Twitter has been a powerful social media platform for Indonesia and Malaysia, with a long history of heated debates, arguments, and cyberbullying between users from both countries.
But this time, they have come together to condemn a remark made by a Malaysian who insulted Kartini, a prominent feminist figure in the history of Indonesia.
Raden Ajeng Kartini, also known as Raden Ayu Kartini, was a prominent Indonesian national hero and a pioneer for women’s rights in Indonesia. She was born on April 21, 1879, in Jepara, a small town in Central Java, Indonesia, which was then under Dutch colonial rule.
Kartini became a symbol of women’s emancipation in Indonesia after she founded a school for girls, which aimed to provide education and empowerment to women. She also wrote numerous letters and articles promoting women’s education and argued against forced marriages, polygamy, and other forms of gender discrimination.
Her birthday, April 21, is celebrated as Kartini Day in Indonesia, where her ideas and values of women’s empowerment and education continue to influence the country’s social and cultural development.
The controversy began on April 22 when an anonymous Twitter user with the handle @ibjela called on Indonesian women to share pictures of themselves wearing a kebaya, in honor of Kartini Day.
However, the tweet was posted as a quote tweet in response to a now-deleted tweet from another user, which claimed to have masturbated to a photo from a different account. @ibjela’s tweet was met with outrage, as many people found it disrespectful and inappropriate to connect such a significant day for women’s empowerment to a sexually explicit tweet.
@Ibjela’s tweet sparked outrage among Twitter users, particularly Indonesians, who felt that he had disrespected their national hero. In the tweet, @Ibjela had made derogatory comments about Kartini’s name, further fueling the anger and condemnation towards him.
Many criticized @Ibjela for his insensitive and inappropriate remarks, stating that they were not only disrespectful but also reflected a lack of understanding and appreciation for Kartini’s contributions to Indonesian society.
Malaysians also joined the conversation and expressed solidarity with their Indonesian counterparts in denouncing @Ibjela’s tweet. However, it appears that this is not an isolated incident for @Ibjela, as he has a history of making controversial and derogatory statements about women, displaying a misogynistic and disrespectful attitude.
If you would like to find out more about Kartini, you can also watch the film Kartini directed by Hanung Bramantyo.
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