West Sumatra Governor Slams Abu Janda and Supports Police Report
West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi Ansharullah has strongly condemned a statement by social media activist Permadi Arya, aka Abu Janda, linking the region with the term 'barbaric'. This criticism comes after a video of Abu Janda's speech went viral, in which he touched on intolerance and used the word barbaric in reference to West Sumatra.
Mahyeldi deemed the remarks out of place and potentially divisive. He fully supports the legal steps taken by the Central Board of the Minang Family Association, which has reported Abu Janda to the National Police's Criminal Investigation Division.
After Eid al-Adha prayers on Wednesday (27/5/2026), Mahyeldi said that hate speech issues must be taken seriously by law enforcers so it serves as a lesson for others. He reminded that Indonesia is a country of diverse cultures, ethnicities, and religions, so any public statement must be made carefully.
The governor stressed that Abu Janda's remarks did not reflect decency or respect for other ethnicities, and were seen as inciting hostility and division.
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