( published by The Jakarta Post on 2 Oct 2013. Click here ) It was not wrong for Jakartans to elect Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama as their leaders. The two’s bravery in respecting pluralism in Jakarta is like an oasis in the middle of a drought. Their firm stance on retaining Susan Jasmine Zulkifli as the Lenteng Agung subdistrict head must be supported despite several protests from certain groups of people demanding Susan’s removal just because she is a Christian. The stance of Jokowi and Ahok not to bow to protesters is very important, because this will give a valuable example of how leaders must defend the Constitution at any cost to our beloved country. “I would neither transfer nor demote any officials because of their religion. I judge them based on their ability whether they can complete the tasks I set them or not,” said Jokowi. The protesters are obviously fanatics, rejecting a leader with a different religion without looking at the leader’s...
Life is beautiful, and also..., simple.