Professor Cornell University: Anies Baswedan's Inappropriate Speech!

The use of "indigenous" diction by Anies Baswedan when he gave his first speech after being inaugurated as Governor of DKI Jakarta on Monday night (16/10), reaping a polemic. By law, he is considered to violate Law No. 40 of 2008 on the Elimination of Racial and Ethnic Discrimination. Therefore, terma "native" has been prohibited to be used by state officials. He has also been reported to the police because of this issue. While in the world of politics as well as academic, the use of "indigenous" diction by Anies reaps a lot of criticism. Because, Anies should not use the term if you want to unite the citizens who divided the capital during the elections 2017. Criticism and criticism of Anies not only come from within the country, but also abroad. Tom Pepinsky, Professor of Southeast Asia Program at Cornell University, USA, said Anies's speech showed support for intolerants. "Anies has multiplied the identitarian religious rhetoric that supports certain groups, groups that support the campaign and push it up into power in Jakarta," Pepinsky wrote in his opinion on New Mandala, Tuesday (17/10/2017). He considered, through this inaugural speech, Anies again questioned the colonial legacy after 70 years of independent Indonesia. Anies, says Pepinsky, is able to compose a strong political message to call upon his supporters about the socio-economic impact of colonialism. "At this point, he or anyone who composed his speech, it is true," he said. However, Pepinsky said, the context of colonialism in the speech was not fit to be phrased by Anies who became governor. According to him, such speech is appropriate when expressed a president. "It's a presidential speech, not a governor's speech, just like a candidate's speech preparing to follow the 2019 presidential election. He has placed Jakarta as a national political center and stakes his own claim as a national politician," he explained. The indication is, continuously, reinforced by the many regional language quotes such as Aceh, Batak, Banjar, Madura, Minahasa, Minang, in Anies speech. "Through these regional language quotes, he gave messages not only to his supporters in Jakarta, but throughout Indonesia, 'hey, I also spoke to others' like that," he explained. He disclosed that any Indonesian who hears this speech will understand that the "indigenous" diction in the speech targets Chinese descendants who have a long history, ever since the colonial era. "Anies seems to have forgotten that he is from Hadrami (Yemen) .As an alternative, he may not have forgotten at all, but he knows that the rich Indonesian Arab elite is not discriminated against like the Chinese in Jakarta," he said. This news is from line today