Ummat Party Regrets Amien Rais's Statement: He is Offside

Ummat Party Chairman Aznur Syamsu has spoken out regarding Amien Rais’s statement on his YouTube channel concerning the closeness between Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya. Aznur emphasised that Amien Rais’s statement, as Chairman of the Ummat Party’s Shura Council, has no connection to the party. “That is a personal statement from Mr Amien, it has nothing to do with the Ummat Party. We from the Ummat Party regret such a statement from Mr Amien Rais, especially since he is a figure, at least he has been a figure,” Aznur said, quoted from detik on Saturday (2/5). Aznur then regarded Amien Rais’s statement as ‘offside’. “It has no relation to the current issues of the nation and state. Mr Amien Rais is offside,” Aznur stated. Meanwhile, Ummat Party General Chairman Ridho Rahmadi allows anyone to pursue legal channels regarding Amien Rais’s controversial statement. “If anyone feels harmed, please go ahead and pursue legal channels as guaranteed in this country. We cannot restrict their right to use their rights. But do not let the law be used as a political weapon that is selective according to the whims of power,” Ridho said. Prabowo volunteers grouped in the Arus Bawah Prabowo (ABP) have also affirmed they will take legal steps regarding Amien Rais’s statement. ABP assesses that the statement has damaged the reputation of Prabowo and Teddy. “Amien Rais’s remarks are a reckless personal attack on President Prabowo Subianto and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya. This is no longer criticism, but a vile accusation without basis that is forced to seem like truth. This statement is clearly hallucinatory and misleading to the public,” emphasised ABP Deputy Chairman Supriyanto in his statement on Saturday (2/5). Response from the Minister of Communication and Digital Meanwhile, Minister of Communication and Digital (Menkomdigi) Meutya Hafid considers Amien Rais’s statement as character assassination against President Prabowo and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya. “The Ministry of Communication and Digital has identified the spread of a video containing narratives of slander, character assassination, and personal attacks directed at the President of the Republic of Indonesia. The video was uploaded by the Chairman of the Ummat Party’s Shura Council [Amien Rais],” Meutya said in an official Instagram post from Kemkomdigi on Saturday (2/5). Meutya stated that Amien Rais’s statement contains hate speech. She assessed that his statement has the potential to divide the nation. “Komdigi affirms that the content of the video is hoaxes, slander, and contains hate speech. The narrative built is an effort to demean the dignity of the Highest State Leader, lacks factual basis, and is part of provocation to create public unrest. This has the potential to divide the nation,” Meutya said. “The digital democracy space is a space for exchanging ideas, not a space for producing hate content that attacks anyone’s dignity,” Meutya added. The controversial video uploaded through the Amien Rais Official YouTube account has now disappeared.