REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities of University of Indonesia (FIB UI), Rocky Gerung, casted a harsh criticism of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in dealing with a fake news or a hoax. He said the government is panic.

"Earlier in the afternoon, I read, Mr. Jokowi said, 'Do not read Jokowi Undercover because it was not scientific'. I consider it as a hoax," said Rocky in the Indonesia Lawyer Club (ILC) on TVOne, Tuesday night.

Jokowi Undercover has made the writer, Bambang Tri Mulyono, become suspect of the case of hatred, racial, and intolerance information spread. (Antara)  

Rocky said, Jokowi has given a judgment that the book was not scientific. It would certainly followed by a question of how did he knew it?

"When reporters asked, he would say, 'Mr. Tito, the National Police Chief said so.'," Rocky said.

Rocky then continued, "Oh, Mr. Tito (said that). Was he the UI or Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB)'s rector?"

Also read:  Jokowi Undercover is not accountable" href="http://en.republika.co.id/berita/en/national-politics/17/01/04/oj7s34414-police-say-jokowi-undercover-is-not-accountable" target="_blank">Police say Jokowi Undercover is not accountable

"So you see that, even the president spread the hoax. It is from the definition," Rocky said followed by applause.

Head of the Public Information Bureau Brig Rikwanto showed the book entitled 'Jokowi Undercover' after a press conference in Jakarta, Tuesday (Jan 3). (Antara)

According to him, it was academic domain, not police domain. Rocky emphasized that the right to determine whether the book was scientific or not laid on campus. But, the government banned the campus to discuss it. "How could we determine whether it is not scientific, while the book was banned to be discussed on campus," he said.

Also read: Police urges people not to sell or distribute Jokowi Undercover

As information, the distribution of the book entitled ‘Jokowi Undercover’ was banned by the government. It was considered as containing unclear information which only a siding conclusion from the author, Bambang Tri. Currently, Bambang Tri has been detained by the police and the distributors was threatened with criminal penalties.

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