On January 14th, Gibran, a vice presidential candidate in the upcoming 2024 Indonesian elections, was seen to be rude and impolite to his fellow vice presidential candidates sparking multiple controversies.

To begin with, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the vice president candidate running alongside Prabowo Subianto, is currently one of the most controversial candidates.

Firstly, despite his existing controversy, Gibran was seen to be using degrading language and violating the rules of the vice presidential debate.

This not only stirred up more controversies toward Gibran, but also for his partner, Prabowo.

Such actions sparked controversies because Gibran is the youngest candidate amongst all the contenders making his use of degrading language especially inappropriate because Indonesia is a country that emphasizes the importance of respecting elders.

Secondly, during the second debate, Gibran left his podium several times and used foreign terms without explaining their meanings.

These actions are considered to be violations of the rules of governing the presidential and vice presidential debates in Indonesia.

Moreover, Gibran made a ducking gesture, as if he was searching for something, while stating, “I was looking for Mr. Mahfud’s answer.”

Gibran’s actions were seen to be disrespectful to Mr. Mahfud, another vice president candidate, who is much older than Gibran.

Thirdly, On December 12th, Gibran showed an informal attitude during the presidential debate.

During this debate, presidential candidate number 1, Anies, asked Prabowo his thoughts on the changed law for Gibran.

This law stated that the minimum age requirement for a vice presidential candidate is 40 years old.

However, Gibran is currently 36 years old.

Prabowo’s calm answer to Anies, stating that this change in law is not a legal issue elicited an enthusiastic response from the crowd.

Gibran also stood up from his chair and encouraged more cheering from his supporters.

Many criticized Gibran’s actions as being savage due to their being rudeness and boldness,leaving an unpleasant impression on citizens.

The General Elections Committee criticized Gibran’s actions, which led to Gibran apologizing for his actions.

Lastly, given that he is the son of the current President Jokowi, it is inevitable not to perceive any nepotism.

This sparked controversy since the beginning of the introduction of candidates.

In addition, the altered age restriction stirred up significant controversies as well as it was another manifestation of nepotism.

These were controversies that Gibran could not avoid.

Despite these controversies, Gibran and Prabowo hold a high electability of 42.4%.

The final presidential debate is set to be held on February 4th, with the elections slated for February 14th.

All schools are closed on February 14th, due to government orders.

Most schools are expecting to turn to asynchronous learning for the next week after elections due to possibilities of demonstrations.

Many predict that demonstrations will occur regardless of whether Prabowo gets elected or not.

Recently, on the 2nd of February, a demonstration happened from 3pm to 12am.

However, nothing has been said by the government regarding home learnings by the government yet.

Seoyeon Choi
Grade 11
Sekolah Pelitah Harapan