Ustaz Maaher Dies, Hidayat Nur Wahid Asks The Police To Be Transparent, In Order To Avoid Defamation

Ustaz Maaher At Thuwailibi (Photo: Twitter @ustadzmaaher_)

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly (MPR RI) Hidayat Nur Wahid also expressed his condolence for the death of Ustaz Maaher alias Soni Ernata. Maaher breathed his last at the National Police detention center on Monday, February 8 at around 19.00 WIB.

In addition to expressions of condolences, the elite of Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (PKS) also asked the National Police to transparently disclose the chronology of Maaher's death, which was involved in the case of hate speech that offends ethnicity, religion, race and inter-group (SARA) toward Habib Lutfi bin Yahya.

"In order to not become slanderous, it is important that the police provide an open (transparent) and professional explanation about the cause of the death of Ustaz Maaher," explained Hidayat Nur Wahid via his official Twitter account, @hnurwahid, Monday, February 8.

Monitored by VOI, as of Tuesday, February 9 at dawn, Hidayat Nur Wahid has not yet detailed the basis of his tweet. Apart from HNW, a social media activist, Eko Kuntadhi also tweeted about the death of late Maaher.

According to Eko, it is not right for Maaher's death to be made a hoax. "Should be prayed instead, not to be made as a material for spreading hoaxes. It's really horrifying, even the death of the person who has been in the same group along this time to be twisted it like crazy," tweeted Eko @eko_kuntadhi, without mentioning the name of the party who spread the hoax of Maaher's death.

"Poor late Sony. May Allah pave his way," he tweeted again.

Head of the Public Relations Division of the National Police, Inspector General Argo Yuwono, explained the chronology of Maaher's death. Ustaz Maaher's case entered stage 2 and has been submitted to the prosecutor's office. Before stage 2 or the submission of evidence and suspects to the prosecutor, Maaher complained of sickness.

Then, detention house officers including a team of doctors took him to the Kramat Jati Police Hospital. "After being treated and declared as cured, the person concerned was brought back to the Bareskrim Detention Center," said Argo when confirmed, Monday, February 8.

According to Argo, after stage 2 the evidence was completed and the suspect was handed over to the prosecutor Maaher complaining of sickness again.

Again, prison officials and a team of doctors suggested that they be taken to the National Police Hospital, but the person concerned did not want to die until he finally died. "Regarding the sickness, the team of doctors knows better," said Argo.

"So Ustaz Maaher case has entered stage 2 and has become the prosecutor's custody," added Argo.

Maaher was named a suspect for allegedly insulting Habib Lutfi. He was charged with Article 45 paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 28 paragraph (2) of Law Number 19 of 2016 concerning Amendments to Law Number 11 of 2008 concerning Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE), with the threat of a maximum sentence of six years in prison.