Criticism is Form of Freedom of Expression, President Jokowi Says

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo

Criticism is a form of freedom of expression which is normal in a democratic country like Indonesia, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has said.

The President’s statement came following criticism of him which has been circulating online in the past few days.

“For me, it is a freedom of expression from the students. As Indonesia is a democratic country, criticism is allowed and the university does not have to silence its students for speaking out. However, our country has a culture of etiquette and politeness,” President Jokowi said in Jakarta, Tuesday (29/6).

For the record, University of Indonesia’s Student Executive Body (BEM UI) on Saturday  posted a series of pictures of President Jokowi accompanied by the caption “Jokowi: King of Lip Service” on its Instagram account @bemui_official.

“Jokowi often sells sweet promises but rarely fulfills them. His words are nothing more than a ‘lip service’,” the caption said.

However, apart from the criticism issue, President Jokowi also called on the public to remain focused on combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Criticism is nothing new. The students are probably learning to voice their opinion. The most important thing now is that we need to focus to handle the pandemic,” the President said. (TGH/UN) (EST/EP)