Latest news with #Fadli
The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Indonesian minister faces backlash after calling 1998 mass rape a ‘rumour'
JAKARTA: Indonesia's Cultural Affairs Minister Fadli Zon, already under fire for his initiative to rewrite Indonesian history, is facing a renewed public backlash for downplaying the well-documented mass rapes of Indonesians of Chinese descent during the May 1998 protests and riots that led to the fall of then-president Suharto. In a June 11 podcast, Fadli dismissed the rapes as mere rumours, claiming there has never been any evidence to support the allegations, comments that have triggered painful memories of the deadly chaos that engulfed Jakarta and elsewhere. Criticism has lit up social media, with responses coming from prominent human rights activists to a former police general. 'Has Fadli Zon never read about the mass rapes in the 1998 riots or does he actually know of the incidents but chooses to be in denial?' X social media user @bangjerrrr from Indonesia wrote. The controversy also raises questions about the political motivations for Fadli's remarks and the project to revise Indonesian history, with the aim of the latter to produce a book that is the nation's 'official history'. There are also concerns that it is an attempt to downplay politically sensitive episodes in the nation's past. The 1998 events have also dogged President Prabowo Subianto for years. He is a former Commandant General of Kopassus (Special Forces Command) and has been accused of involvement in abducting activists and orchestrating the 1998 riots, accusations he has repeatedly denied. He is also Suharto's former son-in-law. Prabowo married Siti Hediati Hariyadi, a daughter of Suharto, in 1983. They divorced in 1998. Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia, cited findings from a government-commissioned fact-finding team that confirmed the mass rapes happened, noting the team's report prompted then-president B.J. Habibie to acknowledge and express regret in his first speech before Parliament in August 1998. Usman called Fadli's remarks 'a fatal mistake' and 'an arrogant denial against a fact the mass rapes occurred', arguing that such facts cannot be categorised as rumours because it was confirmed by a report from an authoritative party. 'The report was done by a joint fact-finding task force consisting of various ministries including defence ministry, justice affairs ministry and the attorney-general's office that was formed by then-president Habibie,' Usman said, referring to the Tim Gabungan Pencari Fakta task force (TGPF). The task force recorded 52 cases of rape, 14 cases of rape and assault, 10 cases of attacks and sexual assault, and 9 cases of sexual abuse. But it stressed that this does not represent the full number of actual victims because the report was based on the testimonies of the victims who were willing to come forward between May and July 3, 1998. 'The majority of the rape cases were gang rapes... And most of the rapes were done while other people were watching,' the report says. Former national police chief Oegroseno, who uses one name, also condemned the minister. 'Fadli Zon, if you don't know the situation on the ground in 1998, you shouldn't talk too much. The people who were victims feel hurt by your statement,' the retired three-star police general wrote in an Instagram post on June 17. In his Aug 14, 1998, speech that cited the report, Habibie said: 'The looting and burning of shopping centres and residential homes were even accompanied by acts of violence and sexual abuse against women, particularly those from the ethnic Chinese community. 'All of these irresponsible criminal acts are very shameful and have tarnished our reputation as a civilised and religious nation; we condemn such barbarity,' he added. Fadli was a noted student activist who opposed Suharto's authoritarianism and played a key role in organising street rallies at the time. Scores of Prabowo's inner circle -- those who supported his presidential campaigns and currently serving in the Cabinet -- come from among the 1998 pro-reform student leaders, who boldly went against Suharto. Political analysts Burhanuddin Muhtadi and Adi Prayitno, quoted by local media, have considered Prabowo's recruitment pro-reform activists as a political strategy to try to convince voters he has reformed, and to expand constituency base. Other 1998 pro-reform activists include Budiman Sudjatmiko, who is head of the poverty eradication agency, Immanuel Ebenezer Gerungan, who is deputy manpower minister, and Nezar Patria, who is deputy communications and digital affairs minister. Nezar was reported to be among the abductees who managed to return home in 1998. Responding to the mounting criticism, Fadli said on June 16: 'Various criminal acts occurred amid the May 13-14, 1998 riots, including acts of sexual violence, however, with regard to mass rapes, caution is needed as data on the incident has never been conclusive.' Fadli said that he does not interfere in the rewriting of Indonesian history, stressing that he entirely has left it to the historians to do this and to complete the rewriting project. Chinese descendant Indonesian Pauline Irawati, 55, a retiree, sees Fadli's motive as an attempted cover-up for Prabowo. 