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Prabowo in hot water for mocking Anies at Gerindra gathering
The video of Prabowo Subianto's ndasmu remark about Anies Baswedan went viral and was criticized by the other candidates’ campaign teams.
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Presidential candidate and Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto (center) attends the party's national coordination meeting in Kemayoran, Jakarta on Dec. 15, 2023. Gerindra members discussed strategies to win votes for the 2024 presidential and legislative elections at the meeting. (Antara/M Risyal Hidayat)
Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto is once again in hot water for his remarks in defense of his decision to pick President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka as his vice presidential candidate.
During a Gerindra Party gathering on Saturday, Prabowo, who is the party chairman, recalled his exchange during the first election debate with another presidential candidate Anies Baswedan who had asked about how he felt when making the decision.
“How do you feel, Mas Prabowo, about ethics?” recalled Prabowo, imitating Anies, during his speech in front of hundreds of party members in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.
“Ethics, ethics, ndasmu ethics,” he continued, which was met with clapping and cheering from his supporters.
In informal Javanese, ndasmu which means “your head” is a term used among friends, but if expressed with zeal, as Prabowo did, it takes on a much cruder meaning.
The video of his speech went viral and was responded by the other candidates’ campaign teams.
“It’s not wise for a presidential candidate to speak like that,” said the Anies-Muhaimin Iskandar national campaign team spokesperson, Gaeandra Kartasasmita, on Sunday, “but I hope Pak Prabowo is just joking, I’m sure Pak Prabowo is much more mature than that.”
Read also: Election debates might sway swing voters, analysts say
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto, who is campaigning for Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD, criticized Prabowo, saying that all candidates must uphold ethics during or outside of debates.
“[Prabowo’s remarks] are inappropriate. What’s the use of debates if ethical principles are not respected?” he said.
Responding his critics, Prabowo said he was only joking and the statement was during a supposedly closed Gerindra party gathering.
“It was among family. It’s common to talk like that among relatives,” he said on Sunday, likening his style to the directness and manners of the people of Banyumas, Central Java.
He also said people must not make such a big deal about it.
