Latest news with #Gibran
The Star
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Pressure mounts on Indonesian Vice President Gibran as impeachment process continues
JAKARTA: Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka is facing intensifying pressure as a group of retired military generals has formally petitioned the nation's legislative bodies to begin impeachment proceedings against him, just as President Prabowo Subianto appears to be consolidating support from key figures once aligned with his political rivals. In a letter obtained by The Jakarta Post on Wednesday (June 4), the group, known as Forum Purnawirawan Prajurit TNI (the Retired TNI Soldiers Forum), called on the leadership of the House of Representatives and the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to begin the legal process of removing Gibran from office, citing alleged constitutional violations, ethical breaches and concerns over his qualifications and performance. 'We, the Forum Purnawirawan Prajurit TNI, extend our full support to President Prabowo Subianto,' the letter states. '[However], we urge the House and MPR to immediately process the impeachment of the Vice President based on the applicable law.' The group claims that Gibran's path to the vice presidency was marred by an ethics scandal involving a Constitutional Court ruling that lowered the age threshold for candidates. The controversial decision, issued during the administration of Gibran's father, former president Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, was authored by then-chief justice Anwar Usman, Jokowi's brother-in-law, who was later dismissed for a serious violation of judicial ethics. They further questioned Gibran's competence, arguing that his two-year tenure as mayor of Surakarta does not meet the demands of the vice presidency. The letter also resurfaced controversy over a pseudonymous online account, 'fufufafa,' allegedly linked to Gibran, which was used to post derogatory and slanderous content. 'In his six months as vice president, Gibran has shown no capacity to assist the President. Instead, he has become a burden to Prabowo in carrying out the responsibilities of the state,' the letter reads. 'For a country as large and complex [as Indonesia], it would be deeply naive to have a vice president who is unfit and unqualified to lead.' The group's secretary, Bimo Satrio, confirmed the authenticity of the letter to The Jakarta Post, explaining that although it was dated May 26, the letter was not submitted until Monday upon securing a crucial meeting with former vice president Try Sutrisno, a highly respected figure among military retirees. While Try's name does not appear among the signatories, Bimo claimed that he 'gave his blessing' for the group to proceed with the petition in a meeting on May 30. The letter was submitted on the same day Gibran appeared at a Pancasila Day event alongside Prabowo, Try and Megawati Soekarnoputri, chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and a former political patron of Gibran and Jokowi. Political analyst Dedi Kurnia Syah described the moment as symbolically significant, interpreting it as a deliberate show of strength by Prabowo against the enduring influence of Jokowi. 'The joint appearance of Megawati, Try Sutrisno and Prabowo can be interpreted as Prabowo asserting his political strength over Gibran, and, by extension, Jokowi, especially since both Megawati and Try Sutrisno are currently aligned against the Jokowi family,' he told the Post on Wednesday. While Dedi acknowledged that public calls for Gibran's impeachment are constitutionally valid expressions of civic discontent, he emphasised that removing a sitting leader remains procedurally difficult. 'Despite the symbolic unity of Prabowo, Megawati and Try Sutrisno in one forum, such calls for impeachment remain difficult to implement under the constitutional framework,' he said, noting that the impeachment process requires a clear legal foundation, and is not easily driven by political momentum alone. Still, Dedi noted that Prabowo has not explicitly defended Gibran or dismissed the impeachment demands. Instead, the President delegated Special Presidential Advisor on Political and Security Affairs Wiranto to issue a carefully worded response—an indication, Dedi argued, that Prabowo is treating the petition seriously. While most members of the ruling coalition have remained cautious or silent on their official stance, Golkar—the largest party in the House after the PDI-P and the party speculated to be Jokowi or Gibran's new political vehicle—has publicly come to the defence of the Vice President. "Vice President Gibran was elected through a presidential election and ratified by the Constitutional Court. He has also not committed any violations that could be the basis for impeachment,' said Sarmuji, who chairs the House faction representing Golkar. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
The Star
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Politics creep into Indonesia's military ranks
