Machica Mochtar: What My Child Experiences Is The Risk Of An Activist

JAKARTA - Dangdut singer Machica Mochtar supports his baby Muhammad Iqbal Ramadhan in the demonstration to criticize the policies of the government and the Indonesian House of Representatives. Support is given because the action to defend people's rights is a positive thing.

"I support my child because the current situation is not good. We are old, they will continue this republic later," said Machica, who was accompanied by her child, Muhammad Iqbal Ramadhan, to host Eddy Wijaya, on the EdShareOn podcast which aired Wednesday, September 4, 2024.

Muhammad Iqbal Ramadhan was recently highlighted by the media because he received a series of acts of violence allegedly committed by security forces. The violence occurred when Iqbal and other demonstrators held a demonstration to guard the decision of the Constitutional Court (MK) on the Pilkada Law in front of the DPR/MPR building on Thursday, August 22.

As a result of the violence, the son of the Machica couple and the late Minister of State Secretary under the Moerdiono New Order era suffered a broken nose with bruises on the body. Iqbal admitted that he had experienced violence from the front of the DPR RI building to the police station. "I forgot a little because the impact was too much. As far as I remember when I walked (in the DPR park) I had felt a lot of water on my nose, bleeding. As far as I got the act of violence to enter the Pamdal (Domestic Security) room. As far as I remember when I was detained, there was one policewoman who kicked my feet," Iqbal added.

Machica then regretted the actions allegedly carried out by the security forces. They should protect and protect the community, including demonstrators. He was also furious after hearing that his son was a victim of violence in the action. "My name is me who gave birth and raised my child. So let alone being beaten!" he said.

Machica also told how panicked she was when she got the news that her only son was arrested and got violence. "At that time I couldn't sleep, my feelings were erratic. I panicked tremendously because the one who imagined the incident in 1998, where many people's children were missing, was just a name," said the singer who was born in Sengkang, South Sulawesi, March 20, 1970.

Nevertheless, Machica admitted that she did not give up supporting her child to join the demonstration. That is part of the risk of an activist. And, in my opinion, that is the soul of a young man. He must show his identity by defending the truth, the people who are wronged, that's a positive thing," said Machica Mochtar, who soared through the song Ilalang.

To Eddy Wijaya, Muhammad Iqbal Ramadhan admitted that he took to the streets to demonstrate because he was angry when the DPR wanted to change the law arbitrarily. As happened in the Constitutional Court's decision Number 60 concerning the Regional Head Candidate Threshold in the Regional Head Election and the Constitutional Court's decision Number 70 concerning the Age Requirements for Regional Heads in the Regional Head Elections which were to be amended by revising the Pilkada Law.

"That's why it needs to be guarded, because often the government and the DPR at midnight knock on the hammer to pass the law," said the man who was born on February 5, 1996.

Iqbal said the government should be fair and not be selfish in issuing legal products. For men who also work as lawyers, law is a tool to achieve social justice. "But what I often see is the opposite, the law is used as a tool to enrich themselves and strengthen power," he said.

The doctoral student of the Faculty of Law, Al Azhar University, said that if the law does not become a tool for achieving justice, the small community will become victims. "If asked why (the heart) I am so shaking? Because I see that small communities or the Indonesian people are defeated by using the law which should be used as a noble tool to achieve justice," said Iqbal.

Watch more in Eddy Wijaya's interview on the EdShareOn podcast! (ADV)