Antara, Jakarta – Jakarta Governor candidate Ridwan Kamil has addressed the controversy surrounding his old tweets that recently resurfaced on social media. He acknowledged that his views have changed since becoming a public official and apologized for his past comments.
In a recent online discussion hosted by the Golkar Institute titled "Transformative Leadership Based on Work," Kamil admitted that his persona has changed since his time as an activist. "I was different then compared to now as a public official. I used to be hot-tempered, and those old tweets are coming back," Kamil said.
He clarified that he had previously apologized for these past statements. "I have actually apologized three times. I apologized in 2013 when I ran for mayor of Bandung, again in 2018 (during the West Java gubernatorial race), and just recently in 2024. So why is it coming up again?" he explained.
Kamil, the former Governor of West Java, noted that his experiences as an activist led him to join the government in hopes of effecting positive change, which he believes has shaped him into a more measured and wise individual. "I used to be a protester, but I decided to change things from within the system. Since joining the system, there haven't been any controversial tweets because I have transformed: I am now more prudent and measured," he said.
Despite this, Kamil is not concerned about the resurgence of his old tweets. "In the midst of political contests, people look for flaws. It's normal," he remarked.
Recently, several of Kamil's old tweets, including critical comments about Jakarta, went viral on social media. In response, Kamil issued an apology on his official X (formerly Twitter) account @ridwankamil on Sunday, Aug. 25. He admitted to being less prudent in his social media expressions at the time and has since learned from the experience.
"I apologize for who I was. Let's move on," Kamil wrote.
Ridwan Kamil is running for Jakarta Governor in the 2024 election, paired with Suswono as his vice gubernatorial candidate. The duo officially registered with the Jakarta Election Commission (KPU) on Wednesday, Aug. 28.
The Ridwan Kamil-Suswono ticket is supported by a coalition of parties including Gerindra, Golkar, PKS, PAN, Demokrat, PSI, PKB, NasDem, PPP, Perindo, Gelora, Garuda, Bulan Bintang, Prima, and PKN.