The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has stressed that it intends to remain part of the opposition Red-and-White Coalition (KMP, despite a number of senior party members meeting President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo at the State Palace on Monday evening.

According to PKS deputy secretary-general Mardani, the meeting was intended to remind the party that although the PKS was an opposition party, the spirit of silaturahmi (brotherhood) should be maintained with the government.

'€œThis is a message to party members: [The meeting] was carried out purely in the spirit of silaturahmi. It was not about political transactions, ministerial posts or other such issues,'€ said Mardani in Jakarta on Tuesday as reported by tribunnews.com.  

He stressed that the party would remain a critical partner of the government and would speak out against any policies that were not in line with the interests of the people, but added that any criticism must be conveyed respectfully.

Mardani acknowledged the existence of a number of social media accounts claiming to be PKS-affiliated that often directed fierce criticism at Jokowi, but he insisted that those accounts in fact had no link to the party.

'€œNo one [from the PKS) is involved with social media. In the PKS, we are prohibited from slandering and hate speech,'€ he said.

Besides Mardani, the meeting with the President was also attended by the party'€™s president, Sohibul Iman, deputy chairman Almuzammil Yusuf, treasurer Abdurrahman, women and family resilience division head Wirianingsih and laborer, farmer and fishermen division head Ledia Hanifah Amalia. (bbn)(+)

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