Bakom Chief Qodari on 'Londo Ireng': We Focus on Substance

Head of the Government Communication Agency (Bakom) of the Republic of Indonesia, Muhammad Qodari, has declined to respond to criticism of President Prabowo Subianto’s remarks referring to journalists and observers as ‘Londo Ireng’.

Qodari asked members of the media not to focus on the polemic over the term, but rather to pay attention to the substance of Prabowo’s speech. He then invited the press to look at the president’s speeches in their entirety, which he said consistently defended the people’s interests.

“First, regarding the president’s remarks — his speeches — let us look at the whole series of the president’s speeches; all of them are in defence of the people’s interests,” Qodari said in Surabaya on Tuesday (28/7).

Qodari outlined a number of topics he said were the main focus of Prabowo’s speeches, ranging from farmers’ welfare to energy programmes.

“The president’s speeches have been extremely consistent in speaking about improving farmers’ welfare, the living standards of farmers and fishermen, food security, rice self-sufficiency, energy resilience, the achievement of B50,” he said.

He also touched on several other achievements he said were highlighted in Prabowo’s speeches, from the Masela block project to alleged under-invoicing and transfer pricing practices that cost the state dearly.

“Then there is how the Masela block, after 28 years, has finally begun. Then how he revealed the existence of under-invoicing and transfer pricing practices that cost the state Rp500 trillion to Rp600 trillion every year — all of that is to be stopped,” he said.

According to Qodari, these were the real points of substance from Prabowo’s speech that deserved attention.

“So, God willing, if we focus on the substance, those are the true key points of the president’s speech,” he said.

When asked about demands from several journalists’ professional organisations for Prabowo to apologise, Qodari refused to answer.

When the same question was posed again, including whether there was any data underpinning Prabowo’s statement, Qodari simply repeated the same answer without elaborating.

“Let us look at the substance, friends. The substance, friends,” he said.

Previously, Prabowo had mocked those who in colonial times were referred to as ‘londo ireng’. In Indonesian history, ‘Londo Ireng’ refers to indigenous people considered traitors for assisting or working for the Dutch colonisers.

“These Londo-Londo Ireng still exist to this day. Only now they wear different clothes, don’t they? Journalists, reporters, what have you — observers, NGOs. NGOs we must ask: who pays your salary? Who pays your electricity? Who pays for your mobile phone?” Prabowo said in his speech at the peak of the 28th anniversary celebration of the PKB in Jakarta on Thursday (23/7).

Prabowo argued that since colonial times, there have been Indonesians who were unpatriotic and instead served other nations. At the same time, he mocked certain media outlets which he suggested ignored the fact that his government had renovated large numbers of school buildings.

He said his government has so far repaired more than 67,000 school buildings across Indonesia, and that next year he has instructed for the figure to be increased to 100,000 schools.

“Buildings that went untouched for years. Brothers and sisters, there are also media outlets that… you know? Even though we have repaired 67,000 schools, they go looking for a school that hasn’t been repaired, take a big photo of it, put it on the front page — oh dear,” he said.