Prabowo Holds Back For The People, Refly Harun: Should Have Been Present During The Habib Rizieq Case

JAKARTA - Constitutional law expert Refly Harun responded to the statement made by General Chairman Prabowo Subianto, who admitted that he must refrain from doing so now for the sake of greater interests in the future.

Refly Harun said he was surprised. According to him, if Prabowo admitted that he could not do much, why would he choose to enter government circles by becoming Minister of Defense.

"If the choice to be in government cannot do anything, why should he join the government? If he enters the government, of course, Prabowo is expected to make a significant contribution to improvements", said Refly on Refly Harun's YouTube broadcast, Tuesday, February 9.

Given Prabowo's position in the defense and security sector, Refly thought that Prabowo should have more introspection on government policies, which Prabowo himself is in it.

Because, according to him, law enforcement in President Joko Widodo's administration is lower down than upward. Refly then touched on the criminal case that ensnared Muhammad Rizieq Shihab and former leaders of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI).

"There is a mistake that really does not need to be detained and arrested, but detained and arrested. Yes, we will call it the Habib Rizieq case, the case of Ustaz Maaher who finally died in prison. Finally, six FPI leaders were also detained", he said.

In fact, according to Refly, the police can only exercise discretion not to detain the people he mentioned. This is because they are not classified as dangerous criminals such as corruptors, murderers, and robbers.

"If criminals are true, such as corruptors, murderers, robbers, naturally they should be detained. Because if they are not detained they will definitely erase their traces, the evidence", he said.

"But, if the crowd violates, Petamburan, for example, it is impossible to lose the evidence because it is enough just once. It is impossible to run away because there is a guarantor, let alone repeat the criminal act", continued he.

Prabowo previously said he had to exercise more restraint for the sake of big interests. However, Prabowo did not mention what those interests were.

"Sometimes I also have to hold back a lot for the sake of big interests, for the sake of the party and the whole Indonesian people", Prabowo said in a GerindraTV Youtube broadcast.

Prabowo admitted that Gerindra could not become an absolute ruling party. However, Prabowo asked the existing reality not to dampen the enthusiasm of Gerindra cadres.

"We still want to rule with lawfulness, legitimacy, constitutionally. We want to rule with the people's permission. We want to rule with a good struggle, but never doubt that we continue to have faith that we are capable of improving this nation", said Prabowo.