Demonstrations Against The Job Creation Law Continue To Occur, Observer: Jokowi Should Meet The People

Demonstration against the Job Creation Law in Central Jakarta, Tuesday, October 20 (Sadam / VOI)

JAKARTA - Executive Director of Indonesia Political Review, Ujang Komarudin, said that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) should have met with students and labor representatives who continued to speak out against and ask for a Perppu to repeal the Omnibus Law on Employment Creation.

Apart from listening to aspirations, he said, communication is necessary because the current government holds a mandate from the people.

"You have to (open communication, red). The government exists because there are people, so communication must be opened from the palace," said Ujang when contacted by VOI, Wednesday, October 21.

According to Ujang, when there are demonstrations, President Jokowi should prefer to meet with student representatives rather than carry out other activities.

During the demonstrations that took place in Jakarta, last Thursday, October 8 and Tuesday, October 20, the former governor of DKI Jakarta was outside the city to participate in other activities.

On Thursday, October 8, he and his minister had a working visit to South Kalimantan to manage a food estate. Meanwhile, in conjunction with the demonstration on Tuesday, October 20, Jokowi held a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister (PM) Yoshihide Suga to discuss a number of matters.

Returning to Ujang, according to him, it is unlikely that students or workers will be willing to be invited to the State Palace because they are worried that their movement will be undermined. However, President Jokowi should have been able to maintain communication with the people who took to the streets since the previous week.

"Accepting students and the community who are demonstrating is part of good communication," he said.

After holding the meeting, Ujang then assessed that President Jokowi should be able to grant their request, namely issuing a Perppu.

Moreover, the most common public demand during demonstrations was to ask Jokowi to issue a Perppu to revoke the law passed on Monday, October 5 by the Indonesian Parliament.

"What Jokowi has to do is issue a Perppu. Yes, students and people ask for a Perppu, then Jokowi gives a Government Regulation (PP)," he said.

According to him, carrying out the will of the people at this time is more important than maintaining a law that can be widely rejected. Because if this continues, it is not impossible that in the future there will be waves of disappointment from the community.

"If students and the community ask for tempeh and then give them crackers, they will be more disappointed and increasingly angry," he said.

Previously, the Indonesian Student Executive Board (BEM SI) Alliance Coordinator, Remy Hastian admitted that he was disappointed that President Jokowi did not go down to meet the demonstrators who were carrying out their actions in the Arjuna Wiwaha Horse Statue area, Jalan Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, August 20.

In action, this alliance urged President Jokowi to make a Government Regulation in Lieu of a Law (Perppu) to revoke the Omnibus Law on the Job Creation Law.

They even threatened to make even bigger demonstrations to create national tension, if President Jokowi remained unfazed from the demands of the people.

"If we cannot do this within 8x24 hours, we will ensure that a large student movement creates national urgency right on Youth Pledge Day," said Remy.

According to him, the government should focus on dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, which is now getting worse, instead of taking political maneuvers by passing the Job Creation Law.

In addition, Remy also touched on President Jokowi who discredited the rejection that occurred in the community and what they voiced happened because of lies. Whereas on the other hand, students and a number of other elements of society have repeatedly taken to the streets.

"President Joko Widodo responded to this action by stating that what the public had voiced about the Job Creation Law was due to lies," he said.

Yesterday, we recorded a demonstration to reject the Job Creation Law which we made into a thread on our Twitter account @voidotid. Please listen.

12:44 WIB - Today, a series of demonstrations against the Omnibus Law on Job Creation began again from different circles of society every day. Like the current situation at the Horse Statue, the masses have also begun to arrive. (Doc. Diah Ayu Wardani / VOI) pic.twitter.com/97FBxXIMHR

- voi.id (@voidotid) October 20, 2020