Author: Muhammad Yasin Ghifari
2018 is the eraof hoax distribution most often compared to the previous year. Hoaks are information or hoaxes that are distributed to the public for certain purposes. Entering the campaign period ahead of the 2019 Presidential and Deputy Presidential Elections, the spread of information and hoaxes is increasingly massive and uncontrollable. Starting from news, social media, WhatsApp groups, and the like, can not be separated from lies and hoaxes. It turns out that hoaks are not only created by ordinary people who are looking for sensations. But now hoaks have been created in a planned and directed manner, affecting the community for certain purposes. Just say Prabowo’s name, password, and his timses.
As an ordinary citizen, I feel very sad to see the act of the faction 02. It feels like this year there is no need for a presidential election, so that Jokowi will continue to be President. Instead of having a presidential election, there is a campaign, people who become victims are fed with information about hoaxes and false words, which are lies by the faction 02 of the Adil Makmur Coalition. This campaign period is full of jokes. Just look at the picture of the face of Ratna Sarumpaet who was shocked by plastic surgery. Apart from the hoaxes that were spread, Ratna’s face invited laughter, even from kindergarten children who did not understand whose face. Whatever it is, Ratna’s name is remembered sweetly in the memory of the Indonesian people as a liar.
Ratna is one of the actors of one of the political scenarios to make the image of the government ugly, the image of the President of Indonesia, Jokowi’s image. Of course the one who plays the scenario is Jokowi’s opponent, Prabowo cs. After the accusation of PKI accomplices against Jokowi did not work, aka it could not influence the public because the public knew that the information was only a hoax, finally the faction 02 gave rise to a scenario that Ratna, the spokesperson for 02, was beaten by government-paid thugs so that her face was turned. Then Prabowo held a press conference and confirmed that Ratna attacked the government-paid thugs. Public uproar. The police acted quickly and managed to reveal that Ratna’s bony face was due to plastic surgery. Well, the scenario fails, the public is aware.
Prabowo’s camp often makes false statements in the campaign of the 2019 Presidential Election. This hyperbolic campaign strategy was deliberately conducted to become a public conversation. However, this kind of campaign strategy is considered to be able to reduce the quality of democracy because it is difficult for people to distinguish between real conditions and false news. Not long ago, Sandiaga said he built the Cikampek-Palimanan (Cipali) toll road without debt. In fact, PT Lintas Marga Sedaya (LMS), which built the toll road, received a syndicated loan of 22 banks worth Rp. 8.8 trillion in 2012. Before that, Sandiaga had the chance to issue an ATM-thin tempe opinion. All hoaks, full of hoaxes.
Also with Prabowo who often issued in speeches filled with excessive emotions. For example, when Prabowo made a speech before the Al-Qur’an Interpretation Council (MTA) in Solo on December 23, 2018. He mentioned that many Indonesians lived mediocre because the government implemented wrong policies in the economic field. “We (Indonesia) are on a level with poor countries on the African continent: there are Rwanda, Haiti and the small islands of Kiribati, which we don’t know where they are,” Prabowo said. In fact, Haiti is not a country located on the African continent but in the Caribbean Islands, in the northern American continent. If seen from the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, Haiti in 2017 was only US $ 765.68 while Indonesia was US $ 3,846.86.
Most recently, Prabowo’s statement about dialysis in the Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) was used by 40 patients. In fact, 1 hose is only used once. The RSCM hoax hose appeared not long after the container hoaks containing 70 million ballots were punched at Tanjung Priok port. Sandi and Prabowo cannot speak hoax accidentally. Spreading hoax and false news is their campaign strategy. Prabowo’s camp is seeking public support and sympathy through fear, anxiety and public pessimism towards President Jokowi’s government. The strategy seems to be a complete failure considering that now the community is smart in filtering information.
Be aware of Prabowo, Sandi, and all that is in the camp 02. The news of the hoax that you spread has made the people sick. Gradually there will not be the slightest bit of public trust in your words, except for your militant supporters from banned mass organizations and people who are blind in thinking. A little message for Prabowo’s camp: Shut Up Gold!
*) Tarumanegara University students
