President Joko Widodo and His Son Kaesang Respond to Former President Megawati’s Jibe About New Order Rulers…

By Fitria Chusna Farisa for Kompas.com, November 30, 12:39 Local

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com — Recent comments by the Chair of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), and Indonesia’s fifth President, Ms. Megawati Soekarnoputri, regarding (unnamed) rulers behaving like those in power during the New Order¹ era have sparked controversy.

Several members of Indonesia’s political elite including President Joko Widodo have spoken up about this.

Initially, Ms. Megawati made her remarks during a national coordination meeting of volunteers campaigning for the PDI-P endorsed presidential candidates Mr. Ganjar Pranowo² and Mr. Mahfud MD.³ The volunteers meeting was attended by leaders of supporter groups from across Java at the Jakarta International Expo in Central Jakarta on Monday (27/11/2023).

In her speech, Mr. Megawati referred to the necessity of significant sacrifices to build Indonesia. However, she pointed out that the actions of the current national leaders seemed regressive to her.

“I shouldn’t say this, but I’m upset. Why? This Republic is full of sacrifices, don’t you know? Why are those in power now acting like those in power during the New Order era?” said Ms. Megawati in a heightened tone.

Her statement was met with cheers from the thousands of Ganjar-Mahfud supporters present, many of who rose from their seats and repeatedly shouted, “Oppose that.”

Ms. Megawati responded to the uproar from the volunteers with a call to work to ensure Ganjar-Mahfud win in a single round of the presidential election [to avoid the need for a second round run off election].

Freedom, freedom, freedom! We will win with Ganjar-Mahfud in one round!” chanted Indonesia’s fifth President.

President Widodo’s Reaction

President Widodo did not extensively respond to Ms. Megawati’s comments. When asked for comment by reporters, he simply offered a smile.

“I don’t want to provide a response,” President Widodo said after planting a tree in the urban forest at Pulogadung Industrial Area in East Jakarta on Wednesday (29/11/2023). He maintained a smile while delivering his response. Shortly after, he gestured farewell to reporters ending the Q&A session.

Response of Prabowo-Gibran Campaign Team

Ms. Megawati’s commends were also addressed by the national campaign team of the endorsed candidates of the Advance Indonesia Coalition (KIM) of parties Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Prabowo Subianto and President Joko Widodo’s eldest son and PDI-P endorsed mayor of the Central Java city of Solo, Mr. Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

The Secretary of the Prabowo-Gibran campaign team, Nusron Wahid, stated that they respect Ms. Megawati as the daughter of independence Proclaimer former President Soekarno and Indonesia’s fifth President.

However, Mr. Nusron claimed that Ms. Megawati herself had formed the power structure since winning the 2014 presidential election up to the present day. President Widodo was supported by the PDI-P.

“Today’s powers were formed by Mrs. Megawati herself for 10 years because President Widodo was supported by [Ms. Megawati’s] PDI-P in the 2014 presidential election and was massively supported, including by us. And in 2019, he was also supported by the PDI-P,” Mr. Nusron said when interviewed at the Media Center of the Prabowo-Gibran campaign in Jakarta on Tuesday (28/11/2023).

Mr. Nusron, in turn, questioned if Ms. Megawati referred to the current rulers as rulers from the New Order era. He disagreed with labeling the current rulers as resembling those from the New Order era. During that time, the government was centralized. “During the New Order era, power was held by only one party. Is that characteristic present in Mr. Widodo? It’s not; this power is decentralized among various parties.

The Minister of Economy is from Golkar Party. Then, the Minister of State Apparatus is from PDI-P,” Nusron stated.

Muhaimin’s Comments

Endorsed vice presidential candidate for the Change Coalition of parties⁴, Mr. Muhaimin Iskandar,⁵ also gave his opinion. He agreed with Ms. Megawati’s statement.

