Gus Ipul Discusses Public Communication Ethics, Emphasising Data and Facts

The statement emerged in a video uploaded to Amien Rais’s personal YouTube channel. In the video, Amien Rais alluded to the closeness between President Prabowo Subianto and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya. The video subsequently elicited varied responses from the public before becoming inaccessible to the public.

In response to this, Gus Ipul shared his views on Amien Rais’s statement in the video. Gus Ipul provided a brief and firm response, linking it to his past experiences, particularly with Indonesia’s fourth president, Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur).

“If it concerns Mr Amien Rais, I always remember Gus Dur. So indeed (Amien Rais) cannot be trusted,” said Gus Ipul in his statement on Tuesday (5/5/2026).

He made this remark to journalists at the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) office in Central Jakarta on Tuesday (5/5).

Gus Ipul assessed that expressing opinions in the public sphere must be done cautiously, especially when touching on personal matters. According to him, public communication should always prioritise ethics and be based on data and facts.

The issue also triggered reactions from various quarters. Several parties viewed the narrative presented as potentially causing public misunderstandings because it delved into personal realms.

Gus Ipul reminded of the importance of maintaining the quality of communication in the public space to avoid muddying the atmosphere and invited all parties to remain focused on tangible work that impacts society.