The public also received an unwanted news scoop about the behavior of the newly appointed trade minister, Zulkifli Hasan, who distributed free cooking oil in his effort to persuade the recipients to vote for his daughter in the 2024 legislative election. The National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman was entrusted with the ministerial post because he was regarded as the right person to tame cooking oil prices. However, he has taken advantage of the job to ensure his daughter secures a prestigious legislative seat.

Among the three issues, the former obviously the most sensational, because it is linked to sex and an extramarital affair, laden with the drama that normally typifies Indonesian soap operas on TV.

The three cases, however, have one thing in common – namely abuse of power by the elite, which looks like a parody. The narratives built around them show people are treated like idiots who know nothing and would take for granted all the words from the top.

But the elite should never belittle ordinary people. They have their own views about the three instances, and will find the right time to punish them.

Last week, the National Police announced their own version of the shootout that killed Brig. Nopryansyah Yosua Hutabarat on July 8 after he had allegedly tried to sexually harass the wife of the police’s head of internal affairs Insp. Gen. Ferdy Sambo, Putri Candrawati. Yosua had been assigned as Putri’s driver and adjutant.

The public, including several retired police generals, has made the police explanation an endless source of laughter, criticism and anger because of the glaring irregularities shrouding the case the police could not answer convincingly.