TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - One day after making a harsh remark on the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) chairman Ma’ruf Amin, Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama’s popularity on social media continues to drop. Tempo.co and Politicawave observe that the electability rate, particularly Net Sentiment, of Ahok and his running mate Djarot last week stood at 5,000. However, as of Wednesday noon, Ahok-Djarot Net Sentiment score stood at minus 57,678 and minus 117,000 on February 2.
The scores were similar to that of during the anti-Ahok rallies on November 4 and December 2 last year. A month after the rallies, tensions subsided, Ahok’s Net Sentiment score climbed to minus 5,000. The number of Twitter and Facebook posts mentioning Ahok continued to dominate social media conversation. However, the posts carried negative sentiments. Looking back at 2012 Jakarta election over candidate electability and net sentiment, have a positive correlation with the regional election outcome. It means that Ahok could lose if election were held today.
Ahok’s statement during his blasphemy trial on January 31 has sparked angry reactions from netizens. “In the name of Allah, I don’t want to see KH Ma’ruf Amin, our teacher, parent, ulema, MUI leader, whom we respect, disgraced and threatened by anyone,” Abdullah Gymnastiar said on his twitter account @aagym.
Former Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD tweeted: “I am not an NU [Nahdlatul Ulama, the largest Muslim organization in Indonesia] official but as an NU follower since my early childhood I feel offended by Ahok’s strong remarks on KH Ma’ruf Amin. I, as an NU follower, would like to express my protest.”
Prior to Ahok’s controversial remarks and his lawyers’ purported intention to file a lawsuit against KH Ma’ruf Amin, the inactive Jakarta governor’s popularity had improved. In a poll conducted by SMRC on January 14-22 Ahok-Djarot’s electability spiked 6 percent, Anies Basweda-Sandiaga Uno increased 2 percent and Agus Yudhoyono-Sylviana Murni dropped 8.3 percent. As such, Ahok-Djarot’s electability stood at 34.8 percent, Anies-Sandi at 26.4 percent and Agus-Sylvi at 22.5 percent. For comparison, a survey conducted by Pollmark on January 5 showed that Agus-Sylvi had 29.9 percent electability rate, Ahok-Djarot with 28.9 percent and Anies-Sandi with 31.7 percent.
However, negative sentiments on social media following Ahok’s remarks on the MUI chairman Ma’ruf Amin, who is also a high-rank official of the Nahdlatul Ulama, are expected to change voters’ mind. NU’s traditional followers are outraged. Ahok’s popularity has declined once more.
POLITICAWAVE | BS
