Ahmad Faiz, Ibnu Sani, Jakarta – Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko has shrugged off the recent statement of the national coordinator for the Indonesian Dawn Prayers [GIS], Eggi Sudjana, that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo had impoverished the people.

Eggi claimed this was because many of the country's natural resources were controlled by foreigners.

Moeldoko said the statement was a complete falsehood. He enthused that foreign parties had been controlling many Indonesian natural resources since before the Jokowi-Kalla administration, thus the fact could not be used as an indicator.

"What he said is illogical," Moeldoko said at the State Palace in Jakarta, Monday, April 16, 2018.

Moeldoko added the Jokowi-Kalla administration had successfully slashed the country's inequality rate as measured by the Gini ratio from 0.41 to 0.39.

Moeldoko also expressed regrets that Eggi made the statement in an Islamic forum at a mosque. The former Indonesian military commander said mosques were places for religious teachings and spreading peace. "Not for those kinds of things. The people will be baffled," he said.

Earlier, during a dawn lecture at a mosque in South Tangerang, Eggi Sudjana delivered a speech on poverty and claimed President Jokowi had impoverished the people.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2018/04/16/055917639/Eggi-Sudjanas-Statement-Illogical-Moeldoko