Haris Setyawan, Jakarta – Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko has announced his plans to run as a presidential candidate in the 2024 Presidential Election at a religious event titled "Tabligh Akbar" in Depok on November 9, 2022.
Public support backing the former Army Chief of Staff Moeldoko to run in the 2024 presidential election has recently emerged, which was first seen at the 4th People's Deliberation in Palembang, South Sumatra, on October 29, his name was included as a candidate for presidential and vice presidential candidates.
A volunteer group under the name Moeldoko Center also appeared in an effort to garner attention for the upcoming election. Despite his achievements, he is also not free from controversy. The following are some that Tempo compiled:
The Rp 1 billion wristwatch controversy
In April 2014, one of the media from Singapore reported that Moeldoko was wearing a watch that was estimated to be worth up to Rp 1 billion. The emergence of the news infuriated Moeldoko who clarified that the watch he wore was a knock-off valued at a mere Rp. 4.7 million.
Shortest stint as Army Chief of Staff
During his career in the military, Moeldoko was entangled in controversial issues related to his position as Army Chief of Staff (KSAD). Appointed on May 20, 2013, then inaugurated as Commander of the TNI by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on August 30, 2013, which means he only served three months serving as KSAD. This made him the shortest KSAD in military history.
Attributing God for the forest fire tragedy
"All disasters come from Allah (God)... Disasters can come anytime, to anyone, and anywhere... including the disaster that befell Pekanbaru, Riau, what is happening is also from Allah," tweeted Moeldoko on his Twitter account back in 2019. His statement was immediately criticized by Twitter users for seemingly blaming God for the forest fire disaster.
Assuming the superiority of foreigners
In the same year 2019, Moeldoko also tweeted a controversial subject as he considered that foreigners were superior to Indonesian people by saying that Indonesia needed to leave the mentality of being a colonized nation and replace it with a colonial mentality. "We have to build the colonial mentality and destroy the colonized mentality," he wrote.
Incriminated in the Democratic Party coup
Moeldoko was strongly accused of being the mastermind behind the coup plot within the Democratic Party in February 2021. However, he did not object to this issue being rolled out. Instead, he warned the Democratic Party not to accuse the State Palace of being behind the internal Party rupture.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1656858/moeldoko-2024-presidential-candidate-and-his-controversies