Gekrafs Chairman Furious Over Undervaluation of Video Editing Ideas and Demands Amsal's Release
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Chairman of the General Board of the National Creative Economy Movement (Gekrafs), Kawendra Lukistian, has admitted to being furious regarding law enforcement authorities who do not value the contributions of creative ideas and video editing, deeming them worth Rp0, in connection with the case affecting videographer Amsal Sitepu, and has urged that the individual be given a verdict of acquittal.
He assessed that the case experienced by Amsal could become a bad precedent for creative economy fighters in Indonesia. According to him, creative economy actors should not be made to fear partnering with the government due to concerns of being criminalised after the work is completed.
“Creative economy actors are like one body. If one is wronged, all creative economy actors feel wronged. We want Brother Amsal to be fully released,” said Kawendra while attending a meeting with the DPR RI’s Commission III, which discussed the case of Amsal Sitepu at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Monday.
He explained that in the case, Amsal is accused in connection with alleged markup of a village profile video project worth around Rp30 million per village. However, several parties have noted irregularities because all the village heads who used the service are said to have acknowledged that the video work was completed, used, and there were no complaints about the results.
In addition, Amsal’s side also highlighted that cost components such as ideas, concepts, editing, dubbing, cutting, and the use of production equipment were instead considered to have zero value in the audit. However, according to creative economy activists, these components are the core of video production services.
“If there are certain public prosecutors or inspectors who say that ideas are zero, cutting is zero, dubbing is zero, that is a very stupid statement, blatantly insulting the profession,” said the member of the DPR RI’s Commission VI.
He stated that his side deliberately requested the RDPU to be held because the government is currently seriously promoting the creative economy sector as outlined in President Prabowo Subianto’s Astacita.
“In President Prabowo’s Astacita, there are two creative words. The second Astacita is the creative economy. The context is building our economic framework through the creative economy,” he said.
He also questioned the use of articles in the case. According to him, Amsal is merely a vendor or provider of videography services, not a state official with budgetary authority.
“Do not let there be such an unfair process. Things like this have the potential to injure our President’s spirit in promoting the creative economy,” he said.