November 5, 2025
JAKARTA – The camera was meant to show leadership in action – Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi on the ground, meeting residents, tackling floods after heavy rains. But one forgotten microphone caught something else: an unidentified voice saying “epok-epok keliling”, and a political storm was born.
The Javanese phrase means “pretending” or “as if”, distinct from Singapore’s “epok-epok” which means the curry puff snack. It slipped out during live streaming on the mayor’s official account at the end of October, before turning viral on Nov 1.
Within hours, the audio was everywhere. The hashtag #EpokEpokKeliling surged across TikTok, X and Instagram, drawing thousands of views and setting off a national debate about authenticity and performance in Indonesia’s politics.
The clip lasted just seconds. But in a digital culture where every frame is scrutinised, it was enough. Many Indonesians took the remark as a cynical comment implying that the mayor’s activities were staged – “as if working”. Others, familiar with local slang, insisted it was harmless production lingo for a “simulation” or “retake”.
In a country that prizes sincerity in public life, the nuance hardly mattered. The damage spread faster than any clarification, with critics accusing the mayor’s team of staging scenes to make him look hardworking.
Then the voice behind the words stepped forward. Ms Hening Dzikrillah, a junior member of the mayor’s media team, tearfully announced her resignation in a video on Nov 2, saying: “This was entirely my personal mistake. I understand this has had a significant impact on the mayor.”
In October, Surabaya City Council Deputy Speaker Arif Fathoni called it “a simple mistake that should not define the mayor’s leadership”. Mr Eri would later reject her resignation.
“When young people make mistakes, do not destroy their character. Encourage them to have faith and rise again,” he said.
The incident exposed how politics in Indonesia has merged with performance – and how, in the digital era, perception often eclipses policy. Across the country, local leaders have turned to social media to appear approachable and empathetic. Yet, as audiences become more digitally literate, their scepticism has grown.
“Indonesian netizens are becoming more critical and smart, and they can distinguish between image-building and what is concrete or authentic.
“In general, social media usage now values authenticity more than polished content, and if a lie is discovered, social sanctions from netizens can be very harsh,” Mr Enda Nasution, communication consultant at communications agency Suvarna.ID, told The Straits Times.
Indonesia is one of the most connected nations globally, where politics, celebrity culture and commerce blend seamlessly online. A YouGov survey published in August 2025 found that 81 per cent of Indonesians are active on social media. Gen Zs, those born between 1997 and 2012, make up 58 per cent of daily podcast listeners.
“In an increasingly fragmented media landscape, media consumption is an active, emotional and highly generational experience,” said Mr Edward Hutasoit, YouGov’s general manager for Indonesia and India, on Sept 1.
For this generation, leaders are expected to be visible, spontaneous and human. The result is a new form of politics – one where speeches compete with short clips, and credibility is measured by the number of views.
Few politicians illustrate this more vividly than West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi. His videos – showing him mediating neighbourhood disputes, lecturing residents or wading into filthy rivers – routinely go viral. Supporters praise him as a hands-on reformer, while critics dismiss him as an actor in his own reality show.
But Mr Dedi has shrugged off accusations that he is performing for the camera. “Yes, it is okay to be called anything. The important thing is that we must not be busy with or afraid of being called anything,” he said. “To me, it is no problem, thank you for trying to steer opinion so that I am disliked by citizens.”
His social media presence grabbed attention again in October, when he publicly clashed with Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa over 234 trillion rupiah (S$18.27 billion) in regional funds said to be left idle in banks.
“Do not wait until the end of the year,” Mr Purbaya warned. “Use these funds for productive development that benefits the community immediately.”
Mr Dedi hit back – not through a press release but via live streaming. He argued that the money was working capital, not idle deposits.
“I already checked, there is nothing kept in deposits,” he said. “What exists is 3.8 trillion rupiah in the regional treasury in the form of Giro accounts. These funds are already being spent on salaries, electricity, travel, and other operational expenses.”
Within hours, memes of the clash flooded social media – proof that even a dry fiscal debate could turn into viral theatre.
Even national figures are not immune. At a police event in Jakarta on Oct 29, President Prabowo Subianto admitted he often monitors online criticism.
“I often watch podcasts at night and sometimes I get annoyed, but I take note (of the criticisms),” he said. “Is it true, am I really authoritarian? I do not think so.”
He added: “Criticism is good. But I have a philosophy that in serving the nation, one must not be driven by resentment.”
An October survey by the Centre of Economic and Law Studies found low confidence in his administration. Mr Prabowo and Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka scored three and two out of 10 respectively, with respondents saying campaign promises had been only partly fulfilled.
Former president Joko Widodo faces ongoing scrutiny too, with some in the public questioning the authenticity of his university degree.
Behind the scenes, “buzzers” – an Indonesian term meaning paid or volunteer social media operators – continue to shape narratives for politicians. In the 2019 presidential election, Mr Prabowo’s team reportedly used buzzers to soften his image with videos showing him joking with supporters, while his then rival Mr Widodo’s camp relied on structured hashtags and branded content.
But research suggests such tactics mostly reinforce existing loyalties rather than win new ones. In the age of live-stream politics, visibility has replaced persuasion.
For experts, the epok-epok controversy underscored a growing fragility in public trust.
“The key is that what is successfully communicated through social media and has a positive impact must also be based on real policy or actions by officials; it cannot rely solely on social media debate or statements without follow-up action or policy,” said Mr Enda.
The incident may fade from headlines, but it has revealed a larger truth: In Indonesia today, power lies not only in who governs, but also in who controls the camera.