JAKARTA - Saturday, February 15, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung openly admitted to prohibiting President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) from visiting Kediri, East Java. This is because there is a myth that if the president visits Kediri, he will step down.
Later, Pramono clarified and admitted that his remarks were not serious or just joking in response to the greeting from the leader of the Lirboyo Islamic Boarding School, KH Kafabihi Mahrus. In fact, Pramono regretted that his statement sparked an opinion that showed Jokowi was afraid to go to Kediri.
"The news, my (statement) was framed everywhere, as if Jokowi was afraid to go to Kediri. We know for ourselves, Pak Jokowi is not afraid of going anywhere. I want to go anywhere, I will accompany him to Afghanistan," Pram said to journalists at the Parliament Palace Complex, Monday, February 17th.
Pram --sapaan Pramono Anung - denied Jokowi's absence in Kediri because he was afraid of the myth that was said to overthrow Indonesia's fourth President Abdurrachman Wahid alias Gus Dur. According to Pramono, Jokowi did not attend because the invitation was only intended for Vice President Ma'ruf Amin.
"Pak Jokowi is the President of the Republic of Indonesia. I am frankly surprised that it was so wild. This is a joke and conveyed that Pak Jokowi was not invited. Everyone was angry. Crowded (at the event), laughing," said Pram.
Low humor
Pramono may say that what he said was just a joke or a joke. But, not for political observer from Paramadina University Jakarta, Hendri Satrio. According to Hendri, what Pramono said was not beautiful and was not a funny joke.
However, Pramono's words have the potential to offend the people in Kediri. And when the joke came out of the mouth of a Cabinet Secretary in a government?
So, it is not enough for Pramono to clarify, unless he also apologizes to Kediri residents and Gus Dur's relatives.
"So even though he is joking, because the level is ministerial and it concerns areas that are still inhabited by our brothers, it (jokes) should not be done anymore ... Pramono should seriously apologize to the Kediri people for the statement," said Hendri. contacted VOI, Tuesday, February 18.
As previously reported, Pramono did not only mention him who had forbidden Jokowi to come to Kediri. In his remarks, he also said that when he was still in office, the fourth President of the Republic of Indonesia Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur had visited Kediri. After that visit, there was turmoil in the capital, until Gus Dur stepped down from the presidency.
This statement was later denied by Gus Dur's former spokesman, Adhie Massardi. According to him, Gus Dur's removal had nothing to do with his visit to Kediri. He said that Gus Dur stepped down due to political conflicts with his then deputy, Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is now chairman of the PDIP, the ruling party that controlled Pram politically. Another irony for Pram's humor.
"It's a lie. It has nothing to do with the place visited. Gus Dur's removal was 100 percent due to the political conflict with his deputy," said Adhie via his Twitter account.
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