JAKARTA - Prabowo Subianto, the President of the Republic of Indonesia, formally inaugurated and proclaimed in Abdul Wahid and SF Hariyanto as Governor and Deputy Governor of Riau Province for the period 2025-2030. On Thursday (20/2/2025), the inauguration was held at the Merdeka Palace's Central Courtyard in Jakarta.

This inauguration is part of the simultaneous inauguration of 961 regional heads and their deputies, which include 33 governors and deputy governors, 363 regents, 362 deputy regents, 85 mayors and 85 deputy mayors. This is a historic moment because for the first time the inauguration of regional heads was carried out simultaneously on a large scale by the President.

“I believe this is a historic moment. For the first time in our country, we are simultaneously inaugurating 961 regional heads from 481 regions,” President Prabowo stated in his speech, which was aired on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel.

The inauguration of Abdul Wahid and SF Hariyanto as the new leaders of Riau was greeted with various expectations from the public. Ibnu Ramadhan, a resident of Pekanbaru City, hopes that their leadership can bring progress to Riau, especially in the fields of education, social and infrastructure.

“Congratulations to Abdul Wahid and SF Hariyanto. May their leadership bring better changes for our beloved Riau,” he said.

Wike Amelia Fitri, a millennial from Kuantan Singingi Regency, also expressed similar hopes.

He hopes that the regional government will open more opportunities for young people to contribute to development.

“Hopefully the new Governor and Deputy Governor can collaborate with millennials to play an active role in Riau's development,” she said.

Meanwhile, Rizky Maulana, a private employee in the palm oil plantation sector from Pelalawan Regency, hopes that regional government policies can support the welfare of workers.

“Hopefully this new leadership will pay more attention to the workforce in the private sector and bring prosperity to the community,” he hoped.

Hope also came from Martodi, a farmer in Riau, who emphasized the importance of developing the agricultural sector as a pillar of food security and regional economic growth.

“Hopefully Riau will progress further, especially in the agricultural sector which is the mainstay of the people's economy,” he said.

After being inaugurated, Riau Governor Abdul Wahid announced his commitment to implementing important initiatives in line with his vision, mission, and campaign pledges. His government's key priorities include infrastructure improvement, health-care reform, education, and job creation.

“We will immediately realize priority programs, starting from the infrastructure, health, education sectors, to providing employment opportunities,” said Abdul Wahid.

With this inauguration, it is anticipated that Riau Province will make development in numerous areas, provide wealth to the community, and boost regional competitiveness at the national level, according to mcr.(*)