According to Mr. Muhaimin, the situation of the New Order era began to be felt after the Judicial Conduct Board of Indonesia’s Constitutional Court declared that Constitutional Court Chief Justice Anwar Usman had committed a serious breach of the Court’s code of ethics in decision 90/PUU-XXI/2023 about the judicial review of the the statutory minimum age requirement for presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

“Yes, since the Constitutional Court decision, all parties have become aware,” said Mr. Muhaimin in Surabaya, East Java, Tuesday (28/11/2023). Through decision 90/PUU-XXI/2023, the Constitutional Court allowed individuals under the age of 40 to run as candidates for president or vice president, provided they had served as regional heads or other officials elected at an election.

This decision granted the opportunity for (then) Chief Justice Anwar Usman’s nephew and President Widodo’s eldest son, Mr. Gibran Rakabuming Raka, to run for vice president in the 2024 presidential election at the age of 36, based on his status as the mayor of the Central Java city of Surakarta (aka Solo) elected in February 2020.

According to Mr. Muhaimin, suspicions of irregularities in the 2024 elections began with that decision. (Now) Justice Anwar Usman was proven to have maneuvered for certain interests, leading to his dismissal as Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court.

Nonetheless, Mr. Muhaimin, also Chair of the Nation Awakening Party (PKB) believed that an honest and fair election was still achievable. The key was to continue expressing concerns about the democratic situation and overseeing the ongoing process. “But so far, if we keep voicing these concerns, God willing, they will reduce the pressures,” added the vice-presidential candidate alongside the presidential candidate for the Change Coalition, Mr. Anies Baswedan.

Latest Response of President Widodo’s Son

Chair of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) and President Widodo’s youngest son, Mr. Kaesang Pangarep,⁶ also offered his perspective.

Mr. Kaesang shared his response while attending the Archipelago Drivers Community Forum in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday (29/11/2023).

Initially, Mr. Kaesang asked who Ms. Megawati was referring to as the ruler. The media replied that the current government was led by President Widodo. “We… Who was the ruler before? What’s the definition of a ruler? Who? (President Widodo). With? With Mr. Ma’ruf. Where…,” mused Mr. Kaesang.

He then asked if anyone had been arrested by the government for insulting the Head of State. “Friends, I say, on social media, saying something insulting about Mr. President, were they arrested?” he continued. Suddenly, a truck driver present at the Archipelago Drivers Community Forum and standing behind Mr. Kaesang answered “yes.” Mr. Kaesang seemed momentarily surprised by the response. He admitted that someone had indeed been arrested for allegedly insulting the President. However, in his view, that person was arrested for going too far. “Okay, they were arrested for excessively insulting. But in a discussion forum or whatever it is, did anyone get arrested, or do something like that? No, right?” said Mr. Kaesang. He also admitted he was not aware of what happened during the New Order era. According to him, during that time, he was still a child. “I don’t know what the definition of the New Order era was like, because I didn’t experience it myself.

Because at the time, I was still young, so I didn’t experience it,” he said. “Again, I wasn’t alive during that era. So I have to ask others about the definition before I can answer.”

This article is based on: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2023/11/30/12394231/saat-jokowi-dan-kaesang-tanggapi-sentilan-megawati-soal-penguasa-orde-baru

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Footnotes:

1. See Lubis, Todung Mulya. “In search of human rights : Legal-political dilemmas of Indonesia’s new order, 1966-1990 / Todung Mulya Lubis.” (1993) for some discussion of the New Order regime. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/In-search-of-human-rights-%3A-Legal-political-of-new-Lubis/010e2df705180b620c72ad86b4f5c219bb2bf200 ↩︎
2. Governor of Central Java province. ↩︎
3. Indonesia’s current Coordinating Minister for Law and Human Rights. ↩︎
4. https://id.wtheikipedia.org/wiki/Koalisi_Perubahan ↩︎
5. Minister of Labor and Transmigration (2009–2014), Deputy Speaker of the House of Representative (1999–2009, 2019–now), Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (2018–2019) ↩︎
6. https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaesang_Pangarep ↩︎