Poltical Opinion

His fingers formed the metal salute, bringing together three fingers in various shapes. Then, they shouted Ganjar-Mahfud loudly as the presidential convoy and its escorts passed through various areas in Central Java, creating a meaningful sight. The people in every region want to show that their choice is still Ganjar Pranowo, as they are well aware of his tangible work. On the other hand, they assert that the only one capable of continuing Jokowi's leadership is Ganjar, who has proven his ability to work and has a series of successes in solving problems and fixing what is broken. He even has innovative ways to collaborate in building the country, with a great example being seen in Central Java through village development. It starts with tourist villages, anti-corruption villages, self-sufficient food villages, self-sufficient renewable energy villages, and so on. Ganjar supports those who bring new ideas during his leadership, such as the development of battery-powered electric sh...

Hey there! So, there's this ongoing debate for the 2024 presidential election, and it's been quite a ride! We're already at the fourth stage, with just one more debate left on February 4th, 2024. The hope is that these debates will help voters make their decisions before the big voting day on February 14th, 2024. Throughout these debates, there have been some new terms and knowledge thrown around. Like this one acronym, SGIE (State of the Global Islamic Economy), that Samsul used to trap and tease Cak Imin. And the latest one is "greenflation," which Samsul used in his not-so-polite way to belittle Prof. Mahfud. These terms have become quite the talk during the debates. Now, let's talk about "hilirisasi." According to the Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI), hilirisasi is the process of turning raw materials into finished products. It's all about adding value to a product or commodity by making it more complex or increasing its value. The goal of...

Life of a human is temporary and no one can know when we'll die, when we'll be born. Life is so temporary and becomes a mystery that we all have to accept the fact of its mysteriousness. There are people in the camp of Empty Two that's both empty, saying that they choose a vice president, not a president. This funny and magical logic, the fun and magic of it, is accepted by many people, including one of the parties in their coalition. They claim that they don't choose a president, but choose their vice president. This is what makes me find it very funny and illogical. They think that choosing a vice president can be separate from choosing a president. Furthermore, the logic goes even further to say that the president will die soon. Ridiculously half-baked, because we see how this flawed logic is being done. It's true that the president is already old, and the possibility of checking out earlier is there. But this doesn't automatically make this person die quickl...

The effective way to disable the tentacles of the octopus's henchmen is by making them entangle each other. This proverb somewhat depicts the chaotic situation in this country. Leadership succession doesn't stand alone, but rather accumulates a series of strategies over time. The 2019 succession that gave birth to Jokowi's second term holds an agenda for 2024. The oligarchy octopus circle needs a rebirth after four terms in power but not having full freedom. Take, for example, the Golkar party, which made a historical mistake during the reform era when they successfully brought down Soeharto, but not their beringin party. The party with a liberal ideology then split into several parties that grew with the strength of their oligarchic networks. Gerindra, Nasdem, and Demokrat were born from the womb of the post-reform Golkar party convention. The founders and chairmen have all experienced wearing yellow suits, sitting together at the same table. The same goes for Hanura and P...

Education expenses are so expensive compared to other ASEAN countries, but the quality of human resources is still far from satisfactory. It's like the saying, "More bark than bite." The high budget allocation of 20% for education from the state budget should have a positive impact on the education system in Indonesia, allowing it to compete with other developed countries. One of the effects of the expensive cost of education is that Indonesia's education system is lagging behind. In the past, especially in 1996, the quality of Indonesian teachers was highly regarded by the international community to the extent that Malaysia imported teachers from Indonesia. What about now? To get truly qualified teachers, we have to be able to enter prestigious schools, not disregarding the quality of teachers in regular schools, but the reality is different. The high cost of education in Indonesia, from the perspective of the lower class, makes them reluctant to pursue higher educat...

Now, everyone's buzzing about Jokowi's statement saying the President can pick sides and campaign. We're not sure if Jokowi's really gonna jump into the fray, but the signals are getting clearer. Jokowi wouldn't drop a bomb like that without some hidden agenda, right? So, the head honcho of Indonesia's Election Commission, Hasyim Asy'ari, says Jokowi can campaign, but he has to ask himself for leave. It's in this one election law section, but ain't it hilarious? Jokowi needs vacation approval from the same guy – himself! How does that even work? Sure, some articles say the President can take sides or campaign, but there are other articles frowning upon state officials taking sides. Even if it's allowed, ethically, the President's gotta stay neutral. If he starts picking sides, especially supporting his own kid, Jokowi ain't the President of the Indonesian people anymore; he's the President of his own family. Just imagine this: Jokowi ...

