On Monday morning, July 21, 2025, a large group of travel transport business owners staged a demonstration in front of Lombok International Airport (BIL) in Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). Their protest was fueled by feelings of exclusion from the National Recreational Sports Festival (Fornas) VIII 2025.
Witnesses noted that the crowd began gathering at around 9:21 AM, equipped with a sound system and banners expressing their disappointment. One by one, demonstrators took turns voicing their grievances.
Coordinator of the protest, Lalu Reza Fadila, urged the Fornas 2025 committee to involve local transport businesses in the upcoming event. He emphasized the need for the committee to prioritize local operators rather than outsourcing transportation services to external providers. “We just want a fair opportunity to earn our share from this monumental event being held in NTB,” Reza stated.
He further explained that local travel providers had previously met all necessary criteria to serve as transport for Fornas 2025 and had been promised the use of 100 vehicles. However, the organizers abruptly changed the regulations to introduce electric vehicles from outside the region. “How can they suddenly cancel us on the grounds of bringing in electric cars from outside? What will happen to us then?” Reza questioned.
Reza viewed this situation as a troubling precedent for NTB’s Governor, Lalu Muhamad Iqbal, insisting that local citizens should be prioritized before looking for outside assistance. “This reflects our collective disappointment. We’re not just discussing regulatory compliance; we’re simply being shut out,” he asserted.
Another protestor, Lalu Toni, revealed that such situations are not isolated incidents—these recurring issues often arise during major events in NTB. Toni expressed frustration about the unilateral decisions made without local business involvement. “We’ve been misled many times, not just today. We’ve fulfilled all the requirements for Fornas, like ensuring our vehicles are under five years old, which we completed three months ago,” Toni explained.
According to local travel operators, they heard that the organizers had already partnered with outside businesses to secure event transportation. Toni claimed these external companies would bring in 100 electric vehicles. “From what we’ve gathered, the Governor plans to source between 50 to 100 electric vehicles from outside and is also borrowing additional vehicles from a large company to transport the Fornas contingents,” Toni shared.
As the protest drew to a close, no representatives from the local government or the Fornas 2025 committee appeared to meet with the demonstrators. The crowd began to disperse around 12:00 PM, leaving with the hope that their voices would be heard.
For context, Fornas VIII is set to take place in NTB from July 26 to August 1, 2025, with over 12,000 participants expected from 38 provinces. Competitions will cover 72 sporting organizations, featuring 1,152 events, along with 13 exhibition organizations and three invited organizations. The festival will be hosted across seven regions in NTB, including Mataram, Central Lombok, West Lombok, East Lombok, North Lombok, Sumbawa, and Bima.
