We Must Abandon Unethical Politics, President Jokowi Says

: President Jokowi gives remarks on the 10th Church and Community Conference of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) 2019, Manado, North Sulawesi, Sunday (31/3). (Photo by: Rahmat/PR)

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo has urged Indonesian people to abandon unethical political approaches.

“This is our collective task to remind each other of what is right and wrong,” President Jokowi said in his remarks during the 10^th Church and Community Conference of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) 2019, Manado, North Sulawesi, Sunday (31/3).

According to the President, he has always remained silent for the past four and a half years towards slanders and false accusation.

“(The slanders and false accusation are made) both on social media and in real life,” he said, adding that he feels the need to clarify all the accusations because according to a survey, nine million people believe it.

President Jokowi cited the example of accusation saying that he was a member of the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). “I was born in 1961, while the PKI was disbanded in 1965. It does not make sense,” he added.

Citing another example, the President has also been accused of being member of a foreign stooge. In fact, during his administration, he added, the Mahakam Block and the Rokan Block—the largest and most productive gas and oil block in Indonesia—were taken over from foreign companies and handed over to state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina.

In addition, President Jokowi added that the Government has also managed to take over 51.2 percent of PT Freeport Indonesia’s shares, a subsidiary of US mining giant Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold at the end of last year. “Is that what they called a foreign stooge?” he said.

These days, President Jokowi continued, the rumor has shifted to the issue of foreign workers (tenaga kerja asing and aseng—a pejorative word referring to Chinese). “Luckily, I am patient,” he said.

As a matter of fact, foreign workers in Indonesia makes up only 0.03 percent of Indonesia’s population compared to the percentage of foreign workers in Malaysia, Singapore, and the UAE, each of which has foreign workers of 5.4 percent, 24 percent, and 80 percent respectively, the President added. (RAH/ES)

Translated by: Galuh Wicaksono
Edited by: Muhardi/Muhammad Ersan Pamungkas