Teen's Criticism of Jambi Govt Reported to Police; Mahfud MD Speaks Up

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister of Politics, Law, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD on Monday announced on his Twitter account that he will help assist a Junior High student who was reported to the police under the ITE Law charges over her criticism against the city officials of Jambi. 

The Minister’s social media account was tagged in the comments section of a social post where the teenager – who is identified as SFA – gave her reaction to being reported to the police. 

In his Tweet on June 5, Mahfud MD said the Politics, Law, and Security Affairs Ministry will contact the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (PPA), the National Police Commission (Kompolnas), and the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) to assist SFA.

“Assist, protect, and clear the issue. Treat children with laws that exist for underage children,” Mahfud tweeted today. 

The junior high student initially uploaded four videos that subjected Jambi Mayor Syarif Fasha a private firm (Rimba Palma Sejahtera Lestari) as the subject of criticism. She believes these two had violated the regional decree (Perda) No.4/2017 on transportation. This video was re-uploaded by the Twitter account @PartaiSocmed –which is sometimes notoriously known for siding with injustice. 

The teen initially thought she was summoned by police for another inquiry but was met with the truth that she was being questioned for a report that was filed by the Jambi city administration’s head of the legal division Muhamad Gempa Awaljon Putra and public relations division. 

The subject of this police report is the criticism that was voiced by the junior high teen who accused the Jambi city administration of being permissive for roughly a decade and allowing extremely overweight trucks to pass through a small road access, which has caused damage to her grandmother’s house. 

She also criticized a local corporation that was initially announced as a company working in the field of steam-powered electricity plants but instead was actually a company that manages forest wood. 

"As a result of large tonnage vehicles that exceed road capacity. Apart from the destruction of forests which have become denuded and loss of animal habitat, resulting landslides, floods, and even forest and land fires almost occur every year. It has also damaged Grandma’s house and wells. She had to repair it herself multiple times without any help from the corporation," said SFA.

Tempo asked the Jambi Police Chief insp. gen. Rusdi Hartono and the public relations division for a response to this case but none have responded to the questions that were sent.

EKA YUDHA SAPUTRA

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