By: Muhammad Adam
The President of the Republic of Indonesia (RI) Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and his family are often the targets of many issues or disinformation narratives in the digital world and social media.
The advancement of technology, information and communication also actually poses a threat, namely because it is very easy for anyone to access information in any form, it is not impossible that it will make it easier to spread hoaxes, including disinformation, which can even target anyone, including the Head of State.
Therefore, it is very important for all elements of society to continue to prioritize facts as what actually happens in the field and to cross-check first by not being too quick to believe information in any form, especially that which comes from social media and whose truth or source cannot be ascertained.
In the digital era like today, information is spreading very quickly, and this spread also has its own challenges, namely the existence of hoax news or disinformation that is scattered everywhere as a serious matter that society must face.
Not only is disinformation detrimental to the individuals it targets, it can also seriously damage the social order and threaten the stability of the state.
In order to continue to maintain the integrity of the nation and be able to access accurate information, it is very important for the public to always prioritize facts and fight disinformation.
One example of disinformation that has recently emerged is the issue related to President Jokowi’s youngest son, Kaesang Pangarep. He was accused of ‘disappearing’ and also stumbling in an alleged gratification case.
Secretary General of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI Secretary General), Raja Juli Antoni said that Kaesang’s current position has been in Jakarta since August 28, 2024. In fact, the PSI General Chairperson also led a coordination meeting (rakor) to finalize support for the 2024 Regional Head Election (Pilkada) and signed the recommendation files. Almost every day since August 28, 2024, Kaesang has always been in the PSI DPP office.
It is clear that the news is not only baseless, but also very misleading. Because, the facts reveal that Kaesang has never disappeared at all and is also not involved in any gratification case.
As a young entrepreneur, Kaesang also has no obligation to provide clarification to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) because he is not a public official at all.
Medan Mayor Bobby Nasution also questioned the allegations of alleged gratification that asked Kaesang to clarify at the KPK. The reason is, the position of the PSI Ketum is not a public official at all so he has no obligation to clarify.
Likewise, the Deputy General Chairperson (Waketum) of the Golkar Party DPP, Ace Hasan Syadzily, also assessed that Kaesang Pangarep should not be bound by legal regulations regarding the use of private jets when he traveled to the United States (US) because he was not a state administrator or state official.
Even in the midst of the onslaught of various kinds of disinformation, it cannot be denied that in reality the government under President Joko Widodo’s leadership for 2 terms or 10 years under his leadership has proven to have recorded many significant achievements for development in Indonesia.
One of the greatest achievements is how infrastructure is now much more evenly distributed across regions. There are many infrastructure development programs such as toll roads, airports, ports and bridges that have opened up better accessibility and driven economic growth in various regions, including remote areas that were previously difficult to reach.
All of this is thanks to President Jokowi’s breakthrough to accelerate development with the main paradigm of Indonesia-centric, so that it is no longer Java-centric or only centered on the island of Java.
Then in the economic sector, even in the midst of many global challenges full of uncertainty, in fact the Head of State has succeeded in continuing to strive for this country to maintain a stable national economy.
As a wise society, all parties should have the responsibility to jointly fight the spread of disinformation by continuing to prioritize facts and always prioritizing information verification.
Because in the era of information that is changing so rapidly like today, accuracy and caution in receiving and spreading news is a very important thing. By filtering the information that is spread and not sharing it carelessly, then in fact the community has participated in maintaining the social and political stability of the country.
Moreover, by continuing to fully support the truth, society also helps protect the honor and reputation of individuals who are victims of disinformation. Let’s make the dissemination of facts and truth a part of our daily culture. Because by doing so, society has contributed to building a much better and more dignified Indonesia.
*) Indonesian Reading Stall
