The Cruel Jakarta
- Izzan Fathurrahman
- Jun 4, 2020
- 3 min read
I still remember when I was young and lived in a small region in the middle part of Indonesia. My neighbours, some of them were Moslem, Hindus, Christian, Catholic, and also Chinese. We lived in a multicultural environment when the Moslem had Eid Al-Fitr, my Hindus friends would come to our house with their neat clothes along with their parents, as well as when the Christian had Christmas we would happily come to taste some Christmas cakes. I had such a happy childhood as a kid, almost every evening I played football along with my multicultural friends.
It was surprising when I opened my Facebook account a few weeks ago. One of my childhood friends posted news related to blasphemy case of Jakarta’s governor. In his post, there were several provocative words that would trigger people’s resentment against those with different religions as well as Chinese descendants. I was a bit shocked, remembering that we used to play together as children. We played football and shared laughter together with my Christian friends as well as my Chinese friends. We once had a harmony life during our childhood time, and now with that hateful and provocative post, where is my friend going?
Another sadness is, my friend is actually living in a place far away from Jakarta, about hundred of miles from Ahok’s house. Yet, with all of the political tensions in Jakarta and all of the news in television and internet, these change my friend into a hateful man with a radical view to his childhood brothers.
Jakarta is the miniature of Indonesia, it reflects the political situation and social order of this country. That is the cruelty of Jakarta, it is only about 600 kilometres square, but whatever happens on it, the whole nation would be easily affected. As the centre of government administration and economic activities, every eye in this multicultural country probably will stare into it.
Ernesto Laclau dan Chantal Mouffe once wrote that democracy is a floating signifier because it is consisted of multiple entities. Democracy is based on the sovereignty of the people, but it is important to note that the people themselves are not a single entity, it is plural and fragmented.
That particular characteristic affects the power of the people. Further, Laclau and Mouffe explained the power in a democracy is an empty signifier. There is no single power of the people, otherwise, it is fragmented powers. In order to achieve a single power, the plural entities in the society will try to grab the chance to fill the empty signifier of power. Sadly, in this plural nation, it seems like the discourse of Jakarta’s politics has won the empty signifier of a single power and has successfully led the floating signifier of democracy according to its needs.
The dangerous of democracy is when the single power oppresses and harms the other entities. In a plural society like Indonesia, it happens in Jakarta’s politics. Ethnic and religious issues have successfully influenced the social order of this whole country.
Looking back to Indonesia’s past local elections and the nation’s plural characteristic, the political tension should be indeed not only focused in Jakarta: there are still many cases in some other part of the country that are interesting to look at. For example, how about the plurality of West Papua’s election, where an Islamist Party supported a non-Moslem candidate? Or moreover, how about Aceh’s election, with the majority of the candidate were former separatist combatants?
My worrying is going to be on the second round of Jakarta’s election. With religion and ethnicity issues being rampant in the first round, I am afraid that the same trick will be used again to take the governor’s chair in the second round. I do not really care actually if this situation only affects the Jakarta people. But when it comes to the far away-not related people and endanger the stability of this entire nation, well, we have a serious problem here.
Toward the second round of Jakarta’s election, the attention should be given to the media, either in national or local level and electronic or printed media. It would be good if the media could at least give alternative views from the other political and social issues in this large country. Interest groups and alternative media who highly concern about this issue, also need to work hard in balancing the empty signifier of this floating democracy.
Jakarta is the miniature of Indonesia, but to let it decide what it is going on for the whole country is too selfish. This beautiful country has lots of positive things in addition to the issues of Jakarta’s election. To let those taken by the cruelty of Jakarta, will you?
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