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s the gubernatorial election draws closer, Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama and his political rivals have been attacking each other, raising concerns about racism that could lead to clashes among their grassroots supporters.

In a meeting with businessman Sandiaga Uno at City Hall on Friday, Ahok reportedly scolded Sandiaga, who has been officially nominated by the Gerindra Party as its governor candidate, accusing the party of SARA campaign tactics and provoking evicted residents of Pasar Ikan, North Jakarta, against him.

SARA stands for suku (ethnicity), agama (religion), ras (race) and antar golongan (societal groups).

Political analyst Hendri Satrio said the racism issue could be contained if figures who feature prominently in media coverage stopped alleging SARA-related campaigns or statements without any proof.

“One of the figures often bringing up the issue of SARA [campaigning] is Ahok. He often said that he was a victim of a racist campaign, without any proof. He should stop giving space to the issue,” Hendri of Paramadina University told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

He said he believed that Ahok, an Indonesian of Chinese descent and a Christian, attempted to gain sympathy from voters by raising SARA issues.

“In Jakarta, it is proven that SARA has no impact on votes. Voters in Jakarta are rational,” Hendri said, adding that according to a recent survey by the Indonesian Public Opinion Research and Discussion Group (Kedai Kopi), SARA was unlikely to have a significant impact on voters.

He acknowledged, though, that the issue could easily affect voters of a poor educational background.

He said SARA-related campaigns could not be avoided in a country with diverse social backgrounds, like Indonesia.

SARA, he added, was the easiest message to be delivered to the public. Hence, it was often used in election campaigns in the hope of gaining more votes.

On Saturday, the Gerindra Party reported Ahok to the Jakarta Police for defamation for calling the party racist during a meeting with Sandiaga on the previous day.

“We are the party that nominated Ahok in 2012. How could we be racist yet nominate him as a nobody to become the vice governor and great like now?” the party’s advocacy division head, Habiburokhman, asked.

He said Ahok, as quoted by many media outlets, accused Gerindra members of attacking the incumbent governor using SARA tactics.

“He [Ahok] should mention names if there are [party members that used racism],” Habiburokhman said, denying that any party members had resorted to such tactics.

On Friday Ahok, who has secured backing from the Hanura Party, the Golkar Party and the Nasdem party, said he had asked Sandiaga and his party to campaign peacefully.

“I told him that his people [Gerindra] are not respectful, as they often provoke residents [of Pasar Ikan] not to accept me visiting the area,” he said.

But the milk has already been spilled, as it appears racism could not be kept out of the campaign.

During the Lebaran Betawi festival on Sunday, the Forum Betawi Rempug’s (FBR) Lutfi Hakim publicly urged attendants not to vote for any governor candidate whose religion or race were not the same as theirs.

He likened the matter to the struggle of Betawi hero Kyai Noer Ali against Dutch colonial rulers.

“Why was Kyai Noer Ali against the Dutch even though they built railway stations for Jakarta? It is because of pride and God’s instruction,” he added. “Hence, as Betawi people, we agree to rise together. Hopefully, in 2017, the governor will be a Betawi or there will at least be a Betawi candidate in the election.”

Lutfi then went on to claim that Ahok did not respect Muslim residents with his orders to evict people from Kampung Pulo, East Jakarta, last year and Pasar Ikan, North Jakarta, earlier this year.

He said that Ahok’s decision to clear the areas was a hurtful action that “should be combated”.
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