Yesterday’s news that PDI-P would support Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama in his reelection bid in 2017 was greeted with great joy by many of the governor’s supporters. With the support of the ruling party secured, Ahok is in an extremely strong position to win at the polls next year.
However, there are also plenty of people in Jakarta who were unhappy with the news that Ahok, who is Chinese-Indonesian and Christian, will likely retake the capital’s top post. As some political observers have noted, Ahok’s rise seems to have also led to a rise in anti-Chinese, anti-Christian racism, fueled by his political opponents who cannot formulate valid criticisms of his policies and instead are relying on attacks against his ethnicity and religion.
Megawati Soekarnoputri, the former president and head of PDI-P, eloquently addressed those attacks during the press conference following Ahok’s official registration for the 2017 election this afternoon.
‘If they hate others because of their religion, it means they misinterpret God,’ she said as quoted by Tribunnews, adding that her party’s support of Ahok did not conflict with any religion.
“Bhineka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) is the foundation of Indonesia, it is the responsibility of our party to make that a reality.”
Megawati has received plenty of criticism for her heavy-handed approach to party politics, and many suspect she was forced to support Ahok due to political considerations. But still, it is always nice to hear senior Indonesian politicians speaking out against religious intolerance in any form.
The question of whether attacks on race and religion will become a central point of next year’s election has already become a major talking point, with many politicians trying to preemptively say that it would not be an issue. We hope they’re right and that people will indeed choose Jakarta’s next governor purely on his merits as a leader.
