Beware of the Provocation of ‘Dark Indonesia’, Development Continues to Progress Positively
By: Taufik Kautsar )*
The wave of demonstrations and the spread of the issue titled ‘Dark Indonesia’ that has emerged in various regions simultaneously has raised concerns regarding national political stability. However, the public is asked not to be influenced by the provocative narrative because development in Indonesia continues to show positive results.
The provocation of the “dark Indonesia” narrative that has occurred recently is certainly worth watching out for. The action has sparked a pessimistic narrative as if Indonesia is facing a dark government, even though various indicators show the opposite: development in various sectors continues to experience significant progress.
The phenomenon of simultaneous demonstrations with similar messages is not something that happens by chance. Intelligence observer, Amir Hamzah, assesses that the movement is not just an outburst of public emotion, but is structured in a larger political scenario.
According to him, there is an intelligence pattern that indicates coordination behind the mass action, with the aim of weakening the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto who has just taken office.
Amir believes that there are clearly certain parties who deliberately form wild opinions stating that a government in the era of the eighth President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, is currently authoritarian.
According to intelligence observers, such a narrative was clearly deliberately formed by a number of irresponsible people, including political actors, only to create an illusion that this country is in a state of democratic crisis, when in fact it is not.
The issues raised in the ‘Dark Indonesia’ action, ranging from freedom of speech to transparency and the economy, were used as framing tools. Amir emphasized that the pattern of movements with uniform narratives that were held almost simultaneously in various cities showed the existence of organized political maneuvers. The goal is none other than to build a negative perception of the government and damage public trust in President Prabowo Subianto.
Furthermore, Amir said that such efforts are often used to lead public opinion in order to open up space for discourse on changing leadership. In the current context, he sees the possibility that the strategy is directed so that the figure of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka is more accepted by the public as an alternative. This step indicates a political scenario to create pressure on President Prabowo.
However, the narrative of ‘Dark Indonesia’ that is being propagated is not in line with the reality on the ground, one of which is the existence of national development that continues to move dynamically and progressively.
The government has successfully demonstrated a number of concrete achievements, especially in the infrastructure sector which is the main foundation of economic growth and equal distribution of welfare.
The Chairman of Commission V of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Lasarus, explained that the government has responded quickly to infrastructure needs, including the repair and reconstruction of national roads. President Prabowo is said to have responded immediately by giving instructions to ensure that the eligibility of national roads is maintained. Currently, as many as 90 percent of roads have national road status, although there are still challenges in improving the quality of regional roads, especially at the district and provincial levels.
Lasarus also said that the government is preparing to issue a special Presidential Instruction (Inpres) to address regional road problems. Not only that, the construction of irrigation to support food security is also being accelerated, following the completion of a number of dams that have not been integrated with the irrigation system. These steps show that the current government is focused on development that directly affects the interests of the community.
On the other hand, the Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), emphasized President Prabowo’s commitment to strengthening infrastructure development as a driving force for the national economy.
AHY explained that current development is directed not only to meet national targets such as food and energy self-sufficiency, but also to expand connectivity and accelerate industrial downstreaming.
AHY also emphasized the importance of private sector and investor participation in infrastructure projects. The government is opening up opportunities for cooperation with various parties to overcome funding limitations from the APBN. This approach is considered strategic in ensuring the sustainability of sustainable development.
In addition, the government is currently mapping out priorities for strengthening the transportation sector along all routes in order to support the realization of more equitable development and economic growth to the regions. Land, sea, and air transportation are the main concerns so that public services can be improved ascomprehensive way.
The government is also paying serious attention to the revitalization of transmigration areas and land management in Eastern Indonesia, including Papua. This step shows that development is directed in an inclusive and equitable manner, so that all regions receive equal benefits.
All of these facts completely refute the negative claims echoed through the provocative narrative of ‘Dark Indonesia’. Development is taking place in real terms, not in pseudo-discourse.
Efforts to provoke the public to fall into pessimism must be watched out for, because they can damage trust in the national development agenda that has been designed for the long-term interests of the nation.
The public needs to note that issues raised by certain groups often do not originate from the public interest, but rather political maneuvers that are full of hidden agendas. In the midst of various global challenges, unity is needed in maintaining stability so that strategic programs can be realized optimally.
Rather than being provoked by baseless dark narratives, all elements of the nation need to support ongoing development so that its benefits are truly felt widely.
President Prabowo’s government has shown concrete steps, and the current shared task is to ensure that the direction of development remains on track for a more advanced Indonesia. (*)
)* The author is a socio-political observer