JAKARTA: A recent attempt to reshuffle top Indonesian Military (TNI) officers, which was followed almost immediately by its reversal, has raised fresh concerns over growing political interference in the armed forces. The episode unfolded shortly after a group of retired generals publicly called for the removal of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, fueling questions about constitutional boundaries between civil and military authority. The aborted reshuffle marks the latest chapter in the military's renewed prominence in political discourse, as the administration of Prabowo Subianto pushes to expand the TNI's role in civilian life, most notably through the recent controversial amendment to the TNI Law. Last week, TNI commander Gen. Agus Subiyanto issued a decree reassigning some 200 high-ranking officers, including First Joint Regional Defense Command (Pangkogabwilhan I) chief Lt. Gen. Kunto Arief Wibowo, who was moved to a less strategic post at TNI headquarters with no operational command. The reshuffle came after Kunto's father, former vice president Try Sutrisno, who is himself a retired Army general, backed calls from the group of retired generals under the banner 'Retired TNI Soldiers Forum' demanding the removal of Gibran, the son of former president Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo. This provoked questions about political motives, with some observers viewing it as a political retaliation against the demands of the group of retirees, which TNI spokesperson Brig. Gen. Kristomei Sianturi has denied. However, a day after the announcement, the TNI chief walked back part of the personnel shake-up and issued a new decree that revoked the transfers of Kunto and six other senior officers, raising speculations about Prabowo's interference. Increasing the political temperature, another group of military retirees publicly pledged their full support for the current government and emphasised that they represented the official organisation for military retirees, in what appeared to be a rebuttal to the first group of former officers. Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, a former general known to be a loyal senior minister of Jokowi during his decade in power, has also slammed the calls for Gibran's removal, reported. Security observer Al Araf of think tank Centra Initiative raised concerns about 'deepening civilian interference' in the internal affairs of the armed forces, warning that the country is drifting away from healthy civil-military relations. 'The current situation clearly shows the presence of 'subjective civilian control',' Al Araf told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday (May 7). 'This is a form of politicisation, where civilian authorities, including the President, and figures with lingering influence from previous administrations are overstepping their constitutional limits.' 'This type of interference undermines military professionalism and threatens institutional autonomy,' he said. 'It's a dangerous pattern that weakens the structure of the TNI and sets a bad precedent for democratic governance.' He pointed to an entrenched pattern of politicisation in the armed forces dating back to Jokowi's decade of presidency, where 'the placement of top commanders, like three- and two-star generals' was determined based on personal or political proximity rather than merit, a trend which has continued in the current administration. This contrasts with past administrations, from former president Sukarno to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, where officer rotations were more aligned with their career achievements. During those eras, key appointments typically favored graduates with top honors, such as recipients of the prestigious Adhi Makayasa award. Jaleswari Pramodhawardhani of think tank Laboratorium Indonesia 2045 (LAB 45) said the cancellation of a previously announced military transfer 'was not an isolated incident', adding that it reflects 'deeper dynamics in the power configuration of Indonesia'. While she cautioned that there needs to be more transparent information about the reasons behind the abortive reshuffle to draw definitive conclusions about the presence of political interference, she said 'the possibility of political calculations influencing the decision, whether from actors within the military or from external political forces, cannot be ruled out'. Jaleswari emphasised the need to maintain a clear separation between politics and the internal management of the military, adding that 'TNI's professionalism hinges on its ability to make decisions grounded in strategic and doctrinal reasoning, not political preference.' State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi and the TNI's Kristomei did not respond when asked by the Post about Prabowo's possible involvement in the reversal of Kunto's reassignment. But Luhut denied any suggestion that the President had rebuked Agus for Kunto's reassignment, Antara reported. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
The Star
04-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Gibran grapples with shrinking influence six months into vice presidency
JAKARTA: Gibran Rakabuming Raka is the youngest vice president in Indonesia's history after rising to power last year with strong political backing following a boost from his father, former president Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo. But just six months into office, Gibran has already faced a groundswell of public discontent, with critics persistently seeing him as a symbol of dynastic privilege, while opponents cast doubts on his legitimacy and public image. The most recent sign of his struggling public image came last month, when he posted his first monologue video on YouTube addressing the crucial role of the younger generation in realising the nation's goal toward the Golden Indonesia vision, in which the country aims to become an advanced and prosperous nation by 2045. The monologue is part of his newly launched video series, in which he discusses national issues and public policies in a direct-to-camera style, a move analysts see as an effort to bolster his image among younger Indonesians. But instead of inspiring hope, the six-minute video titled 'Young Generation, Demographic Bonus and the Future of Indonesia' has triggered a wave of criticism, with netizens calling Gibran's monologue superficial and inauthentic and questioning his qualifications to talk about the subject. Analyst Yoes Kenawas from Atma Jaya University said the negative sentiment reflects mounting disapproval, particularly from the middle class, of what Gibran has and could offer during his vice presidency following his controversial election nomination. 