Rocky Gerung Reveals Reasons For Saying "Keep Your Heart" When Jokowi Criticizes

Rocky Gerung/PHOTO: Diah Ayu-VOI

JAKARTA - Rocky Gerung explained his reasons for issuing the "key" and "toleol" swearing when criticizing President Joko Widodo regarding the project of the Capital City of the Archipelago (IKN) and the Omnibus Law on the Job Creation Law.

Roxky explained that he needed to express his disapproval of the two problems. According to him, the Jokowi government is too forcing its ambition to run the IKN project and ratify the Omnibus Law which he considers detrimental to the community.

"In policy criticism, I have to use language that can be understood by people who have been explained many times but don't understand either," said Rocky at a press conference in Jakarta, Friday, August 4.

Rocky explained that he criticized Jokowi for not heeding the interests of the local community regarding the development of IKN.

According to him, the government published an analysis regarding the environmental impact (amdal) of IKN development without involving indigenous peoples in East Kalimantan.

"Many times the academic community said that IKN was wrong in its legal construction. Because it should have asked the indigenous people first. Have you ever asked for permission from the indigenous people? No," explained Rocky.

"The form of asking for permission is amdal. Amdal is the right of indigenous peoples to agree or not to approve important proposals. Pak Jokowi has decided first, then asked for amdal justification. That's a chaotic way of thinking," he added.

Then, regarding the Omnibus Law, Rocky assessed that the government was too forcing its ratification even though it was rejected by the community, especially the labor group.

"I explain that the Omnibus Law is a political assessment because it insults workers' rights to earn income. So, the Omnibus Law removes the welfare rights of workers," he explained.

Polda Metro Jaya received three police reports (LP) with reported Rocky Gerung and Refly Harun. The first report was made by the United Indonesia Volunteers, on Monday, July 31, 2023. The report is registered with the number LP/B/4459/VII/2023/SPKT/Polda Metro Jaya.

Then, a day later, the former Democrat Party politician Ferdinand Hutahaen also reported Rocky Gerung and Refly Harun to Polda Metro Jaya. The report is registered with the number LP/B/4465/VIII/2023/SPKT/Polda Metro Jaya.

Third, reporting is carried out by someone representing the Democratic Volunteer Group. The report is registered with the number LP/B/4504/VIII/2023/SPKT/Polda Metro Jaya, dated August 2, 2023.

The three reports started with podcast content broadcast on YouTube Refly Harun. Rocky Gerung's statement at the event was considered to contain elements of insulting Jokowi and unethical. Several words or statements by Rocky Gerung were considered hate speech.

"Once Jokowi loses his power he becomes an ordinary person, no one cares later. But Jokowi's ambition is to maintain his legacy. He offers IKN, pacing to the coalition, to find clarity on his fate," said Rocky in the video.

"He thinks his fate is not our fate, it's an stupid guy, as well as a coward. If he's a smart guy, he wants to accept arguing with Jumhur Hidayat. It's magical, a coward but a coward," continued Rocky criticizing Jokowi.