Political Prank Two Enemies

Prabowo and Jokowi at the "MRT Meeting" (Instagram / @ jokowi)

In the article "Oobah Butler's Fictional Restaurant Prank for TripAdvisor," we discussed how one British writer ruffled a travel guide site. Her prank exploded all over the world. As part of the VOI series "Prank! Prang! Prong!", In this article we will see how prank is actually practiced in the realm of political life.

In 2018, the artist and activist Ratna Sarumpaet successfully caused an uproar. He managed to manipulate the beliefs of many people about the fake story he made. At that time, the photo of Ratna with her face covered in bruises was scattered. Ratna then spoke up, telling her that the bruises were caused by the abuse she had suffered.

The news drew sympathy from many parties. In fact, Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto, who at that time was running as a presidential candidate, wanted to meet with the National Police Chief, General Pol Tito Karnavian, to discuss the alleged persecution of Ratna. However, recently the news was declared a hoax. The bruises on Ratna's face were in fact the result of the plastic surgery she underwent.

With the extent of her impact, Ratna not only deserves the title as the best hoax maker, but also the most accomplished Prank Queen. Imagine, without the intention of just pranking, Ratna managed to fool so many people. We don't just talk.

Because, according to the Cambridge dictionary, they define pranks as a trick to prank people for the purpose of entertaining. Maybe Ratna wasn't entertaining enough, at least she managed to "make other people look stupid," according to the continuation of the Cambridge dictionary definition of prank.

The picture of the perfection of Ratna's prank was also emphasized by one of the essences in the prank concept conveyed by Moira Marsh. Through his 2015 book, Practically Joking, Marsh explained that one of the essences of prank is to make people fooled from reality. Or in other words, success pranks are those that influence a person's actions based on false awareness.

Ratna Sarumpaet wearing a prison suit (Diah Ayu Wardani / VOI

Prank Prabowo and Jokowi

Ratna Sarumpaet's bruised face prank ended. Ratna was sentenced to two years in prison for spreading fake news. However, the pranks in politics don't end there. Past the election event, other pranks appeared. Prank which even involved two main fighters in the 2019 Election: Prabowo Subianto and Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

The announcement of the names of ministers in the Advanced Indonesia Cabinet was one of the most surprising moments after the 2019 Election. Prabowo, who initially faced as a fierce opponent, instead moved closer to the government with Jokowi as defense minister.

Political analyst from the State Islamic University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Adi Prayitno views Prabowo's joining the government as an annoying joke. And what is clear, the political practice shown by Prabowo is fooling. Nothing more than an effort to share power which is very far from the spirit of grounding a dignified political education.

"It's not funny (prank). People who have been extreme head to head then share in a coalition pool ... Yes, this is a portrait of our democracy. It sucks," Adi told VOI, December 11.

Advanced Indonesia Cabinet (Setkab Documentation)

Jokowi, it's the same. In fact, the President also demonstrated pranks in a context that again only fulfilled the element of ignorance. Obviously, there is no entertainment element in the draft Law (RUU) Number 30 of 2002 concerning the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

With various anti-corruption promises and narratives uttered by Jokowi during the first term of government and the campaign period, the people hold high hopes for him. The public also understands that the president is the hope that should be the tip of the fight against corruption that torments the people.

Even when the discourse on the KPK Bill was rolling. At that time, Jokowi expressed rejection of a number of points in the KPK Bill which were considered to weaken efforts to eradicate corruption. Unfortunately, Jokowi's hopes were dashed. At the beginning of Jokowi's second term of leadership, the government together with the House of Representatives (DPR) even agreed to pass the KPK Bill into law.

The decision was unfortunate. This is because the revision of the KPK Law is seen to contain various elements of weakening efforts to eradicate corruption. Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Trisakti University, Abdul Ficar Hadjar, for example. He views that the revision of the KPK Law from the start was intended for a foul cause.

"It's just a ploy. It's part of the weakening. His intention and motive was negative because it was hasty. His embarrassment was gone," Abdul was quoted as saying by CNN Indonesia.

Prank Jokowi continued when a large wave of masses took to the streets to protest against the KPK Law and various other laws deemed problematic. Jokowi had held back his stance for so long in response to the turmoil, until finally he planned to issue a Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) to annul the ratification of the KPK Law. The mass waves died down.

Student demonstrations reject the KPK and KUHP Bill at the DPR Building (VOI)

However, the Perppu that Jokowi was discussing did not actually materialize. Researcher at the Center for Anti-Corruption Studies at Gadjah Mada University (Pukat UGM) Zaenur Rohman said Jokowi had only played a discourse from the start to control the situation. Even when he rejected the four points of the KPK Bill.

"(Refusal) Nonsense and just a sweetener ... (Discourse) pleases some supporters who have been disappointed in the last few days," said Zaenur as quoted by Tirto.

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