Opposition And Coalition Words During Jokowi's Administration Equated With Suharto

Wadas Village/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - The administrations of President Joko Widodo and President Soeharto during the new order were considered to have similarities. This is as a result of the Wadas incident, Bener District, Purworejo, Central Java.

It is known that during the security incident for the construction of the Bener Dam, many residents were arrested by the police. The police were also accused of being repressive.

The similarities between the two became even more striking when pictures with precise photos of Jokowi and Suharto circulated on social media.

The Main Expert Staff of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) Ali Mochtar Ngabalin, until he opened his voice about posting an image containing a photo of Indonesian President Joko Widodo and President Suharto side by side on the Instagram account of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI).

He considered YLBHI's post which saw the Wadas case and equated President Suharto with President Jokowi as a very tendentious attitude. Ngabalin asked YLBHI to open his eyes and heart in assessing the government of Indonesian President Joko Widodo. According to him, this foundation must go directly to the field to find out the facts.

"If the Foundation is truly a non-profit and fights for the interests of the community, they must step down, so they know," said Ngabalin to reporters, Monday, February 14.

Ngabalin then questioned whether YLBHI had given an assessment during the Soeharto era as a comparison.

"It's all bad or isn't there a bit of good that Pak Harto has done? Or tell him to open his eyes and heart to assess the performance of the government led by President Jokowi," said Ngabalin.

According to Ngabalin, YLBHI and related parties who have discredited President Jokowi should have been more objective and clear in their thinking and narrating the government. Does Jokowi's government have anything in common with the New Order government in the era of President Soeharto? Mainly addressing the incident in Wadas, Purworejo, Central Java. "If he compares the Wadas case with Jokowi and Suharto, two things may be that they don't know and don't get to the field. Because as of today, the KSP team formed by Mr. Moeldoko is still in the field. So he must know exactly what is happening on the ground. So that this Foundation does not become a source of slander!," said Ngabalin.

Not long after, the Chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) M Isnur also responded to Ngabalin's satire asking his party to open their eyes and heart in assessing the government of President Joko Widodo. In particular, regarding the Wadas incident to the point of equating the Jokowi administration with the Suharto era.

Isnur emphasized that YLBHI and LBH Yogyakarta have been providing assistance to residents of Wadas Village, Bener District, Purworejo, Central Java. So, they can see the Wadas case in its entirety.

"It's precisely because YLBHI-LBH Yogyakarta have been accompanying us all this time, so we can fully assess it," Isnur said when confirmed, Monday, February 14.

In fact, Isnur said, KSP staff also went through YLBHI to see the events in Wadas. "Yesterday, the KSP staff went in there after a few days, the contact went through us and we allowed it," he said.

Despite the important role of the Purworejo Regent in the polemic of the case in Wadas Village, according to YLBHI, the central government cannot stand idly by. "All must be held accountable according to their respective roles. Because the fulfillment, respect, and enforcement of human rights is the responsibility of the state and especially the government," he said.

"What is clear is that Pak Jokowi as the head of government is the most responsible for human rights according to the constitution," Isnur added.

So what do the opposition and the coalition say about the similarities between the Jokowi and Suharto governments?

Opposition: Wadas Is Real Evidence

The chairman of the PKS DPP, Mardani Ali Sera, considers it natural that the photo of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is equated with Indonesian President Soeharto with the narrative of 10 similarities between the two eras. Mardani said the 10 similarities that were revealed had a basis.

"YLBHI has data. So the equation is reasonable and permissible. At first glance, I read that the 10 similarities have a basis," Mardani said when contacted, Monday, February 14.

Mardani then explained a number of reasons why the 10 similarities have a basis. He said that Jokowi and Suharto both like infrastructure. "They both like infrastructure, it looks real," he said. In addition, he also touched on policies that were widely rejected by the public, such as the Job Creation Law. This PKS politician, the Jokowi government does not need to overreact to the post. The government, he said, only needs to answer with evidence if it feels wrong. "Just answer it with evidence and facts if it doesn't feel right. My suggestion is that this is an input for those who don't want Pak Jokowi to fall because of his many devotees," he said. said Mardani. "It's enough with real work and taking input from the community, especially activists. That's for the public to judge," he added.

Different, the Coalition Calls Jokowi vs Suharto Like Heaven and Earth

Chairman of the PKB DPP Daniel Johan does not agree that the photo of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is aligned with the 2nd President of the Republic of Indonesia Suharto by including the similarities between the two eras by YLBHI. Daniel judged that the two were not the same, like heaven and earth.

"Yes, it's different, like the earth and the sky," Daniel told reporters, Monday, February 14. Daniel said everything was under control during the Suharto era. Meanwhile, in the current Jokowi era, Daniel said, democracy is running and even tends to be liberal. "The Jokowi government is in an era of democracy and even tends to be liberal, while under Suharto everything was under control, no one dared to be different," he said. "The focus is on infrastructure development, but the breakthroughs have had a positive impact on the perspective of other countries towards Indonesia. Starting from fixing public services, the long licensing process is made simpler, then developing suburban areas that have received less attention," he continued. Daniel also touched on freedom of expression which he said was different then and now. He said that currently Jokowi always accepts criticism, whereas in the Suharto era no one dared to criticize. "Then, in the Jokowi era, freedom was very open, anyone could criticize the government, if in the past no one dared to criticize," he said. The photo of Jokowi, which is aligned with Suharto, was uploaded by the Instagram account of the Indonesian People's Faction. Then it was re-uploaded by YLBHI. YLBHI accounts and the Indonesian People's Faction both provided information about the Jokowi administration similar to the New Order or New Order. Here are 10 points of similarities between the Jokowi administration and the New Order version of the Indonesian People's Faction:

Prioritizing physical and all-round development "from the top" to the "bottom" to pursue political targets minus democracy. The development is corrupt and nepotistic. There is no risk planning for communities affected by development so as to create structural poverty (impoverishment). Unauthorized development or with problematic permits. Legal (Laws and Policies) but without the legitimacy of the people's voice. Serving the will of power and the oligarchic elite by plundering & destroying the environment. Stigma the people who fight the deprivation of rights by fighting against development, communists, radicals, anarcho. Arrest, criminalize and even shoot people who defend their rights until they are killed. Companions & residents in solidarity were prevented or even arrested. Controlling narrative, information including distorting facts.