Netizens Furious Over Jember DPRD Member Casually Playing Games and Smoking During Stunting Discussion: Sack Him Immediately!
Social media is once again abuzz after a video surfaced online showing a Jember DPRD member suspected of playing games while smoking during a meeting discussing stunting.
The action immediately drew sharp criticism from netizens, who deemed it as not demonstrating a serious attitude in addressing an important issue concerning public health.
The circulating video depicts a man, identified as a council member, casually playing on his phone during the meeting. The recording also shows him smoking in the meeting room while occasionally paying attention to the discussion.
What has further angered the public is that the meeting was addressing the issue of stunting, a serious problem that has garnered attention from governments across various regions. Stunting itself relates to growth disorders in children due to chronic malnutrition and directly impacts the quality of future generations.
Therefore, many in society believe that discussions on stunting should be conducted with full attention and seriousness. The casual attitude seen in the video is considered to undermine public trust in people’s representatives.
Netizens Demand Strict Sanctions
After the video went viral, social media comment sections were flooded with sharp criticisms from netizens. Many condemned the council member’s behaviour, viewing it as unprofessional and disrespectful to the official government forum.
Some netizens even demanded that the party or the DPRD institution impose strict sanctions. Phrases such as “sack him immediately,” “not fit to be a people’s representative,” and “meetings are just formalities” proliferated on social media.
“Sack him immediately; it’s very embarrassing as a regional people’s representative,” wrote one netizen in a social media post discussing the case.
“If you’re bored being a people’s representative, just resign; don’t mess around,” added another netizen.
This polemic also serves as a reminder that stunting remains an important agenda for both central and local governments. The government continues to promote various programmes to accelerate the reduction in stunting rates through nutrition education, maternal and child health services, and improvements in sanitation.
Therefore, the public hopes that discussions on this issue are conducted seriously by all policymakers, including DPRD members in the regions. To date, the viral video continues to be widely discussed by the public across various social media platforms.