Chief of Staff Moeldoko Addresses Social Media Buzzers

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko agrees with the notion of bringing order to irksome social media buzzers, asserting that those that should be handled not only comes from the government’s side. 

“I think that it is necessary (it needs to be brought to order). This is a collective problem we have, it involves both sides. Not just one side, but both,” Moeldoko said at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta on Thursday, October 3. 

His statement follows a strong wave of criticism from members of the public regarding aggressive social media buzzers, especially those that seem to be fanatically siding with the government.

According to Moeldoko, social media buzzers mostly consist of fanatical volunteers of a presidential candidate and would react whenever they deem their idol is being attacked. He said that it is important for collective awareness to reduce tension among supporters of political figures and adopt a more elegant means of communication. 

The former National Armed Forces (TNI) Commander maintains that defending idols can be done without having to be aggressive or downright disrespectful against political competitors. 

“The [concept of] buzzers need to be dropped. Criticism is one thing, but it does not have to involve languages that are less than adequate,” Moeldoko remarked, saying that President Jokowi’s administration is not anti-criticism. 

AHMAD FAIZ IBNU SANI