Jakarta –
Cilegon City became the city that received the lowest tolerance score in the 2022 Tolerant Cities Index report (IKT) version of the SETARA Institute. Gerindra questioned the data-finding methodology.
“I don’t understand whether the methodology they use has been scientifically tested. For political choice surveys, we know multistage random sampling, then interviews can be by phone or face-to-face. So every time SETARA launches its findings, we never get clear information about the methodology,” said Waketum Gerindra Habiburokhman told reporters, Friday (7/4/2023).
It is known that Cilegon Mayor Helldy Agustian is a Gerindra cadre. According to Habiburokhman, the results of SETARA’s findings can be assessed by the public as a form of stigmatization.
“Therefore, the public may judge that SETARA has stigmatized certain cities,” said Habiburokhman.
“Assessment of a city that is tolerant or not, must be carried out in a comprehensive, thorough and clear manner. It cannot only refer to one or two local government policies, but must look at the practice of community interaction in general,” he added.
According to Habiburokhman, this ranking can actually weaken the spirit of tolerance among citizens in the cities concerned. He also invited parties to criticize if there were government policies that were considered intolerant, not bullying.
“One-sided rankings are not very educative and can actually weaken the spirit of tolerance among residents because the city is being stigmatized as intolerant,” he said.
“If there are certain regional government policies that are considered inappropriate in the context of tolerance, let’s criticize them together, but don’t bully the city and its citizens,” he continued.
EQUIVALENT findings
SETARA Institute released the 2022 Tolerant Cities Index (IKT) report. In that report, Cilegon City is the city that gets the lowest tolerance score, while Depok is the second lowest city.
The city of Cilegon is ranked 94th or at the bottom in the 2022 IKT report. Meanwhile, above Cilegon, there is Depok, which is ranked 93rd.
Chairman of the Management Board of SETARA Institute Ismail Hasani explained their findings regarding Cilegon. He said Cilegon got low scores on 3 of the 4 established assessment variables.
“The first is the government’s action. He made an agreement with people who have intolerant political aspirations, to prohibit people from building places of worship. So from a variable standpoint, the government’s action is zero,” he told reporters at Grand Sahid Jaya, Central Jakarta, Thursday (6/4/ 2023).
Cilegon, he said, from a policy standpoint still affirms or guides the circular letter in 1975 regarding the ban on building churches in Cilegon City. In fact, he continued, the circular contained instructions for the City of Serang.
“With him still guided by this, he still believes in this discriminatory legal product as a legal basis, two variables,” he added.
Ismail said the third variable is society. He highlighted the representation of an intolerant society that emerged into the public space.
(fca/idh)