Man, I can't wrap my head around what's going on in Jokowi's mind. He says the President can take sides and campaign in the 2024 Presidential Election. That statement caught everyone's attention, and it's setting a lousy precedent for the leadership he's been building for around 10 years. Many think Jokowi's words hurt the people, just like what the Ganjar-Mahfud Volunteers for Sumatra (Ragusa Sumbar) recently expressed. They believe that the wound Jokowi inflicted since the Constitutional Court's decision greenlighting Gibran as Prabowo's running mate is getting worse and tearing open with this statement. Sure, according to the rules, for a President to campaign, they should take a leave first. But it's not just about the rules; there's a moral code to uphold to prevent conflicts of interest from gnawing at the country. This context makes Jokowi's situation as President worse. He seems to be embarrassing himself, even though he probably ...

So, everyone knew about the connection between President Jokowi's family and the PDI Perjuangan party. Their long-standing alliance has conquered the Indonesian political scene, helping Jokowi become a two-term President with the support of Megawati's party. As the 2024 elections approach, the Indonesian public is taken aback by the maneuvers of Jokowi's family. Everyone, from Jokowi to Gibran, Boby Nasution, and even Kaesang Pangarep, is distancing themselves from the bull party. Initially, their moves were hush-hush, but over time, they've become more apparent and even bolder. Recent events further strengthen the belief that Jokowi's family is confidently taking a stance opposite to the party that has supported them all this while. Not long ago, President Jokowi stated that the President is allowed to campaign and take sides. He said this while standing next to Prabowo Subianto, the presidential candidate number 02. It's like Jokowi wanted to emphasize that he...

During the PDIP anniversary, President Jokowi was notably absent, citing a conflicting schedule for a work visit in an ASEAN country. There was also no birthday greeting. However, when Megawati celebrated her 77th birthday, Jokowi sent an arrangement of orchids, white roses, lilies, and baby's breath, accompanied by a message, "Happy birthday to Mother Megawati Soekarnoputri. From: President Joko Widodo." Recently, there have been rumors that Jokowi requested a meeting with Megawati, though this was denied. In my opinion, this might be true. When it comes to denials, can we really believe them? For instance, Jokowi previously stated that state officials must remain neutral, yet he seems no longer neutral himself. Can Jokowi's statements be trusted anymore? PDIP Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto stated that those meeting with Megawati are always open. "If someone meets with Mother, it's always open," said Hasto. However, he believes that if a meeting wi...

It's a serious blunder when the presidential palace has to clarify President Jokowi's statements, and Jokowi himself has to provide clarification. The evidence from the palace reveals a growing panic as the electability of the candidate pair 02, with a controversial offspring, continuously declines. Undeniably, this has caused an unprecedented level of panic within the palace. Jokowi made a blunder by clarifying his own statement, garnering a predominantly negative reaction from the Indonesian public. This blunder is attributed to panic, a common cause for such mistakes when individuals are under pressure. My question is, what is causing President Jokowi to feel pressured? Is it because he is concerned about the people? It seems not, as he has taken actions seemingly beyond his capabilities, attempting to appear neutral when, in fact, he is anything but neutral. President Joko Widodo once stated that civil servants and ministers should remain neutral. However, recently, he decl...

Wedding receptions or ceremonies for Indonesian citizens are often held in front of homes, involving the closure of part or the entire roadway. Is this allowed? The answer is yes; this is regulated by Law No. 22 of 2009 regarding road traffic and National Police Chief Regulation No. 10 of 2012. Article 2 of the National Police Chief Regulation states, 'the use of roads for private purposes as referred to in Article 15 paragraph 2 includes weddings, funerals, or other activities.' And Article 127 paragraph 3 of Law No. 22 of 2009 regarding road traffic states, 'the use of district or city roads and village roads as referred to in paragraph 1 may be permitted for national or regional interests and/or private interests.' This means that road closures for private purposes are allowed, except for national roads, with permission from the local police sector (POLSEK), district police (POLRES), and regional police (POLDA). So, it cannot be authorized solely by the neighborhood ...

