Salam Dua Jari concert

The choice of whether or not to inaugurate corruption suspect Budi Gunawan as the next chief of the National Police is the most contentious President Joko Widodo has had to face in his first four months in office. After yesterday’s surprising dismissal of Budi’s corruption case by a judge in the pretrial hearing, Jokowi is under greater pressure than ever to install Budi immediately.

But Jokowi also has many voices telling him not to let Budi become the nation’s top cop. One of the loudest is from Slank guitarist Abdee, who is also the chairman of the Salam Dua Jari Volunteers (a group that includes many of the popular musicians that played at a huge Pro-Jokowi concert many believe was instrumental to the president’s win). 

The Salam Dua Jari volunteers released an open letter to Jokowi on Jan 15, soon after Budi was named a suspect by the Corruption Eradication Committee (KPK), asking that the president honor his commitment to fight corruption by rejecting Budi as a candidate for national police chief.  

Now, over a month later, Jokowi is still contemplating his final fateful decision on Budi. And so Abdee has once again asked the president to do the right thing and not remain indecisive too long. 

“[Jokowi’s] concern should be what benefits the people. Don’t worry and weigh too long. Whatever he chooses, it must be in accordance with what’s best for the people,” Abdee said on Tuesday night as quoted by JPNN.

Abdee made the statement before attending a meeting with the Creative Economy Agency (BEK) alongside Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto.

Abdee said that he hopes all the political problems that have occurred in Indonesia recently can come to an end. But to do that Jokowi must prove his commitment to eradicating corruption. The Slank guitarist also added that Jokowi’s party, PDI-P, needs to follow the wishes of the people and not vice versa.

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