JK Considers Legal Action Against Slander Over Poso-Ambon Remarks
Although not yet certain, Indonesia’s 10th and 12th Vice President, Jusuf Kalla (JK), stated that he is considering legal action against parties who reported him to the police over alleged blasphemy during a lecture at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) last Ramadan.
JK described the accusations regarding his sermon at UGM Mosque, which touched on the Poso and Ambon conflicts, as slander. He assessed that such accusations could recur if not addressed.
“We are studying where the issue lies. Hopefully, God, Allah, forgives those slanderers. Slander is more cruel than murder,” JK told reporters at his residence in South Jakarta on Saturday (18/4).
“Everyone is slandering me. What did they do at that time? Tell them all, what did this big person say and do at that time? We will consider it, because if not prosecuted, this will happen again. Be careful and speak everywhere,” he added.
JK claimed to have received encouragement from various parties to counter those who slandered him.
He mentioned that he had urged various parties, including the Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI) executives and the public, not to respond to the issue with demonstrations. JK is currently the General Chairman of DMI.
“But legally, we leave it to the legal team, leave it to the public. Many in the public want to, because they are offended, not me who wants to, the public who wants to report to the group,” he said.
The 45-minute sermon was clipped to one minute and slandered
On that occasion, JK said his lecture at UGM lasted nearly 45 minutes, but was clipped without context to about one minute. The clipped sermon with slanderous narration then spread and was reported to the police.
“I spoke for 45 minutes, it was Ramadan, an Islamic atmosphere. So I said shahid, I didn’t say martyr, because they’re not much different, each talking about death, death for religion. That views differ, yes,” he stated.
Previously, the Central Executive Board of the Indonesian Christian Youth Movement (GAMKI) along with several organisations reported JK to the police.
GAMKI General Chairman Sahat Sinurat stated that JK’s remarks were deemed to offend Christian teachings and caused uproar in the sermon at UGM Mosque discussing the Poso and Ambon conflicts. He emphasised that Christian teachings never justify killing as a path to heaven.
Additionally, on 14 April, a similar report emerged from North Sumatra. Several organisations under the North Sumatra Civil Society Alliance also reported JK to the North Sumatra Police over allegations of blaspheming religious teachings.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai encouraged resolving the polemic through dialogue, not legal channels.
“As Human Rights Minister, I disagree with the police report against Mr JK. I firmly reject it. To be honest, there is no benefit either,” Pigai said as quoted by Antara on Wednesday (15/4).
In response to JK being reported to the police using a sermon video clip, an effort of ‘counter-resistance’ in Makassar is said to be underway.
The National Anti-Provocateur Presidium will report the person who spread the clipped video of the sermon by Indonesia’s 10th and 12th Vice President Jusuf Kalla (JK) to the police.
“Of course regarding the content of that discussion that started spreading it. Spreading the issues, we will report it as soon as possible,” said the Advocate Team of the National Anti-Provocateur Presidium, Emil Harris, to journalists in Makassar on Friday (17/4).
Emil explained that the report relates to the dissemination of JK’s sermon video delivered at UGM campus. The video was deliberately clipped and spread to make it seem as if there was a legal violation in the sermon.
“Of course, what’s been circulating is the video. Ah, of course we take from there, the one who started this thing,” he revealed.
The Poso conflict in Central Sulawesi occurred around 1998-2001. That communal riot is often seen as a religious-tinged conflict. However, the root causes are said to involve economic disparities, local political competition, and the impact of transmigration programmes that changed the region’s demographics.
In 2001, JK, then serving as Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare in President Megawati Soekarnoputri’s cabinet, led the mediation process in Malino, South Sulawesi. As a Sulawesi figure, JK then succeeded in pushing the Malino I Declaration after gathering conflicting Islamic and Christian figures to agree on peace.
Meanwhile, the Ambon conflict was a communal riot that began from an individual dispute and quickly escalated into a religious-tinged storm in Maluku province around 1999 to 2002.
JK, then Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare, gathered Islamic and Christian figures from Ambon for mediation in Malino. The result was the peace agreement or Malino II Declaration on 12 February 2002.
In response to the buzz around JK’s sermon, the admin of the UGM Campus Mosque YouTube channel conveyed a message through a pinned comment starting Monday (12/4).
“Dear congregation, we earnestly request that you watch the video in full, not just the circulating clips. Often, incomplete excerpts can cause misunderstandings because the context of the discussion is not properly conveyed,” the admin wrote in the comments.
“Let us act fairly in assessing something, by viewing it comprehensively before drawing conclusions or spreading it further. If further clarification is needed, please go directly to the relevant party. Thank you for your attention and wisdom,” it concluded.