REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has commented a walkout by pianist Ananda Sukarlan and several other people while he was invited to speak during the 90th anniversary of Kolese Kanisius Catholic School in Jakarta, Saturday.
"I respect differences of views. I respect different views. And I give the right to anyone to express it according to their own ways," Governor Baswedan said here, Monday.
He said actually he was not aware of the walkout while he was speaking.
As the Jakarta Governor, he said he felt obliged to greet and protect everybody.
"If there is a negative reaction, it's just a bonus for me. It's nothing," he said.
He said he was invited to the gathering by Father Baskoro who had come to his office in the Jakarta City Hall to deliver the invitation.
"Then, Father Benny is a good friend. So, I am not like a stranger among friends in Kanisius. And it was not my first time to visit Kanisius," the new governor said.
Sukarlan, an alumni of Kanisius, led the walkout that was followed by several alumni and invitees. When Anies Baswedan finished his speech and left the building, Sukarlan and others walked into the room again.
In his speech, Sukarlan, a Kanisius award recipient, said: "You have invited someone having values and integrity which are contrary to what had been taught to us. Although you have to invite him because of his position, next time we must also look at the person. He has gotten his position by ways which are not in accordance with the values of Kanisius."
Sukarlan, however, was criticized by Eros Djarot, a prominent artist.
"When (I) imagine this act, ...frankly speaking, as a matter of fact I am sad and ask in the heart...whether walkout, leaving the seats while an invited guest giving his speech is ... also part of values taught by Kanisius school???," Djarot wrote.
Anies Baswedan and Sandiaga Uno, both aged 48, won the direct and democratic Jakarta gubernatorial election in April 2017 after competing with incumbent Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) and Djarot Hidayat in a run-off election.
They won 57.96 percent (3,240,987 votes) from a total of 5,591,353 votes, while Ahok-Djarot collected 42.04 percent (2,350,366 votes).
President Joko Widodo inaugurated Jakarta governor and deputy governor on October 16.
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