Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known by Hakka Chinese nickname, Ahok, is an Indonesian politician serving as the 17th Governor of Jakarta since November 14, 2014. Ahok was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on November 18, 2014 after Joko Widodo took a temporary leave from his post as Jakarta governor to run for President, Ahok became the acting Governor of Jakarta from 1 June 2014.
Indonesia has a larger Muslim population than other countries in the world, with approximately 202.9 million identifying themselves as Muslim (87.2% of Indonesia’s total population in 2010). Statistically, Christians constitute 10% of Indonesia’s total population according to a nationwide census conducted in 2010.
Furthermore, the Tionghoa population in Indonesia makes up a little less than 2% of Indonesia’s total population according to the 2010 census.
As a member of minority ethnic group and religious minorities, Ahok has become the subject of occasional racist comments. During his gubernatorial campaign on 2012, he was regularly targeted by ultra-conservatives and his rival candidates’ supporters for being a non-Muslim Chinese.
Ahok’s “double minority” background makes him a target of the hardliner Islamic Defenders Front (FPI). The group called for the revision of the Jakarta constitution to remove some governor’s responsibilities for government-affiliated Muslim organizations. Numerous hardliner groups staged several violent protests opposing him in the weeks leading to his inauguration, mentioning his background as a reason.
The protesters have various motives. Some are influenced by their disappointment with Ahok’s policy in forced evictions. Some protest due to their racist sentiments against Chinese-Indonesians. Some genuinely want to “defend Islam”.
He built up many mosques, one of them is Fatahillah Mosque.
Ahok always wants to be a supportive governor to Muslims in Jakarta. Ahok spent 18.838 billion rupiahs from Jakarta’s Regional Government Budget (APBD DKI 2015) for building up Fatahillah Mosque at Jakarta City Hall after having no mosque for fortyish.
Giving wages to Qur’an teachers based on Regional Minimum Wage (UMR).
Ahok appreciates Qur’an teachers by giving them wages based on Regional Minimum Wage (UMR), 3.1 million rupiahs which is worth it.
Building up Great Mosque of Jakarta at Daan Mogot.
Ahok makes sure that the building progress will be done in the end of March 2017. The mosque is built up 17.8 hectares on the ground. He spent 170 billion rupiahs from Jakarta’s Regional Government Budget (APBD DKI) to build up the mosque. This great mosque is a very first mosque that Jakarta Capital City Government has and it can accommodate up to 16,000 congregants.
Actually, there are still many supportive things that Ahok has done to Muslims in Jakarta. But, Ahok himself has not been free from racial attacks. The attacks against Ahok, clearly reflected that racism is still subtly, but deeply ingrained in Indonesia even 18 years after the 1998 riots that saw Chinese-Indonesians discriminated against and brutalized.
This phenomenon seems to contradict the fact that the country has fully recognized the citizenship status of non-indigenous Indonesians through the 2006 Citizenship Law and, above all, the long-standing principle of “Unity in Diversity”.
As Indonesia strives to cure the harm it has done to Chinese-Indonesians in the past, racism once again emerges in the form of abhorrent actions and remarks.
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