Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan (center right) and Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno (center left) check on public service and infrastructure development in Jakarta on Tuesday (17/10). On their first day of work, Anies and Sandiaga gave instructions to civil servant employees, launched the OK OCE (One Kecamatan One Center of Entrepreneurship) program and checked the capital’s public services.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Debates on social media continued deep into Tuesday night (17/10) over Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan’s use of the term “pribumi” in his inaugural speech. The use of the term violates policy and is deemed unwise.
Anies said that the term in his speech, which he wrote himself, was used in a historical context referring the colonial era. “Jakarta was the city that witnessed colonialism first-hand. People in other cities did not look at the Dutch from up close. Who looked at the Dutch from up close? Jakarta,” Anies said on Tuesday.
In his speech in the Block G courtyard at City Hall, Anies said, “Now we are free. It is time for us to be masters in our own land.” He said this after mentioning that pribumi, or indigenous people, used to be trampled upon and oppressed by colonialism.
During his speech, a huge white banner promoting the revival of pribumi in bold black letters was hung just outside City Hall. On Monday evening, a number of online media published a photograph of the banner as public uproar on the speech spread on social media.
Anies said that the media had twisted his words and asked for correction.
Presidential Instruction No. 26/1998 bans the use of the terms “pribumi” and “non-pribumi”, especially in formulating, planning and implementing government policies. The words have been prohibited due to their discriminatory nature.
At a press conference in Perth, Australia, Atma Jaya Yogyakarta University media and rhetoric researcher Desideria Murti said that the use of the term “pribumi” could disrupt the reconciliation process, and that words should be chosen wisely so as not to create polemic.
Many officials often use the word pribumi, but its impact depends upon who says it and how it is used.
Apart from the Presidential Instruction No. 26/1998, a similar ban is also included in Law No. 40/2008 on Eradicating Racial and Ethnic Discrimination. “There are no pribumi and non-pribumi. There are only Indonesian citizens and foreign citizens,” said Home Ministry director general of regional autonomy Sumarsono.
He called on all regional heads not to use the term, stressing that using the word was inappropriate, even with the good intention of igniting the spirit of local empowerment.
“It is best just to avoid the word. Once again, I urge all regional heads and the public not to use the term. We need to maintain an atmosphere of peace. The value of diversity in togetherness must be maintained,” Sumarsono said.
Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan hoped the governor could work effectively in serving Jakartans of all ethnicities, religions and social groups.
“There should not be any dichotomy between pribumi and non-pribumi. [Anies] should be governor for people of all ethnicities, religions and social groups,” he said during an official “coffee morning”.
Not a problem
Separately, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said he saw no problem with Anies’s political speech. Kalla said the speech reflected the idea of Jakartans advancing together. The city faces a number of serious problems that must be resolved together to make the city pleasant for everyone.
Kalla said the speech was not problematic. “We should understand the context. He was talking about the colonial era, so there was a historical context. Don’t focus on just one word. In the colonial era, pribumi suffered. No, they must not suffer any longer. They have to achieve progress,” the Vice President said.
Kalla specifically pointed out that many tasks faced the newly elected Jakarta leaders. As the capital city, Jakarta must be at the forefront of Indonesia. “I want the Jakarta administration to continue working on the programs that are needed by many [people], like the MRT. The [central] government will help,” he said.
In contrast to Kalla, human rights group Amnesty International Indonesia said that the terms “pribumi” and “non-pribumi” should not have been used in a public speech, as they were discriminatory classifications used in the Dutch colonial context.
“This is why using the words ‘pribumi’ and ‘non-pribumi’ were banned in Presidential Instruction No. 26/1998, specifically for policymakers to avoid dividing the people post-reform,” said Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid.
Reporting to Police
On Tuesday, the Jakarta branch of mass organization Banteng Muda Indonesia filed a complaint with the police against Anies because of the speech. A video clip and media transcripts were included with the report.
“We are talking in a legal context, as Anies’ speech was out of line. We need to report it, as it violates Law No. 40/2008 and Presidential Instruction No. 26/1998,” said legal and human rights head Pahala Sirait of Banteng Muda Indonesia Jakarta at Jakarta Police headquarters.
At first, the group planned to file the report with the Jakarta Police. The Jakarta Police suggested instead that they file the report with the National Police’s criminal investigation division, as they were reporting a governor.
