Placing Billboards In Disaster Affected Locations: Disaster For Women's Electability

Puan Maharani's billboard (Source: Twitter screenshot)

JAKARTA - The billboards of the chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, are scattered around the location of the Mount Semeru eruption in Luamajang, East Java, which have become the subject of public scrutiny. Many people think that Puan is not sincere in helping victims affected by the disaster. Is his electability at risk?

There is no such famous "flap of wings" slogan. Even so, the slogan on Puan's billboard this time sounded no less wise.

"Your tears, my tears, your cheerfulness, my joy. It's time to wake up and look to the future," written on billboards with a picture of Puan's self-portrait with a photo of refugees in the background. On the billboard was also printed the logo "Volunteer Puan Maharani".

Many people are disappointed with the installation of Puan's billboards. Because apart from giving the impression of not being sincere, the residents hope that the money to make billboards is better for buying groceries.

A resident of Sumberwuluh Village, Candipuro District, Lumajang, Ahmad Samiludin for example. As quoted by Suara.com, he admitted that he was disappointed. Ahmad said the money used to make billboards was better donated. "If you want to share help, don't use billboards."

According to Ahmad, Puan's billboards have been installed since Monday, December 20. He suspected that the billboards were installed before the evening before Puan's arrival.

Ahmad said billboards were installed 30 meters apart along the road from the Candipuro District Office to the Sumberwuluh Village Hall. "Every 30 meters there are billboards, from the sub-district to the village hall, when I pass, maybe hundreds of them."

Meanwhile, one of the volunteer victims of the eruption of Mount Semeru, Christian Joshua Pale also commented on the billboard. Quoted by Terkini.id, Christian assessed that the installation of billboards hurt the local residents. Because according to him only the billboards are visible, but the cadres are not there.

"Honestly, this hurts my heart, why are there so many long billboards installed. Where were the cadres at the TKP, the black zone, where were you? Nothing."

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— Political Jokes Indonesia (@PolJokesID) December 20, 2021

PDI-P's Response

Previously, Puan Maharani visited Lumajang Regency, East Java to see the condition of residents affected by the eruption of Mount Semeru on Monday, December 20. There he confirmed the condition of the residents of Pronojiwo who are currently quite isolated due to the cut off access to the main road in the area.

Regarding the installation of Puan's billboards, the Secretary of the PDI Perjuangan Lumajang Branch Leadership Council (DPC) Bukasan told Kompas.com that they were not installed. According to those who installed it, it was volunteer Puan Maharani.

His party admitted that they only put up a welcome billboard for Puan Maharani's working visit as chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives. And even then not much, only in Pronojiwo District.

"Mbak Puan already has a community outside the party structure. We also don't know because it is not in the context of communicating with Mbak Puan's fighting community."

DPR Chair Puan Maharani at a location affected by the eruption of Mount Semeru (Photo: ANTARA)

Electability disaster

The skewed response of various elements of society has the potential to cause disaster for Puan Maharani's electability. At least that's what the Political Observer from Al-Azhar University, Ujang Komarudin, said.

Ujang said that Puan's approach to installing billboards should have been stopped first. Especially billboards that are installed in places affected by disasters like this.

"Because people don't need billboards. But they need basic necessities. Even though they have provided assistance to them. But because of the installation of billboards, in the end the impression is not sincere," said Ujang to VOI.

According to Ujang, if you want to help people affected by the eruption, help sincerely without putting up billboards. Because it makes people think that the aid contains a political element. And it's not impossible to make electability even drop.

"And that can make people unsympathetic. If people don't sympathize, it will make their electability even worse."

Chairperson of the DPR, Puan Maharani (IST)

Similarly, researcher of the Indonesian Parliamentary Concerned Community Forum (Formappi) Lucius Karus said that the installation of billboards was for his self-image, it did not make sense. "Instead of achieving the goal, the billboards will actually hinder Puan from reaching her goal," said Lucius confirmed by VOI.

According to Lucius, the DPR must be present with all its sincerity as part of the people to feel the suffering of the people because of the disaster but at the same time. As a representative of the people, he said, the DPR should not be lost in grief because it has to think about how to bring back the affected people so that they can immediately live normal lives.

"The lady as the Speaker of the DPR should be an example of genuine caring politics. She must be present with all her empathy," said Lucius.

This is not the first time that Puan's billboard has been criticized. Some time ago, this billboard with the slogan "Flap the Wings of Diversity" was criticized by netizens because it was suspected that politicians had already taken steps to face the 2024 presidential election. Meanwhile, the community was still struggling with the problems of living in the midst of a pandemic.

At that time, it was not only Puan's billboard that became the target of netizens' criticism. There are also billboards for the chairman of the Golkar Party, Airlangga Hartarto and the chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB) Muhaimin Iskandar.

*Read other information about POLITICS, read another interesting article from Ramdan Febrian Arifin.

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