The leader of a conservative Muslim party in Indonesia has caused political controversy after posting a YouTube video accusing a close aide to President Prabowo Subianto of being gay and becoming “personally closer” to the head of state.
Amien Rais, leader of the Ummat Party, described Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya as a moral threat to both the nation and the president, according to Malaysian news outlet The Star.
“Teddy is gay, like the people of Lot in biblical times,” Amien said.
He urged President Prabowo to “cut himself loose from Teddy’s dangerous grip” and replace him with a “normal figure” focused on serving the country.
Government condemns “hoaxes, slander, and hate speech”
The Indonesian government moved quickly to defend the president and reject Amien’s claims.
Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid said on Friday that the video contained “hoaxes, slander, and hate speech” and amounted to an attempted “character assassination” of Prabowo.
The video was later removed from social media, with a notice stating it was “not available on the country’s domain due to a legal complaint from the government.”
“The video’s narrative is an attempt to demean the state leader, has no factual basis, and is part of a provocative effort to create public unrest,” Meutya said in a statement.
She added that the government would take further steps against Amien under Indonesia’s Electronic Information and Transactions Law, which covers slander and defamation.
Muhammad Qodari, head of the Government Communications Agency, also criticised Amien’s claims, expressing concern over what he described as the party leader’s susceptibility to misinformation.
“The basis of his accusation was an account that contains a song entitled ‘I’m Not Teddy’, […] which you can see on the poster’s account that it’s solely for entertainment purposes, though there may be political motivations, too,” he said.
Amien supported Prabowo’s rival in the last presidential election before later backing Prabowo following his landslide victory.
The Ummat Party has reportedly said it is prepared to defend its leader’s claims. Neither Teddy nor Prabowo has publicly commented on the allegation.
Amnesty condemns the homophobic attack
Amnesty International Indonesia condemned Amien’s comments, describing them as discriminatory.
“There is no scientific link between lesbian or gay sexual orientation and the inability to lead, nor that it damages public morals,” said executive director Usman Hamid.
Hamid also noted that the government’s response and removal of the video focused on the alleged defamation of the president, rather than directly addressing the homophobic nature of the attack or the public speculation around Teddy’s sexuality.
Whether or not Teddy is gay remains a matter of public conjecture.
Who is Teddy Indra Wijaya?
Teddy is a decorated military officer who previously served with Indonesia’s Special Forces Command.
He was selected as an assistant to the president’s aide in 2016, and in 2019 received the International Honour Graduate Award after training at the United States Army Infantry School.
He later served as an aide to the Minister of Defence and as Deputy Commander of the Army’s 328th Infantry Battalion.
Teddy married in 2018 and divorced the following year.
LGBTQ+ rights in Indonesia
While homosexuality is not technically illegal across most of Indonesia, LGBTQ+ people continue to face significant legal and social hostility.
In two provinces governed by Sharia law, same-sex activity can be punished with caning and imprisonment.
The federal government has also used Indonesia’s controversial anti-pornography law in high-profile arrests that critics say are intended to suppress LGBTQ+ visibility and advocacy.
The 2008 law defines pornography broadly as material that violates “norms of community morality” and bans activities and explicit depictions of “deviant sexual intercourse”.
Indonesia is currently ranked 12 out of 100 on Equaldex’s LGBTQ+ Equality Index.
The controversy has renewed concerns about anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric in Indonesian politics and the way accusations around sexuality can be used as a political weapon.
