Malang Police Receive Report from Gerindra Cadres Over Alleged Defamation on Social Media

A number of cadres and sympathisers of the Gerindra Party in Malang Regency officially reported the owner of a Facebook account named ‘Rachel Rachel’ to the Malang Police on Wednesday (3/6). The account was reported for uploading video content that was deemed to spread misleading narratives and had the potential to harm the party’s image and the running of the government. The complaint report is officially registered with Submission Receipt Letter Number: STTLPM/493/VI/2026/SPKT.SATRESKRIM/POLRES MALANG/POLDA JAWA TIMUR. Representing Gerindra cadres from Pakisaji District, Edi Utomo, who led the report, revealed that the problematic content was first discovered by the complainants on Monday (1/6) afternoon. The video contained a statement addressed directly to President Prabowo Subianto regarding efforts to eradicate corruption in the country. According to Edi, the narrative constructed in the video was deliberately steered to create a negative public opinion, as if the Gerindra Party or the government’s inner circle were involved in corrupt practices. Moreover, the post was also considered to provoke the public regarding the demand for the ratification of the Asset Forfeiture Bill with baseless accusations. ‘We value the space to express opinions and criticism, but this must be accompanied by clarity and a clear basis. This post is assessed as having the potential to reduce public trust in the party and the government without being accompanied by verified evidence,’ said Edi. The reporting party emphasised that the content spread by the ‘Rachel Rachel’ account had exceeded the limits of constructive criticism and entered the realm of legal violations. In their report file, they charged the reported party with articles under the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (UU ITE) and the Criminal Code (KUHP) relating to defamation and the dissemination of information that harms the honour of an institution. Currently, the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Malang Police has received the report and is conducting an initial review stage. The investigators are scheduled to summon a number of related witnesses and conduct technical digital examinations of the Facebook account to reveal the legal facts objectively.