Fake Rice Issue as a Distraction Used to Give Jokowi a Bad Image

Liputan6.com, Jakarta The issue suggesting the presence of 'fake' rice made out of plastic has earned itself nationwide spotlight with extensive coverage placed predominantly on it.

Many speculations have been made regarding the reason behind such distribution of 'fake' rice.

While many would think the motive is largely financial or 'easy money', a merchant who sells rice at Cipinang Market thinks that the reason is far more political than just financial issue and that this is just a 'made-up' issue to distract the society from what is really going on or from an actual issue that is currently being covered up.

Moreover, the Head of Cipinang Market Business Organization, Zulkifli Rasyid shares a similar view suggesting the possibility of such 'distracting issue' exploited to topple or overthrow President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo and the government under him.

He thinks that there are certain 'parties' who purposely support the distribution of harmful products so that the population will view President Jokowi as an incompetent leader who canot even assure the health and well- being of its people.

"Obviously someone wants to give President Jokowi a bad image and remove him from his current presidential post," Zulkifli told Liputan6.com, Jakarta, Friday (22/5/2015).

Zulkifli further explains how in the first quarter of 2015, Indonesia is experiencing an economic slow- down. Such worrying condition surely provokes a collective dissapointment among the population.

The dissapointment escalates following reports on widespread of  'fake' rice distributed and harming the health of every consumer.

It is speculated that the recently distributed 'fake rice' comes from China. (Akp/Ein)