Ahok Refuses to Comment on Demands for Anies' Resignation

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, more popularly known as Ahok, is reluctant to give his response to the demands of a number of civil organizations for Anies Baswedan’s resignation, as the current Jakarta Governor.

“I was not aware of the demonstrations,” said Basuki jokingly, in the Bina Graha Building, Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, on Tuesday, January 14, 2020.

According to Basuki, he now boasts the status of an ‘alumni’ of the National Police’s Mobile Brigade (Mako Brimob) detention center. As a result, he claimed to not know any further about the demonstration.

“I am now a graduate of Mako Brimob. I have forgotten,” he said.

Ahok had served his sentence in the Mako Brimob detention center, Depok, West Java, for being proven guilty in committing blasphemy, due to his statement on the Al-Maidah, verse 51 of the Quran. Prior to his detention, Basuki became the target of thousands of people throughout a number of rallies dubbed 'Act to Defend Islam'.

On the other hand, Anies Baswedan has been demanded to step down by a civil organization under the name of ‘Suara Rakyat Bersatu,’ as they deem Anies to be incompetent in handling the floods that hit Jakarta earlier this year. The civil organizations, advocated by Dewi Tanjung, a politician of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and Permadi Arya, also known as Abu Janda, is set to have a demonstration in the City Hall, today.

Not only receiving demands to step down, Anies Baswedan equally receives support from another civil organization, named ‘Bang Japar.’ Chairman and one of the founders of the group, Fahira Idris, sees the demonstration by Dewi Tanjung and Co. to be inaccurate. Idris sees the Jakarta Government have done well in handling the flood.

AHMAD FAIZ IBNU SANI | DIO SUHENDA