A group of former employees of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) staged a protest at the KPK’s Merah Putih Building in response to the declaration of Firli Bahuri as a suspect by the Jakarta Metro Police. During the demonstration held on Thursday (23/11/2023), participants not only rallied but also brought along rice food stalls.
In the courtyard of the KPK building, two rice food stalls garnered attention. Vendors selling fried rice were present, catering to buyers, including the protesters aiming to convey their message.
A theatrical performance portrayed an individual wearing a mask resembling Firli Bahuri cooking fried rice, while the buyer was depicted wearing a mask resembling Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL).
Posters with the phrase ‘it began with fried rice, it ends with fried rice’ were affixed to the rice food stalls as a symbolic representation. Previously, Firli had showcased his prowess in cooking fried rice during his inauguration.
The protest was attended by several figures such as former KPK Chairman Abraham Samad, former Vice Chairman Bambang Widjojanto (BW), former KPK Investigator Novel Baswedan, and several other former KPK employees. Cutting a cone-shaped rice dish (‘tumpeng’) was also carried out as part of the celebration following Firli Bahuri’s status as a suspect.
Yudi Purnomo Harahap, a former KPK investigator participating in the protest, stated that the purpose of the activity was to uplift the spirits of KPK employees. For him, the suspect status against Firli was a step toward resolving the issues within the KPK.
According to Yudi, Firli was the root cause of problems within the KPK. With his status as a suspect and being non-active as a leader of the KPK, Yudi hoped that a portion of the issues within the KPK could be resolved.
Additionally, the protest included a hair shaving act in front of the KPK building. Participants, including Abraham Samad, Novel Baswedan, and Harun Al Rasyid, shaved their heads as a symbol of resistance against the ongoing situation.
One of the posters they carried bore a message, emphasizing not to use the KPK as a tool for extortion. This protest became part of the expression by former KPK employees to voice their desires for the cleanliness and independence of this anti-corruption institution.