BEM UI Uploads 'Puan with Rat Body', PDIP: Students Should Not Spill Swearing

BEM UI Uploads 'Puan with Rat Body', PDIP: Students Should Not Spill Swearing

The BEM of the University of Indonesia (UI) via its social media uploaded criticisms of the DPR RI as well as a meme of the DPR Chair Puan Maharani with the body of a rat. Senior PDIP politician Hendrawan Supratikno responded strongly to the upload. He was worried that BEM UI had been taken advantage of. 

Viewed by detikcom, Wednesday (22/3/2023), in its upload, BEM UI contains criticism regarding the DPR's attitude in ratifying the Job Creation Perppu into law. BEM UI also changed the DPR acronym to become the People's Robber Council. 

Apart from containing a number of sentences of criticism, the upload also displays an animation containing the Puan meme with a mouse body. The animation was also accompanied by the words 'We don't need the People's Robbers' Council'. 

Head of BEM UI Melki Sedek Huang spoke about the upload. He said this was a form of BEM UI's anger at the DPR's attitude. 

"I think all of our publications have described our anger towards the DPR today," said Melki when contacted, Wednesday (22/3). 

Melki assessed that the DPR's attitude in passing the Job Creation Perppu to become a law is at odds with the presence of the DPR, which should be the people's representative. He considered that the attitude of the DPR through the passage of the law was not in accordance with the wishes of the people. 

"We think that the DPR no longer deserves the name of the People's Legislative Assembly and is more appropriate to change its name to the Council of Robbers, Oppressors or People's Traitors. Because the unconstitutional legal product they passed yesterday clearly robbed people of their rights, betrayed the constitution, and was not in accordance with the hearts of the people," he said. 

"The DPR should comply with the Constitutional Court's decision to amend the Job Creation Law with meaningful participation, instead of agreeing with President Jokowi's unconstitutional actions by passing the Job Creation Perppu which violates the constitution," he added. 

Melki further said that through the upload, BEM UI gave a message to the public to no longer expect the performance of the DPR. He considered the DPR had betrayed the public's trust. 

"Through this publication, we want to convey to the public not to have high hopes and trust in the DPR at this time because for us the DPR is nothing more than usurper of people's rights and violators of the constitution," concluded Melki. 

PDIP Senior Response

PDIP senior politician Hendrawan Supratikno responded to the criticism in the upload on the BEM UI social media. He was worried that BEM UI would be used by certain groups for activities that went beyond academic corridors and ethics

"I'm worried that there are those who use BEM-UI to carry out expressions of activities that are out of the corridor and academic ethics. Students should emphasize analytical-solutive criteria. Challenge rational-argumentative discussions and debates. Not to indulge in swear words and narratives that degrade the essence of their main duties," Hendrawan told reporters. 

Hendrawan said the DPR through the DPR Legislation Body held a series of events to absorb the aspirations of the relevant parties. According to him, a number of professors were involved to carry out the final assessment, including professors from UI. 

"To anticipate unwanted effects from the Ciptaker Law, we must build a more equitable business world ecosystem in the future. The F-PDIP is currently considering and debating the possibility of rolling out the Cipta KeJust Bill using the omnibus method," he added.