House Speaker Puan Maharani Talks of 'No Viral, No Justice' in Annual MPR Plenary Meeting

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Puan Maharani highlighted the "no viral, no justice" phenomenon prevalent in Indonesia during her speech at the annual People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) plenary meeting at Nusantara Building, Senayan Parliament Complex, Jakarta on Friday, August 16. She emphasized that the state's absence often leads citizens to seek justice through social media activism.

“When the state is slow or unresponsive, citizens resort to social media to seek justice; no viral, no justice,” Puan said. 

She acknowledged social media as one of the main forces in democracy today and its influence in shaping public perception. “Bad people can be perceived to be good people, and good people can be perceived to be bad people.”

Therefore, Puan stressed that state institutions, such as the DPR, the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), central and regional governments, the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court, the military, and the police, should be responsible for upholding justice in all matters. 

Puan asked these institutions to take a more proactive approach to addressing public issues. “So people feel the presence of the state. The presence of the state should not be contingent on 'Viral For Justice'. The state's presence means justice and prosperity for the people,” said the politician from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle or PDIP.

The annual MPR session was also attended by President Joko Widodo alias Jokowi and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin along with several ministers of the Advanced Indonesia Cabinet. Among them were President-elect and Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto, and National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo.

SULTAN ABDURRAHMAN

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