnel Development Officer (PPK).

Beyond bureaucratic issues, Asep also highlighted issues of education and equitable development in the northern region of Bekasi Regency, including Hurip Jaya. He confirmed he would go directly to the field to assess the conditions in the community.

In terms of infrastructure, the Babelan region is a major concern, particularly due to the lack of street lighting (PJU), road damage, and persistent flooding. Asep said the local government has allocated approximately Rp1.1 trillion for infrastructure development, including street lighting.

"Going forward, development will be carried out more evenly by establishing three to five priority points in each village," he said.

Regarding flooding in the northern region, which is a downstream area, Asep stated that addressing it requires integrated measures. The contributing factors include river silting, water inflow from upstream, and tidal flooding in coastal areas.

Efforts to be undertaken include river normalization with the River Basin Agency (BBWS), downstream area planning, postponing building permits in flood-prone areas, and studying the construction of reservoirs and canals.

"We also implemented emergency response during the flood, including direct evacuation of residents on the ground," he said. (Bekasi Regency Communications and Information Office/rka)