'What Fadli Zon said is otherwise incomprehensible,' she told The Straits Times. Prabowo's alleged role in human rights violations in 1998, East Timor and elsewhere has dogged his political career. Prabowo was once banned by the US for rights violations. Pauline remembers the violent gangs that hunted the Chinese in 1998. She managed to evade the mobs on May 14 as she took a 2½-hour journey from her colleague's home in Karawaci, a Jakarta satellite town, to her home in Cengkareng, West Jakarta. Her office sent staff home early the day before and she, the only Chinese in the office, decided to spend the night at a colleague's home near the office, before making the trip home in a public minivan. 'On the way home, we were stopped a few times by mobs who asked, 'Are there Chinese on board?' I was the only Chinese there. I kept my head down to avoid being noticed,' Pauline recalled, adding that other passengers protected her by always saying there were no Chinese on board. While Fadli has promised he will not interfere in the work of historians revising the nation's history, Bambang Wuryanto, an MP from the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), isn't so sure. He said in Parliament on June 17 that subjectivity in the history rewriting project initiated by Fadli, a senior politician of the ruling party Gerindra, would definitely play in the process. Parliament's education and culture committee member Bonnie Triyana said on June 18 that Parliament will invite Fadli to a House hearing to give explanation about the history rewriting project. 'Don't rewrite history using a power-driven approach, and don't be selective and partial based on political interest. If that's so, It's better to stop the programme altogether,' he said. - The Straits Times/ANN
The Sun
5 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Malaysians rally behind family of UPSI student killed in bus crash
JERTIH: The tragic passing of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) student Fatin Nasrien Fadli in a bus accident on the East-West Highway (JRTB), near Tasik Banding, Gerik on June 9, has not only left a deep impact on her family but also moved the hearts of the public. The sorrow deepened when it came to light that 22-year-old Fatin Nasrien, the eldest of five siblings, had been the family's greatest hope for change. Her parents, Fadli Abdul Rahman, 50, and Nor Hasliza Yusof, 43, had dreamed that her graduation in July next year would mark the beginning of a better life for the family. Touched by the family's hardship, many Malaysians, known for their generosity, have come forward to donate and ease the family's burden. 'Earlier, someone asked for my wife's bank account number. I didn't expect it to go viral and that so many would donate,' said Fatin's father, Fadli, when met by Bernama at their home in Kampung Kerandang today. Fadli, who is a handyman while his wife works as a grocery shop assistant said he was overwhelmed by the people's compassion. The donations received, he said, would help ease his family's burden as his household income is only around RM2,000 per month. He said the funds would be used to cover school expenses for Fatin's younger siblings; Fatin Nizalipa, 13; Nur Faris Rayyan, 12; and Fatin Naminya, 7. Fadli said although he and his wife were heartbroken over the loss of their eldest child who had been the family's hope, they have come to terms with the tragedy. 'She told me that once she started working, she didn't want me to work anymore and she would support her siblings,' he shared, adding that Fatin had long dreamed of becoming a teacher and was a good daughter and a responsible sister. Earlier, Terengganu Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (Maidam) chief executive officer, Associate Professor Datuk Dr Ahmad Azrin Adnan said 13 of the 15 students who perished in the crash were from the hardcore poor and poor (asnaf) families under Maidam's care. In the early morning of June 9, Fatin Nasrien and 14 other UPSI students were killed when the chartered bus carrying them from Jertih to the main UPSI campus in Tanjung Malim, Perak, overturned in an accident involving a Perodua Alza on the JRTB in Gerik. The crash also left 33 others injured, including the bus driver and co-driver, as well as the driver and three passengers of the Perodua Alza.
