Rampant In Social Media, DPR Speaker Puan Maharani Asked To Fight Buzzer Hoaks

Chairperson of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani. (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, was asked to act against anonymous accounts on social media that often spread hoax information because they could disturb the public.

This was said by a retired TNI officer, Major Retired Muhammad Saleh Karaeng Silla, who was worried that hoax news would become rampant on social media.

In fact, Saleh also offered a reward for anyone who could reveal the mastermind behind anonymous accounts that flooded social media with false and misleading information.

"Related to my previous video about the Opponent Buzzer Hoax movement whose job it is to reveal hoax buzzers to their roots," said Major Purn Muhammad Saleh Karaeng Silla on the MPS Sang Mayor Pemersatu YouTube channel as quoted on Sunday, July 17.

Major Purn Muhammad Saleh himself went viral some time ago after he resigned from the TNI.

He emphasized that spreading hoaxes and false information, especially regarding Indonesian political figures, would clearly damage the nation.

Saleh said that in the media many national figures were often attacked with false information.

Such as PDIP Chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri, Gerindra Chair Prabowo Subianto, DPR Chair Puan Maharani, Democratic High Council Chair Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Democratic Party Chair Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD, and many more.

He also gave an example of slander against Megawati Soekarnoputri on social media which seemed to show a tenuous relationship with President Jokowi and even rumors of being 'expelled' from the palace.

Saleh considered that this was totally unacceptable because it did not match the facts and seemed divisive.

Therefore, he challenges to be able to prove the mastermind behind the hoax.

"For that I will give a prize to anyone who succeeds in revealing who is the figure and mastermind behind the buzzer hoax," he said.

Previously, joint research conducted by the University of Amsterdam, Diponegoro University, LP3ES and Drone Emprit revealed false information and disinformation for democracy and the interests of the people.

The results are published in the journal Inside Indonesia edition 146 (October-December 2021).

One of the main researchers, Prof. Dr. Yatun Sastramidjaja from the University of Amsterdam, said that social media propaganda is a big and growing threat to public debate and democracy in Indonesia. "Indonesian cyber forces do not hesitate to spread misinformation and fake news. For example, informants told us how they spread false rumors to discredit the General Chairman of the Democratic Party Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono," he said.

On the other hand, Prof. Yatun said that social media propaganda is problematic because it tends to lead public opinion and policy making to serve the interests of those who have economic and political power. Cyber forces undermine political equality.