Andi Adam Faturahman, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition has urged President Prabowo Subianto to review the position of Hasan Nasbi, the Head of the Presidential Communication Office, following his statement regarding the pig's head threat directed at Tempo journalists. The coalition's representative, Al Araf, regarded Hasan's statement as an act of arrogance from a public official.
Al Araf stated that instead of showing concern, Hasan's remarks indicate a lack of government commitment to upholding democracy and civil liberties. "In addition to being insensitive, this also violates the principles of press freedom. The statement is dismissive and inappropriate for a Chief of the Presidential Communication Office," Al Araf said in a written statement released on Saturday, March 22, 2025.
According to him, the statement gives the impression that the government supports such acts of threat. They reminded President Prabowo not to overlook Hasan's remarks.
Wahyudi Djafar, another representative of the coalition, explained that Hasan's response to the incident targeting Tempo journalists contained elements of hostility toward journalists or media perceived as critical.
Wahyudi argued that regardless of a media outlet's stance toward the government, downplaying a threat incident is disturbing to the sense of security, especially for journalists carrying out their duties. "With this attitude, it appears he (Hasan) is not ethically fit to convey presidential messages to the public," he said.
State Secretary Minister, Prasetyo Hadi, has not responded to Tempo's inquiries regarding Hasan Nasbi's statement. As of this report's publication, a message sent via the WhatsApp messaging application only shows a delivery confirmation.
Hasan Nasbi's initial response to the pig's head incident sent to Tempo's office was, "Just cook it," he said. "I saw it on Cica's (Tempo's journalist) social media. She asked for pork to be sent. It means she's not threatened. She can joke. Send her pork."
According to Hasan, the incident is a matter between Tempo and other parties. The government does not want to be involved. "We don't know about this. This is their problem with whomever. Whoever sent it. I can't respond to anything," He said.
He requested that the incident not be exaggerated. He stated that the Prabowo administration guarantees press freedom. "The government does not intervene at all in news reporting. The government only corrects it if the media misunderstands. We will correct it. If there are errors in the reporting, we will correct it," he said.