Barnama
5 days ago
- General
- Barnama
Malaysians Rally Behind Family Of UPSI Student Killed In Bus Crash
JERTIH, June 16 (Bernama) -- The tragic passing of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) student Fatin Nasrien Fadli in a bus accident on the East-West Highway (JRTB), near Tasik Banding, Gerik on June 9, has not only left a deep impact on her family but also moved the hearts of the public. The sorrow deepened when it came to light that 22-year-old Fatin Nasrien, the eldest of five siblings, had been the family's greatest hope for change. Her parents, Fadli Abdul Rahman, 50, and Nor Hasliza Yusof, 43, had dreamed that her graduation in July next year would mark the beginning of a better life for the family. Touched by the family's hardship, many Malaysians, known for their generosity, have come forward to donate and ease the family's burden. 'Earlier, someone asked for my wife's bank account number. I didn't expect it to go viral and that so many would donate,' said Fatin's father, Fadli, when met by Bernama at their home in Kampung Kerandang today. Fadli, who is a handyman while his wife works as a grocery shop assistant said he was overwhelmed by the people's compassion. The donations received, he said, would help ease his family's burden as his household income is only around RM2,000 per month. He said the funds would be used to cover school expenses for Fatin's younger siblings; Fatin Nizalipa, 13; Nur Faris Rayyan, 12; and Fatin Naminya, 7. Fadli said although he and his wife were heartbroken over the loss of their eldest child who had been the family's hope, they have come to terms with the tragedy. 'She told me that once she started working, she didn't want me to work anymore and she would support her siblings,' he shared, adding that Fatin had long dreamed of becoming a teacher and was a good daughter and a responsible sister. Earlier, Terengganu Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (Maidam) chief executive officer, Associate Professor Datuk Dr Ahmad Azrin Adnan said 13 of the 15 students who perished in the crash were from the hardcore poor and poor (asnaf) families under Maidam's care.
Rakyat Post
13-05-2025
- Rakyat Post
Teacher Misses Own Wedding After Principal Denies Leave From School Meeting?
Subscribe to our FREE In a story that's raising eyebrows, a bride in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, was notably absent from her own wedding after her school principal reportedly denied her leave to attend. The reason? A scheduled Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meeting. The incident came to light when a social media user shared that their mother attended what turned out to be a highly unusual wedding ceremony – one without its main participants. The post quickly went viral, garnering over 40,000 views and leading to public outrage. 'I Thought This Was Just a Rumour' Local educator and social commentator Mohd Fadli Salleh initially thought the story was too outrageous to be true. 'I thought this was just a rumour. It's unthinkable that someone wouldn't be given leave for their own wedding,' he wrote in a Facebook post. However, he later confirmed the incident's authenticity. The case has led to a heated debate about workplace empathy and administrative overreach in Malaysian schools. Critics are questioning the principal's judgment, with many pointing out that such strict management styles can damage staff morale and workplace relationships. 'Work becomes enjoyable when administrators understand, compromise, and make things easier for their subordinates,' Fadli noted in his commentary, highlighting how this incident represents a concerning example of bureaucracy gone wrong. The Social Media Storm That Followed The bride, who remains unnamed, reportedly followed the principal's orders despite it being her wedding day—a detail that has only increased the public's sympathy for her situation and criticism of the administration's lack of compassion. The incident has become a talking point about work-life balance and leadership in Malaysia's education sector, with many calling for a review of school administrative policies. While the story has sparked widespread outrage, the subsequent apology for any misunderstandings and careful backtracking by the original poster suggest there might be additional context not made public. As is often the case with viral social media stories, the full picture may be more nuanced than initial reports suggested. I don't blame anyone. I'm not saying who's right or wrong. I just feel sad to hear that the bride couldn't attend her own wedding. That's all. He meant only to express sadness about the situation as related by the bride's mother-in-law. He also acknowledged that sharing the story may have inadvertently affected the reputation of those involved, and emphasised he wasn't blaming anyone for what happened. Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
South China Morning Post
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Indonesia is hungry for rendang, tempeh to get on Unesco's intangible culture list
First, it was rendang, the slow-cooked, spice-laden beef dish that has long been an icon of Indonesian cuisine. Now, tempeh – the humble, protein-packed fermented soybean staple – is stepping into the spotlight. Advertisement Indonesia 's Culture Minister Fadli Zon is on a mission to get the nation's culinary creations recognised on the global stage. Having already lobbied for rendang to be considered for Unesco's list of intangible cultural heritage, Fadli announced on Saturday that tempeh will be next. Speaking at a discussion on Indonesian culinary culture in Depok, West Java, on Saturday, the minister described Indonesian food as a cultural expression, deeply intertwined with local traditions and ancestral practices. 'Whether it is [planting of and harvest for] rice, corn, and others, all have the traditions, ceremonies, rituals, and prayers that are passed down through the generations,' he said, referencing the rich cultural and spiritual ties between food and community. A woman cooks rendang, an Indonesian meat dish simmered in coconut milk and spices, for her family in Banda Aceh. Photo: AFP The minister also highlighted rendang's extraordinary variety, pointing out that the dish boasts '24 different varieties in various regions'. He said rendang served as a symbol of Indonesia's identity and heritage. Advertisement
