Jakarta – National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo attended the peak event of the Bhayangkara Mural Festival which was held at Bhayangkara Square, South Jakarta, Saturday (30/10).
He said the mural competition was proof that the Police he led were not anti-critic and respected freedom of expression.
“Today is proof that we value freedom of expression,” said the National Police Chief, as reported by Antara.
The National Police held the Bhayangkara Mural Festival 2021, the National Police Chief’s Cup for the first time. It was attended by 803 participants from 34 Polda ranks and the Jabodetabek area.
From 803 participants, then a selection was made which then passed 453 muralists from 34 Polda and Jabodetabek areas. Then the jury curated the sketch until 80 muralists were selected to be included in the national festival.
This competition has the theme “The Role of the Young Generation to Be Creative in Conveying Positive Information in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic”. The National Police also provided 10 slots for critical sub-theme murals for them.
Moments before the mural competition was initiated, the public witnessed that the murals made by some residents about the current social conditions and others were often suppressed by the mode of repainting entirely by the officers. This mural competition is intended to change the public’s perception.
Regarding freedom of expression, he said, this is in line with what President Joko Widodo said that Indonesia is a democratic country and respects freedom of expression.
“Therefore, of course, we, the National Police, adhere to the existing rules, directives from the President regarding freedom of expression. Today I emphasize that the National Police really respects freedom of expression,” said the National Police Chief.
He also guaranteed that anyone who dared to paint a mural with a positive or negative tone would become a friend of the head of the Indonesian Police.
According to him, murals containing positive criticism are motivation for him, as well as negative murals, because they will be used as evaluation material for the Indonesian Police to reflect on themselves, to introspect themselves to change so that they can become better according to people’s expectations.
“Especially for the mural criticism of the National Police, if the picture is the most scathing, we will accept it and I guarantee that it will become a friend of the Chief of Police, his friend of the Chief of Police,” said Sigit.
He stated that as the head of the Indonesian National Police, he wanted the public to be able to provide an overview to the agency he leads, about how the public perceives them to be, so that they can improve their institutions every day and improve their personnel.
“So we can prepare institutions and personnel to be better, so that we can prepare our personnel to be better, trusted by the public, and loved,” he said.