Cursing ‘the Dajjal Province’: Recent Political Activism against Poor Infrastructures in Indonesia

By: Rendy Pahrun Wadipalapa (23/04/23)

The poor state of infrastructure in Indonesia has long been a source of frustration for its citizens, particularly in districts and provinces, where the condition of many roads has sparked protests for years. However, a young student named Bima Yudho, through his personal TikTok account, Awbimax Reborn, has become the first to amplify this issue on a national scale, driving a wave of grievances and protests. In his video, Bima referred to Lampung province as the province of ‘dajjal,’ a well-known evil figure in Islamic eschatology, and highlighted the poorly maintained infrastructure in the region. He criticized local authorities for neglecting their responsibilities towards the community and called for immediate action to fix the roads.

The virality of Bima's video led to a serious investigation of the Lampung governor, Arinal Djunaidi. Mainstream Indonesian media reports exposed Arinal's alleged corruption, violence, and money politics. In response, however, Bima was sued by one of Arinal's lawyers for his alleged hate speech about Lampung province, and local police officers reportedly intimidated Bima's parents.

The case of Lampung province represents a wider issue in Indonesia, where many regions suffer from inadequate infrastructure despite their natural beauty and resources. In 2022, the Central Bureau of Statistics stated that 32% or nearly 175,000 kilometers of the provinces’ roads were damaged. 

Similarly, another recent incident that highlights the failure of the Indonesian government in its infrastructure development agenda occurred in Blora, where Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo hosted President Joko Widodo's visit. The police escort accompanying Jokowi's motorcade fell due to the extremely poor condition of the road, leading to criticism of the government's failure to prioritize infrastructure development in the region. 

This situation highlights the need for the Indonesian government to prioritize infrastructure development across the country, not only to address the grievances of its citizens but also to ensure the sustainable growth and development of the nation as a whole.

These incidents had a direct impact on national political discourse, as it shook Joko Widodo's political alliances, given that both the Lampung governor and vice governor as well as Ganjar Pranowo were from the Golkar, PKB and PDI-P parties, which are Jokowi's most loyal allies. The impact of these incidents on Jokowi's political alliances cannot be overstated. Jokowi came into office in 2014 with a great ambition and promise to prioritize infrastructure development, and he has made significant investments in this area. However, the failures in Lampung and Blora highlight the challenges that remain in ensuring that basic infrastructure is provided to all Indonesians. The fact that these failures have occurred in provinces governed by Jokowi's allies is particularly problematic, as it raises questions about the effectiveness and integrity of his political network.

This has led to increased pressure on Jokowi to address the issue, speculating that the more exposures to other areas besides Lampung and Blora could undermine Jokowi’s government image and thereby impact the alliances prospects in the 2024 election. Jokowi, as the power broker, remains popular among many Indonesians, but not Golkar, PKB or PDI-P which proved to be vulnerable to establish their own positive brand separately from the president image. And with the Indonesia’s 2024 election race picking up steam, and more of videos, comments, and writings being uploaded with political hashtags, the grand alliance should find it as problematic content. 

In addition to the impact on Jokowi's political alliances, these incidents have also had broader implications for Indonesia's political culture. The rise of TikTok activism as a tool for political engagement reflects the changing nature of political participation among young Indonesians. As digital platforms become increasingly important in shaping political discourse, it is likely that we will see more incidents like those in Lampung and Blora, as citizens use social media to hold their leaders accountable and demand change. Ultimately, this could lead to a more vibrant and participatory democracy in Indonesia, as citizens become more engaged in the political process and demand greater accountability from their leaders.

As we have seen, a controversial response as suing the creator of content only ended up with greater protests and grievances. Any form of dissent or protest that threatens the authority is met with swift and harsh retaliation, which is considered as an old authoritarian approach against a new young-liberal generation. A power imbalance between local elites and ordinary citizens should not be a big problem, thanks to the alternative, mediated reality through social media that easily accessed and gained significant attention and support.