Indoleft | Palace says latest PKI attack on President Widodo shows Prabowo camp running out ideas

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Palace says latest PKI attack on President Widodo shows Prabowo camp running out ideas

Detik News - September 22, 2018

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Andhika Prasetia, Jakarta – Presidential Staff deputy head Ali Mochtar Ngabalin has rebuked Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) deputy chairperson Fadli Zon over the posting of a video insinuating that the government is actually the banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

According to Ngabalin, Zon has lost touch with reality in his attacks on President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

"This is evidence that they've run about of campaign material, yet the [election] campaign still has 7-8 months to go", said Ngabalin when sought for confirmation on Saturday September 22.

The former member of Gerindra chairperson Prabowo Subianto's 2014 presidential election campaign team said he regrets that Zon is indirectly spreading slander.

"But if the campaign period hasn't even begun and you are already using narratives and diction which is full of slander and hatred, I don't think this is good, it's uncivilized even, in the context of mutual respect and appreciation. Editing and changing lyrics is far from the civilized behaviour [expected] of a respected national figure and people's representative", said Ngabalin.

Ngabalin hopes that Zon's attack against Widodo will in fact make the people more sympathetic and supportive of him.

"Salutations to Fadli Zon. For me, the more you slander the government, particularly Pak [Mr] Jokowi, the more it will generate sympathy from many people in this country", said Ngabalin.

Earlier, Zon posted a video which is apparently borrows the tune from the children's song Cut the Goose. The video depicts three men and six women wearing face veils (hijab) wearing black and blue uniforms and penguin masks in a dance formation.

The men and women in the video dance along to a song filled with sharp political insinuations. Below are the song's lyrics taken from Cut the Goose ala Fadli Zon.

Cut the goose, cook it in the pan
Failed to lead the nation, pushing for a second term
Slander the HTI (Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia), slander the FPI (Islamic Defenders Front)
Turns out they're the PKI
Slander the HTI, slander the FPI
Turns out they're the PKI
Cut the goose, cook it in the pan
Failed to lead the nation, wanting a second term
Afraid of being replaced by Prabowo-Sandi
Lala lala lala lala la la la
Afraid of being replaced by Prabowo-Sandi
Lala lala lala lala la la la
Allahu Akbar (God is great).

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the article was Jubir Istana Sayangkan Fadli Zon Posting Video 'Ternyata Mereka PKI'.]

Source: https://news.detik.com/berita/4223797/jubir-istana-sayangkan-fadli-zon-posting-video-ternyata-mereka-pki.

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