Members of rock band Slank discuss why they are proud of their political preferences.

After years of being active in social and political activism, Slank came out in support of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo when the latter ran for president in 2014.

The country’s legendary band is now lending its support to Jokowi’s gubernatorial replacement, Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama and his running mate Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat, having performed at the Gue 2 (I AM Two) concert in Senayan, South Jakarta, last Saturday.

During an interview with The Jakarta Post, Slank discussed its support for certain candidates.

“Our decision to support Jokowi may be an unusual paradigm for some people. Here is a band that is close to authority without any transactional elements, such as money or anything else,” bass player Ivanka said.

“It’s uncommon, and people may see it differently. What must be stated here is that our decision is based on our idealism.”

Slank is known as a band with a solid fan base in and outside Indonesia, as Slankers can be found in the United States thanks to their US and European tour in 2008. As the band matures, it is not losing old fans, but welcoming younger ones.

Guitarist Ridho said the band’s support for Jokowi was genuine.

“People have said we’ve accepted money [for supporting Jokowi], but you can check our bank accounts. We haven’t received anything.”

Slank and Jokowi’s close relationship has allowed the band to hold discussions with the President. “It just doesn’t make sense to have this excellent figure so close and to not anything to help him,” Bimbim said.

The drummer recalled a time when Jokowi visited Slank’s fan base in Gang Potlot III in Duren Tiga, South
Jakarta, where he referred to the band as the first group of people to promote a mental revolution.

“I wondered why he said that, but I thought perhaps it’s because I had done drugs in the past and managed to get clean,” Bimbim said.

Meanwhile, Ivanka cites Jokowi’s tenacity in achieving his purpose, “There are people who think negatively of him, but actually he has the intention to make society more prosperous and to create change,” he stated.

“We support this for our future,” said Ridho. “Basically, for me, Jokowi or other government members who have a similar vision to move forward are for our future. If we don’t support them, I think we’re morally wrong.”

Slank’s support for the current government continues beyond the election. Last year, the band was invited by then Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Minister Marwan Ja’far to perform in the country’s border areas in Singkawang regency in West Kalimantan and Atambua in East Nusa Tenggara in a show called concert Perbatasan (Border).

Bimbim, the grandson of former Jakarta Governor Soemarno Sosroatmodjo, explained in a separate interview that Ahok and Djarot’s actions in upholding good governance were equivalent to Slank’s anticorruption campaign.

“If [the election] goes into a second round, we promise that we will be directly involved [to lend our support]. Hopefully, it will be a one-round election,” he said late last year, following the candidates’ visit to Gang Potlot.

Slank recently released its latest album, PalaLoPeyank, which is loosely translated to “Your head is flat”. Dedicated to the band’s currently non-active guitarist, Abdee Negara, the album is also a way for the band to reach out to its fans and encourage them not to be easily provoked or fall for lies spread via social media.

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