It's disheartening to see prominent figures of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) aligning with Prabowo Gibran, the vice-presidential candidate number 02. Ideally, NU figures should uphold a healthy and knowledgeable mindset, and their words should serve as an example for the community. Khofifah Indar Parawansa, serving as the Governor of East Java since February 13, 2019, and formerly as the Minister of Social Affairs of Indonesia from October 27, 2014, to January 17, 2018, is a public figure with a known track record. However, Khofifah's attempt to liken Prabowo Subianto to the Prophet's companion, Sayyidina Abu Bakar Ash Shiddiq, and Gibran Rakabuming Raka to Sayyidina Ali bin Abi Thalib, is preposterous. Does Khofifah not reflect on who Abu Bakar Ash Shiddiq was? Abu Bakar, also known as Abu Bakar Ash Shiddiq, was an early adopter of Islam and a key companion of Prophet Muhammad SAW, supporting the Prophet's mission to spread Islam, the Mercy to All the Worlds. He was the first c...

President Jokowi's statement that the President is allowed to campaign and take sides has sparked controversy and heated debates with only 18 days left until the election. Many people perceive President Jokowi's statement as a violation of the law and regulations. However, legally speaking, there is nothing wrong with President Jokowi's statement regarding the President's right to campaign and take sides. Jokowi did not break the law because his statement simply reflects the content of the law, and most importantly, there have been no legal consequences resulting from his statement. President Jokowi has not campaigned for Prabowo or made statements like, "I invite all Indonesian citizens to vote for Mr. Prabowo if they still want my programs to continue... I urge all Indonesian citizens to go to the polling stations and cast their vote for number 2 on February 14, 2024, so that development can continue in all parts of the country, and Mr. Prabowo will solve the Nat...

It's a major blunder that the palace had to clarify Jokowi's statement and Jokowi himself had to clarify the president's statement. The evidence shows that the palace is starting to panic as the electability of candidate pair 02, which includes his son and violates heavy ethics, continues to decline steadily. It cannot be denied that this has caused an extraordinary panic within the palace. Jokowi made a blunder by clarifying his own statement, which received a negative reaction from the majority of the Indonesian public. Blunders like this are usually caused by panic, as people tend to make mistakes when they are under pressure. My question is, what is causing President Jokowi to be under pressure? Is it because he is thinking about the people? It seems like he's not anymore, but he is doing something that seems beyond his capabilities, which is trying to be neutral. However, he is not neutral at all. President Joko Widodo once said that civil servants and ministers sh...

Statements from high-ranking officials always attract attention, especially when it comes to sensitive and controversial matters. Recently, President Jokowi caused a stir with his statement about campaigning. President Joko Widodo stated that allowing a president and vice president to campaign in general elections is in accordance with the provisions of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning Elections. Therefore, Jokowi emphasized that his statement on Wednesday (1/24/2024) regarding the president's ability to support specific candidates and campaign is in accordance with the rules. The Head of State requested that his statement not be misinterpreted. "Law Number 7 of 2017 clearly states in Article 299 that the president and vice president have the right to campaign, it's clear," said Jokowi in a press conference at Bogor Palace, as broadcasted by the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel on Friday (1/26/2024). Jokowi's statement caught the public's attentio...

The showdown between presidential and vice-presidential candidates in the 2024 election is getting intense. The buzz about the possible resignation of the vice-presidential candidate from Jokowi's cabinet has the public on edge, eagerly awaiting confirmation. Last Sunday's vice-presidential debate is still the talk of the town. Gibran's attitude is under the spotlight, considered disrespectful and downplaying the other vice-presidential candidates. Gibran's moves in that debate got the public all worked up. The political scene got even hotter when President Jokowi dropped the bomb that the President can campaign and take sides. It's getting more exciting. To spice up the political tension in the country, there's now this photo of Bulog rice causing a commotion. Recently, a photo spread like wildfire on social media—Bulog rice, 5-kilogram pack, tagged with a sticker of the presidential and vice-presidential candidate number 2, Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming R...