Op-Ed by: Tony Rosyid
EFFORTS to form an opinion that Anies has failed to lead DKI are now carried out in a systemic, structured and massive manner. Systemic, because it is carried out in a planned manner and uses various strategies. Structured, because it is done through all the structural access owned. Massive, because of these continuous efforts, by all means, and relentless.
There are two questions regarding the trespassing of Anies by his critics. First, what is the motive and purpose of tackling Anies relentlessly ? This is at the same time related to who are the Anies thugs.. Second, what they do and how to tackle Anies?
The purpose of tackling Anies, first, has a political motive. The point is that Anies must not be the future president to replace Jokowi. The words of one of the party presidents recently, as well as a number of buzzers whose videos went viral, seem to emphasize that Anies should not and can not be president. Anies’ potential to run for president in 2024 is quite disturbing to a number of parties.
They do not accept Anies, because Anies is believed to be able to shift the “power” they have been enjoying during the Jokowi reign. It is common in history that no one wants to step down and lose the pleasures of power voluntarily. He will do everything in his power to defend it.
Anies is also “considered” unable to compromise and accommodate them if he is in power. He disregards them for a reason.
Is politics not always practice hostile ways? Does not politics also provide a way of compromise, a win-win solution? Practices not to beat and knock each other down are not known?
If the opponent is considered immortal, this has the potential to cause a collision. This is not a rational political way, but emotional ones. Not competing anymore, but hostile. This will give birth to an unhealthy and even bleak democratic processes and practices. Brotherhood in the nation will gradually disappear, because each party and one another only has the spirit of bringing down and destroying the opposite.
Second, the lack of economic motives. They are convinced that Anies could not be compromised in the issues of state property robberies. The case of 13 island reclamation projects that Anies has terminated, is a concrete example that Anies cannot be compromised for things that violate the rules and have the potential to harm the state and the people interests.
There is an Indonesian term coined a thief but yells others as thieves . There are many peoplee in the Anies Bashing circles who try to suggest an opinion that Anies is a thief, even though they are the real thieves who are currently having trouble finding thieves in DKI.
They are shouting that Anies is corrupt, even though they are the corruptors who are now difficult to do corruption as long as Anies is the governor. This narrative does seem harsh, but it must be revealed to the public for reasons of objectivity and moral-political learning to the people.
We wish people will not buy their fabricated and of exaggerated opinions.
Third ispsychological motives. Tackling Anies only to give psychological satisfaction to them. If Anies failed, they would be satisfied. Only that.
And they are those people who in the Jakarta gubernatorial election in 2017 did not support Anies. They are held hostage to “identity politics issues”, or they are in sharp differences with opposite groups that supported Anies. This tends to be more emotional than rational.
Then, what do they to tackle Anies? First, thwart all programs and policies that have the potential to raise Anies’ name. The future Formula E car-racing event, for example, is sexy if it can be undone. With the cancellation of this event, Anies would automatically be accused of having lost state money in the form of a fee commitment. If fhe Formula E racing event is cancelled, Anies would be the target of accusations. It would be sexy affairs to them.
Second, Anies must always be attached to the opinion of being failed and the culprit. Anyway, Anies must not be successful and right in the eyes of the public. Whatever the results of Anies’ work, there must eventually be a “contra narrative”.
Whatever achievements and awards received by Anies must be delegitimized. The narrative “Anies wasted Jakarta budget to buy many awards” is an example of this delegitimization efforts.
Third, those who have access to the law enforcement should apply and use it to continue to look for loopholes that could criminalize Anies.
Fourth, to hold attack and massive demonstration against Anies so that there is an impression to the public that Anies is not liked and favored by his own people, in this case the citizens of Jakarta.
In front of the Jakarta City Hall, almost every weekend there are 30-50 people demonstrating. Almost every week!
Therefore the final analysis these all would depend on people’s awareness. How far the people could ,stay full clear picture of this game, and aware in seeing the hustle and bustle of the public space which is filled with information and opinions that do not base on facts and tend to be misleading them.
If sane people in this country are always present and take on a role to clear up a public space that is already very cloudy, then the people will have a straight, true, objective and true view. They would see Anies in the clear perspective. Consider Anies objectively as it is, based on data refenrece and facts, not in a portrait of counter-opinions and misinformation.
Anies is Anies with all his work that can be observed, felt and proven, not Anies as they would like people to see Anies in the way they see this Governor, with emotional and negative opinion and full of political and economic interests in their agenda.
* Tony Rosyid is a free-lance political analyst and observer
Discussion about this post