Crowds Raided Mahfud MD's House, Don't Let A Similar Incident Happen Again

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - The house occupied by the mother of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD in Pamekasan Regency, East Java, was raided by a mob who had previously rallied at a nearby police station and asked the Grand Imam of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) Rizieq Shihab not to processed by law. Regarding this incident, the police conducted an investigation so that a similar incident did not happen again.

The news that Mahfud MD's house was visited by this crowd was circulating on social media on Monday, December 1 through a short video with a duration of 28 seconds. In the video, the crowd, which is dominated by men wearing Muslim clothes, comes to a house and a man who took the video said that the house was Mahfud MD's residence in Pamekasan.

Mahfud confirmed and confirmed that the house where his mother lived was indeed visited by a group of masses and that nothing happened. He said the action did not cause any harm because when the incident occurred, there was already a party to take care of it.

Meanwhile, based on the narrative of her younger sister, Siti Marwiyah, who lives in Surabaya, East Java and went straight to her mother's residence when the raid took place, the masses who gathered mostly wore white clothes and sarongs. They forced their way into the area of the house and banged on the fence and door of the house screaming while their mother was resting after performing the midday prayer.

"I feel scared," said Siti in a video recording received by journalists, Wednesday, December 2.

He explained that Mahfud's residence in Pamekasan, Madura is inhabited by two elderly people, namely his mother who is 90 years old and her first brother who is 70 years old and two nurses and a household assistant.

"Here, the residents who live are all women. Two nurses are also women. All incidents are tense for us. The nurse also called the phone to announce that it was crowded outside," he said.

Guarded by Banser

After the raid took place, the General Chairperson of the Central Leadership (PP) of the Youth Movement (GP) Ansor Yaqut Cholil Qoumas then instructed members of the Multipurpose Ansor Barisan (Banser) to guard Mahfud's house, which was occupied by his mother and older brother. This is done in order to prevent unwanted things from happening again.

Yaqut said, Banser felt the need to secure Mahfud's residence because he was one of the Nahdatul Ulama (NU) figures who should have been given protection from various threats.

"It is the duty and responsibility of all Banser cadres to protect kiai, NU figures from threats or disturbances that come. Without being asked, we will definitely provide protection," he said.

This guarding will be carried out until the situation is conducive and the Banser members who will be deployed are those from Pamekasan and its surroundings.

Police move

Meanwhile, the police claimed to have carried out security at Mahfud's house long before the raid took place or more precisely since the legal case that dragged Rizieq Shihab's name rolled around.

It is known that currently, the FPI frontman is dealing with a legal case relating to violations of health protocols after a number of events he attended or held caused crowds in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The steps taken since the launch of the MRS (Muhammad Rizieq Shihab) case, the Sampang Police have secured the residence of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs," said Karo Penmas, Police Public Relations Division, Brigadier General Awi Setiyono to reporters.

It's just that this guarding was carried out not openly or closed on a warrant from the local police station to prevent unwanted things from happening. Awi said that the speed with which the mass group that arrived at that time was disbanded was proof that Mahfud's residence had been guarded by his members.

Apart from the matter of guarding, the police also said that they had carried out an investigation into this incident which was carried out by the Pamekasan Police and the East Java Regional Police.

"(We are currently, red) conducting an initial investigation, collecting data including clarifying it to several people," he said.

Regarding the investigation of this case, a criminal law expert from Al-Azhar Indonesia University, Suparji Ahmad, assessed that Mahfud had the right to be firm in reporting this incident to the police. However, he said the police should not have to wait for a report to investigate this case because the events had actually happened.

"So in my opinion Pak Mahfud can report, yes it could. But it should be without waiting for the report (the police move, red). Right, it has actually happened before our eyes that there are actions that should not be done, disturbing security, comfort, causing conflict and friction. , "said Suparji when contacted by VOI, Wednesday, May 2.

He emphasized that Indonesia is not a barbaric region but a constitutional state. Thus, the act of raiding by the mass group at Mahfud's residence cannot be justified.

"We are not a barbaric country, we are a country of law. So, those who object to the attitude and actions of other people cannot be under pressure like that," he said.

Suparji said that the police should also investigate this case, including taking firm action if there is a criminal act in this incident so that this kind of incident does not happen again.

"This (investigation, red) needs to (be carried out, red) so that it does not happen again. It must indeed be disbanded (the crowd, red) and then summoned again for an investigation. The parties involved must be examined. Later, what kind of development will be improved," he concluded.