TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A politician from the United Development Party (PPP) Arsul Sani on Tuesday said that he personally believed that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo did not offended by the recent criticism aimed at him in the form of a meme, saying, 'Jokowi: the king of lip service,' created by the student executive board from of the University of Indonesia (BEM UI).

“As an alumni of University of Indonesia, I have this belief that President Jokowi is not offended or angered by the meme created by the BEM UI students,” said Arsul Sani to Tempo on Tuesday, June 29.

The PPP politician believed the President had undergone his first term in office surviving through a plethora of criticism, slanders, and hatred from groups who oppose him and said it is the nature of a democratic state.

He argued that those reacting against the criticisms are the President’s supporters and volunteers "that make the online media and social media brouhaha inevitable."

In such a situation, he viewed that the President’s inner circle should invite young scholars, including university students to an open dialogue or debate.

The BEM UI students who uploaded the ‘Jokowi King of Lip Service’ meme on Twitter and Instagram were summoned by campus administrators, citing they had violated campus rules but failed to elaborate the specific rule the students broke.

Read: Academic Slams UI Rectorate for Summoning BEM UI After Criticizing Jokowi

BUDIARTI UTAMI PUTRI