Women's Activist Highlights Unusual Critical Remarks by Amien Rais

Women’s activist Mubha Kahar Muang has described a statement containing accusations made by former MPR Chairman Amien Rais in a video as requiring a wise and non-emotional response. In her view, the statement not only targets criticism at the Cabinet Secretary but also drags in the President of the Republic of Indonesia. According to her, the situation warrants careful scrutiny. “It should be examined with a cool head,” she stated in a press release in Jakarta on Tuesday (5/5/2026). Mubha noted that there is a possibility the statement is not merely a spontaneous response but part of a more planned effort. She indicated signs of an attempt to provoke reactions from various parties, including the government and its supporters. “But a measured effort to provoke reactions, both from the Cabinet Secretary, the President, the government, or its supporters, so that they respond emotionally or even take legal steps,” said Mubha. She explained that an excessive response could be exploited to build a certain narrative in the public sphere, including the perception that the government is not open to criticism. “Such reactions risk being framed as stifling freedom of expression, which in the end could be used to stir public unrest and build a narrative as if the government is anti-criticism,” Mubha stated.