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Gibran draws ire after ‘arrogant’ debate performance
The fourth debate was expected to spur important conversations around policies on energy, the environment and indigenous community rights, but instead devolved into bouts of sparring and ad hominem attacks.
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Vice presidential candidate Muhaimin Iskandar (center) faces off with rivals Mahfud MD (left) and Gibran Rakabuming Raka on Jan. 21, 2024, at the fourth televised presidential election debate held at the Jakarta Convention Center in Jakarta. (Antara/M Risyal Hidayat)
Vice presidential candidate Gibran Rakabuming Raka has come under fire for his performance at the fourth televised presidential election debate on Sunday, with many on social media interpreting his remarks as arrogant as he significantly broke away from the traditional Javanese values of restraint and the courteous expression of opinion, unlike his older rivals.
Gibran, the eldest son of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, went up against rivals Muhaimin Iskandar, 57, of the National Awakening Party (PKB) and Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD, 66, two experienced politicians also vying for the VP seat.
The debate was expected to spur important conversations around policies for energy, natural resources, agriculture, the environment and indigenous communities, but instead devolved into bouts of sparring and ad hominem arguments.
For the most part, Muhaimin and Mahfud teamed up to criticize the government’s policymaking, from failures in the food estate program to a perceived slight to environmental and social issues, such as the shrinking commitment to renewable energy targets.
Meanwhile, Gibran defended his father’s legacy and vowed to continue the downstreaming agenda that lies at the center of Jokowi’s economic policy, going so far as to accuse a rival of being anti-government. The 36-year-old was running on a platform of continuity.
After the debate, social media platforms buzzed with frustrated viewers bemoaning the fact that the debate was devoid of real solutions on the topics broached and was filled with gimmicky retorts and petty broadsides instead.
Many took aim at Gibran, whose attitude during the debate was considered “condescending”, especially to Muhaimin and Mahfud, who are more than 20 years his senior.
