Malang, en.SERU.co.id — Hundreds of journalists from across Malang Raya took to the streets on Monday afternoon to reject President Prabowo Subianto’s use of the term “Londo Ireng” for the Indonesian press.
The protest, held at Bundaran Alun-alun Tugu in downtown Malang, was organized jointly by four major local press groups: the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Malang, the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) Malang Raya, the Indonesian Television Journalists Association (IJTI) Malang chapter, and the Indonesian Photojournalists Association (PFI) Malang.
Field coordinator and AJI Malang chair Benni Indo strongly condemned the phrase. He said it wrongly links a respected profession with colonial-era traitors. Many of Indonesia’s founding figures and national heroes, he noted, began their public lives as journalists.
“Someone who claims to be the ultimate nationalist is now insulting the very people who fought for this country. Even the national anthem Indonesia Raya was written by a journalist,” Benni told the crowd.
IJTI Malang chair Hilda Daningtyas, a Kompas TV journalist, said the label damages the dignity and independence of the profession.
“As head of state, the president should know we are not foreign agents. Our job is to deliver honest information to the public,” she said.
PWI Malang Raya chair Ir. Cahyono called on the president to withdraw the statement and issue a public apology.
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“We ask President Prabowo to take back those words and apologize openly to the entire press community for staining the reputation of our profession,” he said.
PFI Malang chair Darmono stressed that the press serves as democracy’s fourth pillar. Criticizing government policies that harm the public, he argued, is a moral duty, not an act of opposition.
“If criticism is treated as resistance, we must remember that the government is paid by the people’s money. Do not set a bad example, especially from an official podium,” Darmono said.
Protesters carried dozens of posters with critical messages and photographs of national heroes who were once journalists. As a symbolic gesture of what they called a setback in official respect for the press, the group walked backward along the demonstration route. (dik/rhd)
Indonesian Version:
Ratusan Jurnalis Malang Raya Aksi Tolak Stigma ‘Londo Ireng’
