TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Deputy Chairperson of the National Campaign Team of Joko Widodo or Jokowi - Ma'ruf Amin, Abdul Kadir Karding, admitted that it was difficult to handle overwhelming hoax news aimed at presidential candidate number 01, Jokowi.

"From this data (survey of Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting or SMRC), we admit that we are being overwhelmed in terms of facing identity politics," Karding said at the SMRC office, Jakarta, Sunday, March 17, 2019.

Karding said that most of the campaigns carried out by volunteers were to clarify hoax news about Jokowi. "Such as the issue of that Jokowi is a communist member of PKI, or he's anti-Islam, a foreign stooge, debts, criminalization of ulemas, blasphemy issues, all of those turned out to be the toughest challenges in the campaign," he said.

Read also: Hoaxes Have Negative Influence on Jokowi`s Electability: SMRC

In the SMRC survey on February 24-March 5 2019, as many as 6 percent of respondents believed the issue of Jokowi was a descendant or a member of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). Then, 10 percent of respondents agreed that Jokowi was a Chinese accomplice (foreign stooge), and 6 percent of respondents agreed that Jokowi was anti-Islamic.

Looking at these numbers, Karding said that hoaxes were now at a dangerous level, so it must be anticipated quickly.

Jokowi's volunteers and campaign team, he said, were quite overwhelmed to answer and quell the hoax news. Because the hoax does not only appear on social media but has become a door-to-door movement.

"Without mentioning someone masterminded these hoaxes or not, the fact is that those hoaxes are there, that's a big homework. By God`s willing, I believe Mr. Jokowi would win," he said

FRISKI RIANA