'There seems to be persistent perception that he didn't earn his position through competence or experience, but rather that it was handed to him through backroom deals and legal manipulation,' Yoes said, adding that 'this is a tough image to shake off'. Gibran's rise to vice presidency at the age of 37 is widely seen to be orchestrated by his father Jokowi. He became eligible to run in last year's election alongside President Prabowo Subianto only after the Constitutional Court, then led by chief justice Anwar Usman who is Jokowi's brother-in-law, created an exception to the minimum age of 40 years for presidential and vice presidential candidates. Even in the government, Gibran appears to be struggling to play a meaningful role despite holding the nation's second-highest office, as seen in his lack of substantial duties beyond ceremonial appearances, exclusion from strategic meetings and minimal engagement in policy decisions. 'Prabowo's inner circle doesn't see Gibran as a serious power player,' Yoes said. 'He was included on the election ticket primarily to secure Jokowi's backing and ensure support from his loyal voter base. But now that the election is over, there's little incentive to give Gibran a meaningful role.' State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, who now doubles as presidential spokesperson, did not comment when asked by The Jakarta Post. Gibran is now also facing calls for replacement from a group of retired military generals, including former vice president Try Sutrisno, who argued that his nomination as a vice presidential candidate in the last election was unconstitutional. The group also demanded the removal of ministers linked to his father Jokowi. '[Calls for Gibran's removal] are part of a broader post-presidency wave of attack toward Jokowi and his family. The moment Jokowi's term began winding down, scrutiny over his political legacy intensified,' analyst Adi Prayitno said. 'People started questioning whether the efforts to keep the family's political influence crossed ethical lines. Gibran's rapid rise, from Surakarta mayor to vice president, only amplified these concerns,' he added. Prabowo, through Special Presidential Advisor on Political and Security Affairs Wiranto, has responded cautiously to the demands, saying that he respected perspectives shared by the fellow veterans, but stressed that there are constitutional boundaries that need to be upheld. Gibran has not issued any statement regarding the calls for his impeachment. But his younger brother Kaesang Pangarep, who leads the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), a pro-government party that has no representatives in the legislature, has come to his defence, saying 'the President and the Vice President were elected in accordance with the Constitution'. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
LBCI
22-04-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Indian Philosopher Tagore's bust sculpture arrives in Lebanon
Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh was informed by the Indian Ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammad Noor Rahman, about the arrival of a bust of Indian philosopher Rabindranath Tagore in Lebanon. Minister Salameh and Ambassador Rahman discussed preparations for unveiling the statue at the National Library in Sanayeh later this month. A formal delegation from India will attend the event to participate in this special occasion. It was also agreed that the bust would later be transferred to the Gibran Khalil Gibran Museum, given the strong relationship and deep friendship between Gibran Khalil Gibran and Tagore.
Barnama
21-04-2025
- Business
- Barnama
Ahmad Zahid, Gibran Discuss Halal Cooperation, Regional Concerns, And Palestinian Issue
Ahmad Zahid's productive 45-minute meeting with Gibran at the Vice Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta was also attended by Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu and Malaysia's Ambassador to Indonesia Datuk Syed Mohamad Hasrin Tengku Hussin. JAKARTA, April 21 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi paid a courtesy call on Indonesia's Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka on Monday, where they discussed several important issues, including halal matters, labour concerns, the welfare of fishermen, regional developments, and the ongoing situation in Palestine. Regarding halal matters, the two leaders discussed opportunities for collaboration in the US$1.3 trillion halal sector, as well as challenges that could be tackled jointly. These included the mutual recognition of halal certificates issued by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) and the Indonesian Ulema Council. 'We will coordinate and engage in detailed discussions not only regarding the production of halal products but also on marketing strategies,' he said at a press conference after the meeting. The two countries also agreed to enhance the process of sending workers from Indonesia to Malaysia through the One Channel System and to address the management of fishermen who encroach on territorial waters, as outlined in a memorandum of understanding signed in 2012.
