By: Naomi Leah Christine )*
The 2024 election must take place peacefully. The public is urged to maintain unity and peace during elections without being affected by hoax news. Don’t fall for hoaxes and disrupt the election, and fail it because it ends up being non-voters.
The general election (Election) is still one year away but must be prepared from now so that later it will run well. The government, KPU and all other parties are committed to the success of the peaceful and safe 2024 elections. The public is also urged to maintain the situation before and after the election, and not to be taken in by hoax news.
Hoaxes are a threat in cyberspace, because because of the fake news/images, many are affected and eventually get emotional. Likewise with provocative content. Everything is produced by unscrupulous people, with the aim of fighting government programs. The rise of hoaxes and provocative content must make people more vigilant in filtering news on the internet.
One of the government programs that is threatened by hoaxes is the 2024 Election. In next year’s general elections, the public is obliged to be aware of the spread of hoaxes because they can potentially inflame hostility. The provocateurs intentionally create hoaxes and propaganda so that the Indonesian people are divided according to their wishes.
Ahead of the 2024 Election, the public needs to be aware of the presence of hoaxes and propaganda that are generally circulating on social media. Hoaxes are very dangerous because they can mislead people’s minds and trigger riots. Therefore, the spread of hoaxes must be prevented so that the election can take place peacefully.
The West Sumatra Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) declared a peaceful election with various components of society such as political parties, mass organizations, community leaders, traditional leaders, religious leaders and the press. Alni, Chairman of the West Sumatra Bawaslu, stated that declaring peaceful elections had the aim of avoiding unwanted things such as hoax news, money politics, etc.
Alni added that the declaration of the peaceful elections stated the pledge to realize direct, general, free, secret, honest and fair elections. Then, commit to support elections that are safe, orderly, peaceful, with integrity, without hoaxes, hate speech, SARA politicization and money politics, which usually occur ahead of the campaign until voting day. The first hoax that emerged ahead of the election was that of a 3-term president, even though President Jokowi himself balked at being re-elected. The hoax appeared to reduce his electability.
In a sense, people are asked to comply with Bawaslu in the declaration of peaceful elections and at the same time avoid hoax news. The reason is because hoaxes are like a deadly poison, which can threaten the failure of the election.
Then, the next hoax is news that the 2024 election results are already available and regulated by the KPU. KPU chairman Hasyim Asy’ari strongly denied the hoax because it was a lie. He never regulated the election results and intended to play tricks on the people. The public is asked to continue to obey the KPU’s appeal and carry out the election in an orderly manner.
The public is asked to remain calm and continue to trust the government, and refuse to believe in any hoax. Hoaxes are very dangerous because they can disrupt the campaign period and the 2024 elections.
When there is a hoax, what is feared is the increase in the number of Indonesian citizens who practice abstaining (white group) alias not giving their right to vote during the election. During the 2019 elections, the number of Indonesian citizens who abstained from voting reached 25%. This number is of course worrying and should not be added any more. Therefore, the public is asked to avoid hoaxes and provide understanding to those around them not to be influenced by fake news and provocation.
Meanwhile, Head of Police Public Relations Division Inspector General Sandi Nugroho stated that the National Police would supervise social media ahead of the 2024 General Election (Pemilu). The democratic party must take place in peace. This step was taken after the experience in the 2019 election when social media became a very active medium during the election period
In a sense, ahead of the General Election, the National Police will carry out security not only in the real world but also in cyberspace. The reason is because Indonesian people are very active on social media. With security, it is hoped that the virtual world will be more orderly and there will be no chaos, ahead of or during the 2024 Election.
Initially, social media was created to find friends in cyberspace and find old friends who have long disappeared. However, since 2014 social media has changed drastically to become a place of war and the spread of hoaxes.
Bad words and hate speech seem to be everyday food for netizens. Whereas social media is no place for barbarians, and should be used accordingly.
Don’t let the bad memories of 2014 and 2019 repeat when there are many hoaxes spreading in cyberspace. Starting from the fake names of certain presidential or legislative candidates, issues regarding his family, and so on. Hoaxes are very troubling because they can ignite hostility between citizens and trigger brawls in cyberspace.
The public is urged to succeed in the elections and maintain peace, and not be affected by hoax news. When there is a hoax, don’t just believe it, but the truth must be checked. The 2024 election must be successful and one of the ways is to dispel hoaxes and propaganda.
)* The author is a contributor to the Inti Nesia Media Institute
